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.

From the Sahara to the holy cities of Islam

A distinctive photographic legacy

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