A teacher’s nature photographs snapped in Hokkaido have won several awards, particularly a rather gruesome shot graphically showing “life and death” in the wild.
But for Kohei Nagira, the biggest reward from his pictures may be his students’ heightened appreciation for their natural surroundings on Japan’s northernmost main island.
Nagira, 32, now an educator at Shibecha High School in Shibecha town, Hokkaido, had spent his weekends taking photos on the Notsuke Peninsula since November 2020.
This photograph, which reproduces the ambience of an indoor photo studio, captures the unembellished reality of a Yezo deer’s life. (Provided by Kohei Nagira)
In February 2021 there, he spotted a Yezo deer walking steadily as if carrying on with life as usual.
But entangled in its antlers was the rotting head of another deer, likely a rival who lost in a battle.
Rather than emphasizing the animal’s unusual guise, Nagira chose to convey the unembellished reality of its life. He took a close-up of the deer’s face against a white backdrop that gave the ambience of an indoor photo studio.
Earlier this year, Nagira’s picture won a top prize in the People’s Choice division of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for its powerful portrayal of “life and death bound together” in the natural world.
The world-renown competition is organized by the Natural History Museum, London.
In 2025, Nagira was similarly honored in the Art in Nature category of the Nature’s Best Photography International Awards in the United States.
His submitted work featured the antlers of a Yezo deer glowing in the backlight.
Nagira hails from Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, western Japan. Upon graduating from Ehime University, Nagira relocated to Hokkaido, drawn to the vast nature there, and taught social studies at a high school in Shibetsu town.
Kohei Nagira’s first photo after relocating to Hokkaido captures herd of Yezo deer on the Notsuke Peninsula. (Provided by Kohei Nagira)
Nagira soon came across a herd of Yezo deer there. Although he was deeply impressed by such an environment with free-roaming wildlife, he felt his students didn’t see anything special about their surroundings.
Nagira felt compelled to make locals more appreciative of the landscape.
He began following Yezo deer because they could be easily found near human settlements.
Following a yearlong search for the scene, Kohei Nagira snapped this photo that won the top prize in the digital category of the “Nature of Japan” photo contest. (Provided by Kohei Nagira)
In 2021, Nagira was awarded the top prize in the digital picture section of the “Nature of Japan” photo contest for his image of a pair of Yezo deer butting antlers.
The event, which started more than 40 years ago, is considered one of the most prestigious nature photography competitions nationwide.
The award gave Nagira confidence that his devotion to photographing only Yezo deer was justified.
In 2022, Nagira transferred to Kushiro Hokuyo High School and focused his lenses on the red fox, a species often spotted in the busy commercial district of Kushiro city.
Nagira visited the district so frequently that workers at nearby stores and shops told him where the foxes were heading.
His photograph of a red fox standing in a bustling corner won The Asahi Shimbun’s award in the print category of the 2023 “Nature of Japan” contest.
This photo of a red fox in a busy commercial district of Kushiro, Hokkaido, received The Asahi Shimbun’s award in the print category of the “Nature of Japan” photo contest. (Provided by Kohei Nagira)
Nagira has also shared his works on social media.
A photo titled “Yorushika” (Night and deer) and showing a full moon and a Yezo deer gained more than 20,000 likes.
His video of a red-crowned crane crossing a road collected over 80,000 likes.
His students had viewed their hometown as a place with nowhere to shop or have fun. But their attitude changed after they saw Nagira’s photos and social media posts.
“Our environment, in which red-crowned cranes, red foxes and deer can be seen so up-close, might actually be something special,” Nagira said he heard a student say.
In April, Nagira was reassigned to Shibecha High School, also in eastern Hokkaido and home to the largest campus in Japan.
The teacher has already posted pictures on the school’s social media account of its natural surroundings and also its students learning directly about nature and life.
His renewed goal is to ensure his students leave high school with their heads held high.
Kohei Nagira speaks during an interview on April 22 at Shibecha High School in Hokkaido’s Shibecha. (Takeo Kato)
AloJapan.com