Making use of Instagram, over 648 photos were posted for the contest. From these entries,
winners were chosen for each scene as well as an overall Grand Prix (grand prize winner).

The 24 scenes used for the contest included the ruins of Katsuren Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site),
a driving spot along the Mid-Sea Road, and themed shots from everyday Uruma life such as the “morning sun” and “evening scenery.”

For the Grand Prix, judges selected a photo of the Mid-Sea Road by user “gushiken.74”,
praising it for “skillfully capturing the emotion of wanting to snap a photo” of such beautiful scenery.

“The clincher for this photo is the high school girl caught in the bottom-right corner,
” says one of the judges, photographer and local native Masahiro Higashi.

 “In Uruma, I think we are ‘moved’ emotionally every day,” he continues.
“By adding to the photo someone who was themselves moved by the scenery to instinctively take a photo,
this shot conveys the emotional power of the setting itself.”

User “gushiken.74” adds their own comment:
“This is the Uruma that I pass every morning and evening when I drop off and pick up my daughter.
The skies and winds have shown us many different scenes, as if beckoning us to ‘come, come closer.
’ Anywhere you stop your car in Uruma, the scenery will be beautiful and you will feel a relax, gentle calm.”

Below are a few other shots that won in their categories.

This is the ruins of Katsuren Castle. Judges praised it for its “dynamic landscape. You can even feel the weight of the history.”

This photo of Ikei Bridge was praised for its use of color contrast and composition, capturing a “distinctive red coloring.”