One of the great joys of exploring Japan are the photo. Japan affords some pretty amazing photo opportunities. Whether your photographic passion is landscapes, architecture, people or animals, Japan has it all.
The following spots represent some of Japan’s most photogenic places. Some are easily photographed and almost always yield incredible photos, others require certain conditions and are somewhat challenging.
And when it comes to people, Japan is surely amongst the best photo spots in the world.
Tochigi ☆
Come and see the great wisteria over 150 years old which spreads over a 600 tatami trellis area, as well as the 80m long white wisteria tunnel. (at Ashikaga Flower Park)
Various colors of wisteria bloom in order, from pale red, purple, white, to yellow, which allows you to enjoy all of the wisterias for about one full month.
A garden with large displays of hanging wisteria that date to 1870. They are illuminated at night in season.
(From mid April to mid May)
Tokyo ☆
A crowded pedestrian crossing in the massive Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo. Pedestrians cross at all directions at once.
It appears chaotic from a distance. The buildings of Shibuya in the background give the crossing a Times Square feel. There are large video screens mounted on the buildings. The crossing appears particularly crowded when it’s raining and everyone has umbrellas.
Kenrokuen (兼六園) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture is justifiably classified as one of Japan’s “three most beautiful landscape gardens” alongside Mito’s Kairakuen and Okayama’s Korakuen.
A large garden featuring an elaborate water system and Japan’s oldest fountain that is operated using natural water pressure. Kenrokuen took around 200 years to fully complete and is amongst Japan’s most elaborate and sublime gardens.
It has a number of seasonal features including plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, flowers and autumn leaves. Kenrokuen also looks good in snow as the gardeners cover some of the garden’s trees in protective cones known as yukizuri.
Osaka ☆
Osaka is Japan’s second largest metropolitan area after Tokyo. There are many interesting people and delicious foods here.
Dotonbori is an entertainment district of Osaka. A former pleasure district, today it’s famous for neon lights and crowds of tourists.
And osaka is famous for Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki. The home takoyaki maker permeated everyday life to such an extent that there were people in Osaka who even bought them as bridal gifts.
A building in Osaka with two towers joined at the roof level with a large platform that serves as an observation deck. The observation deck is reached via a long escalator suspended in the air between the two buildings. The building is popular with local couples who leave love locks behind.
kyoto ☆
Meeting one of Kyoto’s geisha is a magical and memorable experience.
For example, Kinkakuji is Kyoto’s golden pavilion. It’s a small temple wrapped in gold leaf sitting in a sublime Japanese garden. When the light is right the temple reflects in the garden pond. It also looks great in the snow.
The path to the inner shrine of Fushimi Inari Shrine is lined with thousands of vermillion torii gates that are amongst the most visually stunning sights in Japan. The hills behind the shrine are filled with ancient hiking trails that are also lined with torii gates.
A spectacular but short path through the Sagano Bamboo Forest. The bamboo is regularly harvested but allowed to grow close to its full height.
The path is surrounded by an attractive thatch fence in parts and has stretches long enough that it appears to fade into the horizon. The path is lit by traditional lanterns in December in an event known as the Arashiyama Hanatoro.
A temple with unique architecture, particularly the tall stage of its main hall. Kiyomizudera also has some interesting rituals such as walking with your eyes closed between two rocks that make for interesting moments.
At times, the temple is brilliantly illuminated at night and it’s known for its autumn leaves. Kiyiomizudera is associated with its own sect of Buddhism and the priests at the temple occasionally hold mysterious rituals involving masks.
Hiroshima ☆
The dramatic “floating gate” of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, Hiroshima is one of Japan’s most iconic images.
The torii gate is partially submerged in the ocean at high tide. At low tide you can walk out to the gate. There has been a gate at this spot since 1168. Lights illuminate the torii at night.
And you know
The atomic bomb destroyed the entire city of Hiroshima. Please learn the history here.
The city is often compared with its Italian sister city Naples due to a similarly mild climate, palm tree lined streets, relatively hot tempered inhabitants and Sakurajima, Kagoshima’s Vesuvius.4
Sakurajima is a volcano that sits in a bay just a few hundred meters from the city of Kagoshima. It has been erupting on a regular basis since 1955.
The nature along the coastal landscape in Kagoshima prefecture has breathtaking scenery of nature and surprisingly peaceful despite its strong ocean waves and powerful winds.
The experience of bathing in steamed sand is rather unusual and gives various sensations.
Yakushima is known throughout the world. Yakushima is covered in dense ancient forest and part of Kagoshima. Its most symbolic feature is the jōmon-sugi (ancient jōmon cedar trees), which rank among the oldest plants on Earth.
These enormous cedars have thrived on Yakushima for over 7200 years and are strong enough to withstand even the powerful typhoons which are common to the region as if they were nothing more than a pleasant breeze.
This impressive display of life force has made the area popular not only as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but as a “power spot” among New Age types as well.
The scenery surrounding the pathway leading to the ancient cedars is so ethereal and beautiful that it could easily be mistaken for a three-dimensional background still from Princess Mononoke.
