Show the world the Japan you saw.

Value Village Photo Award / Photo Crew: Call for entries

Operated by Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd., part of a Nasdaq-listed group (NASDAQ: BIOT)

Value Village is a website that introduces places, culture and craftsmanship across all 47 prefectures of Japan in five languages. We are looking for photos and videos taken by people travelling in Japan and people living in Japan. Selected works will be featured on our site with the photographer's name.

Enter nowPhoto: Rurikoji Pagoda, Yamaguchi City / Saigen Jiro / CC0

Two ways to take part

A. Photo Award (open contest)

Who: Visitors to Japan who live overseas, and residents of Japan. Any nationality
What: Enter with photos and videos of Japan from your own trip. Go wherever you like
Payment: A JPY 10,000 prize for each of 30 winners every month
Selection: Value Village judges the entries every month

B. Photo Crew (commissioned shoots)

Who: Residents of Japan (Japanese nationals, and foreign residents whose status of residence allows them to work)
What: Travel to a prefecture and place we ask you to cover, and shoot there
Payment: JPY 10,000 per assignment, plus actual transport costs
Selection: We review applications and decide whom to invite to register

A. How the Photo Award works

Apply using the form on this page (free).
Travel in Japan and shoot.
Post on Instagram or a similar service. Add [#ValueVillageJapan] and state that the post is "an entry for the Value Village Photo Award (a contest with a cash prize)".
Send at least 10 original photos and 1 video through the entry form.
We announce 30 winners on the [ ] of each month.
Winners submit identity documents. Once verified, we send the JPY 10,000 prize.

What the judges look for: that the work was clearly shot on location; that it conveys the character of the place; that it helps people who will travel to Japan; and that photography etiquette was respected. Follower count does not matter.

B. How the Photo Crew works

Apply using the form. Tell us your prefecture of residence, the languages you speak, and a social account that shows your past photos.
We contact the people we would like to register. They then submit identity documents.
We tell you the prefecture, the place and what we would like you to shoot.
Shoot on location. Start your post with "PR", add [#ValueVillageJapan], and use the paid partnership label on Instagram.
Deliver 30 photos and 3 videos.
After we check the delivery, we pay JPY 10,000 plus your actual transport costs.

Rules

Entries must be your own work, shot on location. AI-generated images, other people's photos and works that have won other awards are not eligible.
Do not shoot where photography is prohibited, inside temple or shrine halls, or on private property. Drones are not allowed.
Photos in which other people's faces are identifiable are accepted only with their consent.
Each person can win at most once a month.
You keep the copyright. You grant Value Village, and the local governments that sponsor this programme, a free licence, with no time limit, to use the work on their websites, on social media and in tourism materials. We credit the photographer by name.
You shoot and travel at your own risk. Value Village and the sponsoring local governments are not liable for accidents, injuries or losses during shooting, or for any breach of law or venue rules.
Value Village is not responsible for third parties' reactions or comments to your posts.
Value Village may decline to select a work, remove a published work, or change or cancel this programme without giving reasons. If the rules are broken, or an entry is fraudulent or contains false statements, we may cancel the award or registration and ask for repayment of money already paid.
Value Village is not responsible for the storage or loss of submitted works.
Tax reporting in your country of residence on any prize money or fee is your own responsibility. If a payment cannot be sent, we will offer an alternative of equal value or treat the award as declined.
Value Village's liability in connection with this programme, whatever the cause, is limited to the amount of prize money or fee paid to you (except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence). This programme is governed by Japanese law, and the Tokyo District Court has exclusive jurisdiction in the first instance.

Identity verification and personal data

We ask for documents only from winners and from people we have decided to register. Nothing is needed when you apply.
Japanese nationals living in Japan: a photo ID (the front of your My Number Card, a driver's licence or a passport). Do not send the back of the My Number Card or your 12-digit number.
Foreign nationals living in Japan: your residence card (front and back).
Visitors from overseas: the photo page of your passport, your planned dates of arrival and departure, and the name and address of the hotel where you will stay.
We use this information only to verify identity, make payments, prevent fraud, and check residence status and tax. Documents are stored encrypted and seen only by the staff in charge.
Prizes and fees are paid in accordance with Japanese tax law. Where the law requires it, tax is withheld before payment.

FAQ

Can I enter with only a few followers?

Yes. Entries are judged on the work itself.

Do you cover travel costs?

Not for the Photo Award. For the Photo Crew we pay your actual transport costs.

Which social network should I post on?

Instagram is the standard. [Other networks: not yet decided]

Can I enter more than once?

Yes. You can win at most once a month.

How do I receive the prize?

[Payment method not yet decided]

Entry form fields

Who runs this

Value Village is run by a Nasdaq-listed group.

Operator: Instinct Brothers Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)
Parent company: Instinct Bio Technical Company Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOT, listed 24 July 2026)