I think you should try to take a good photo but it's not exactly an art contest, but should still be presented decently. As Axm said, the most important thing would obviously be what's being photographed, however, that doesn't mean you can't try your best to make it visually appealing.
I don't think we should exclude people in Japan. A good Shenmue inspired picture doesn't have to come from Japan, and wouldn't necessarily be the best if it did.