The Kansai Press Photographers Association announced the winners of this fiscal year's awards for distinguished press photos and videos on Nov. 29, with a top prize going to a Mainichi Shimbun photograph capturing the remains of a major fire in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the wake of the Jan. 1 earthquake.

The photo, taken by Takao Kitamura of the Mainichi's Osaka Photo Department, won the "association award," the best prize in the newspaper and news agency category. Titled "Yakeato -- Shunrai Toku" (roughly translates to "Remains of a fire -- spring thunder far away"), the photo shows the charred buildings and debris in the heart of Wajima, with lightning across the skies above.

The Osaka-based association comprises newspaper companies, broadcasters and news agencies in regions including Kinki, Hokuriku, Chugoku and Shikoku in western and central Japan.

The top prize in the TV and news film category was awarded to Yomiuri Telecasting Corp.'s program titled "Natsu wa Yoru -- Natsu no Eizo-shu 2024," featuring a collection of nightscapes taken at various locations this summer.

The 67th exhibition to reflect on the fiscal year with news photos and videos, centering around the prize-winning works, will be held at Aeon Mall Kyoto in the city's Minami Ward from Dec. 4 to 10, at Santica Hall in Kobe's Chuo Ward from Dec. 19 to 29, and at Fujifilm Photo Salon Osaka in that city's Chuo Ward from Jan. 10 to 16. Admission is free.

(Mainichi)