Association for Corporate Support of the Arts. - Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai

In 1968, NIKON CORPORATION commemorated its 50th anniversary by opening a gallery dedicated to photography in Tokyo’s Ginza district called Nikon Salon. The inaugural exhibition was called the “Eyes of Ihei Kimura”. In 1971 a Nikon Salon was opened in Shinjuku, followed by another in Osaka in 1974. Ever since, Nikon has offered these venues as forums for photographers to get their work out.
The selection process for exhibition is based on submissions from the public and makes no distinction between amateur and professional, and bases no decisions on country of origin or equipment used. Photographers chosen are selected based on a portfolio of 40 or more works. Past selection committee members have included such noted Japanese photographers as Ihei Kimura and Ken Domon, while more recent committees have been composed of such diverse members as photographers Hiromi Tsuchida and Hiroshi Oshima as well as art critics such as Toshiharu Ito. The exhibitors, who are chosen strictly based on the merits of their work, get exhibitions lasting one to two weeks, and the photography exhibition of the highest quality for that year are awarded the Nobuo Ina Award, which in addition to a trophy comes with a monetary gift of one million yen and a Nikon digital camera of the highest quality.
The Juna21 awards, which recognize artists 35 years and younger, were begun in 1998. As part of these awards the company has created opportunities that encourage young photographers through “gallery talks” and dialogues with selection committee members that serve as “portfolio reviews”. The highest honor in the Juna21 awards is the Jun Miki Award. Recipients of this prestigious price are given the opportunity to show their work again during a two-year period.
Furthermore, special exhibitions are held when the proper occasion arises, and photographers are invited to hold photography seminars and lectures. In the more than 40 years since the venture began, roughly 1,700 exhibitions of photography have been displayed at the Ginza location alone. Nikon Salon has gained such a reputation domestically and internationally that it is not unlike a rite of passage for aspiring photographers. It is not uncommon for photographers to begin winning other photography awards after receiving a Nikon Salon award. Nikon Salon will surely continue to be a forum in which people seriously pursue artistic expression through photography.