The is given annually by the Nikon Salon, an organization of exhibition spaces in Japan that is sponsored by Nikon Corporation. The award was started in 1976; it is named in honor of , a photography critic who headed the Nikon Salon from 1968 until his death in 1978.
The award is given to the photographer of what is judged to have been the most outstanding exhibition held in a Nikon Salon within the year running from October through September. As of 2014, the award consists of a statuette, one million yen, and a Nikon D4S camera body and lenses (AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4G).