Introduction
'April Diary '26' is a global online photo contest organized by cizucu, open to any creator registered on cizucu. Outstanding submissions are curated from among the entries, with the aim of discovering new talent as a platform and supporting the community as a whole.
This edition’s theme was ‘April Diaries’.
April brings gentle sunlight, and both city and nature begin to take on new colors.
While hearts are filled with excitement for new encounters and beginnings, there is also a subtle sense of restlessness. Perhaps the familiar scenery looks a little different because we ourselves are taking new steps forward.
This time, we invited everyone to share, through photography, the scenes and emotions unique to this season of 'beginnings'.
Now, let us introduce the selected and awarded works from among the many wonderful submissions.
Submitted Works
Photo by ゆーえぬ
ゆーえぬ
Sakura bidding farewell, a gentle moment.
📷 FUJIFILM X-T5
cizucu Editorial Team
A retro train glimpsed through cherry branches, the back of a crew member, and a family holding hands. Is this the start of a journey, or a cherished extension of everyday life? The image invites endless interpretation. The tenderness the photographer must have felt in that moment is encapsulated here, capturing a serene April day with care.
Photo by はくらく
はくらく
A solo walk after a long time
It feels calming,
yet somehow a little lacking.
The spring air warmly embraces me.
cizucu Editorial Team
Stone steps cut straight through a lush green slope. The composition, looking up from below with the steps at the center, draws the eye skyward. The sense of ascending toward the blue sky beyond the grass evokes the exhilaration of climbing into a new season. The scene is so vibrant with fresh light, you can almost smell the scent of young grass—an image that conveys hope for the season ahead.
Photo by S.Yasu Photo
S.Yasu Photo
April 16—
A merganser flying over a bed on the lake
Lake Toya, Hokkaido
📷 NIKON Z 8
cizucu Editorial Team
A bird glides across a silk-smooth, shimmering water surface—a tranquil moment of stillness. There is a sharpened beauty in this fleeting instant, as if time has stopped. The bird appears both to soar freely and to be striving for survival. Amid the rush of daily life, this image brings a sense of calm and invites us to reflect on our own way of living.
Awarded Works
Photo by 服部まいこ
服部まいこ
cizucu Editorial Team
The sight of children upside down exudes innocent charm and brings a smile to your face. The cherry trees standing watchfully nearby not only add seasonal color but also seem to quietly record the children's growth. The spring air transforms an ordinary moment into an irreplaceable treasure—a work truly befitting a page in a diary.
Photo by itona.
itona.
cizucu Editorial Team
The blurred contours create a soft afterglow, as if in a dream. By not depicting the subject clearly, the work evokes the illusion that it could be a page from anyone’s own memory. The tactile sensation of soft earth, drifting petals, and flowers in full bloom under the light—all combine to create a fantastical comfort, like a vision fading into white, in which you want to linger.
In Closing
We hope you enjoyed this feature.
The works submitted by everyone offered new perspectives on fleeting everyday moments that we might otherwise overlook.
Not only special days, but also ordinary ones—by carefully capturing what you feel in the moment, each day becomes an irreplaceable memory. Each photograph seemed to speak of this important truth.
The ‘Diary’ series will continue. We look forward to seeing your May stories, captured and shared as if writing in a diary.