Dubai: The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has named renowned Japanese documentary photographer Kazuyoshi Nomachi the recipient of its prestigious Photography Appreciation Award for its 15th season, themed ‘Family’.
The award recognises Nomachi’s career spanning more than half a century, during which he has documented humanity, spiritual beliefs and ancestral traditions in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.
His photographs preserve a record of communities, sacred rituals and ways of life threatened by rapid globalisation. His extensive body of work has also been widely recognised internationally for its contribution to documenting human geography.
Nomachi has published more than 15 photographic anthologies chronicling expeditions across three continents. His best-known works include Sahara, The Nile and Tibet, as well as Mecca the Blessed and Medina the Radiant, which document the two holy cities in Saudi Arabia.
His contributions to photography have earned him several major Japanese honours, including the Domon Ken Award and the Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon.
HIPA’s Board of Trustees selected Nomachi in recognition of a body of work that explores the global human family and the enduring connections between people and their lands.
“We, at HIPA, conduct meticulous, exhaustive international research to select a recipient truly deserving of this distinguished honour,” said His Excellency Ali Bin Thalith, secretary-general of HIPA.
“Kazuyoshi Nomachi has delivered profound, impactful photographic contributions that confront issues of vital importance to global society. He stands as an inspiring role model, demonstrating how a purposeful creative career can add distinctive, lasting value to our shared world.”
Thalith said recognising pioneering creative figures was central to HIPA’s mission. He also highlighted the vision of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, whose patronage continues to support global cultural and intellectual creativity.
Nomachi reflects on global recognition
Nomachi said receiving the award was a significant honour, reflecting on decades spent travelling to document the faiths and cultures passed down through generations.
“Receiving an award of the global stature and prestige of HIPA is an immense honour. For decades, I have travelled to the edges of the earth to understand the faiths and cultures that people have passed down through generations. My journeys through the Islamic world and beyond showed me how deeply rooted traditions shape people's lives,” he said.
He added that while globalisation had made the world more efficient, it had also accelerated the homogenisation of local cultures.
“To have witnessed and documented these rich ethnic traditions and diverse faiths just before they began to fade is an irreplaceable treasure to me,” Nomachi said.
He expressed gratitude that his life’s work, driven by curiosity and a desire to understand different cultures, had received international recognition.
From the Sahara to the holy cities of Islam
Born in 1946, Nomachi is internationally recognised for his documentary photography exploring the relationship between humanity, nature and spirituality.
His interest in photography began during his teenage years at Kochi Technical High School. In 1969, he studied photography under Takashi Kijima before beginning work as a freelance advertising photographer in 1971.
A journey to the Sahara in 1972, when he was 25, proved pivotal. Inspired by the resilience of people living in the harsh desert environment, he turned towards photojournalism and began a lifelong exploration of the relationship between people and the natural world.
In 1980, he began documenting the Nile, tracing the White Nile from the Nile Delta to its source in Uganda and following the Blue Nile to its origins in the Ethiopian highlands. His photographs captured the landscapes and communities shaped by the rivers.
From 1988, Nomachi focused on Asia, documenting communities in western China and exploring Tibetan Buddhist traditions across much of the Tibetan cultural region. Between 2004 and 2008, he also photographed the sacred origins of the Ganges, documenting landscapes and traditions central to Hinduism.
Between 1995 and 2000, he documented Mecca and Medina, capturing the Hajj pilgrimage and the devotion of Muslims gathering in Mecca.
From 2002, he also explored the Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia, examining how Catholicism and Inca cultural traditions intersect. This project has continued over the years.
A distinctive photographic legacy
Across more than four decades of documentary work, Nomachi has developed a distinctive visual style that presents people with dignity and in harmony with their surroundings. His photographs combine luminous landscapes and carefully composed portraits to capture both the realities of everyday life and its spiritual dimensions.
His work has appeared in major photographic books and international magazines, including National Geographic, GEO and Stern.
Among his honours are the Photographic Society of Japan’s Annual Award, which he received in 1990 and 1997, and Japan’s Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon in 2009.
Through his documentation of diverse communities, landscapes and religious traditions, Nomachi’s photographs offer a lasting record of humanity’s resilience, the power of faith and the universal search for meaning.