Article category
Japan Photo Guide Recommends
Field notes, tour reports, and photography guides filed under this category.
Oct 5, 2022
Traveling to Japan Post COVID
Step by step traveling procedures in June and Oct 2022 Yes, it might be still too early to say it’s “Post COVID” particular in Japanese standard, but things are clearly changing in the right direction even in Japan when it comes to international traveling! We just recently shared the exciting news about Japan finally opening [...]
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May 12, 2016
Winter Photo Tour of Japan | Snow Monkeys!
Located in Nagano Prefecture, the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Yamanouchi has become a very popular place for tourists visiting Japan to include on their Japan tour itinerary. If you google snow monkey Japan, you will find all sorts of articles and a few videos and then if you go to the images section of [...]
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Aug 2, 2014
Traveling around Kyushu | Tanada Rice Terraces
Tanada, or in English, rice terraces, are rice fields built into hillsides and mountains. With the right timing and weather, they can provide excellent backgrounds for landscapes in Japan or other countries that have time. Accessing the best rice terraces isn’t always easy and finding information in English is rare, so I’ve become really interested in [...]
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Aug 1, 2014
Traveling around Kyushu | Karatsu
It’s no secret that I love Kamikochi and Kyoto, but Karatsu certainly deserves to be on my short list of favorite areas in Japan. Located in Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, about an hour or so away from Hakata in Fukuoka, lies the peaceful and beautiful ocean side city of Karatsu. There isn’t much going on [...]
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Jul 29, 2014
Traveling around Kyushu | Sasebo
After visiting Nagasaki, the next place I wanted to scout for an upcoming rice terrace photo tour of Japan was Sasebo. Like with Nagasaki, the weather in Sasebo was mostly rainy and didn’t really allow me to take photos of areas I wanted when I wanted to, but I could at least check out the [...]
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Jul 28, 2014
Traveling around Kyushu | Nagasaki
This summer I had the pleasure to travel to Japan and explore parts of Kyushu that I had previously not visited. I wanted to go to Kyushu to scout some locations for an upcoming photography tour of Japanese rice terraces or Tanada in Japanese. My timing wasn’t the best to take pictures of tanada as [...]
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Jun 3, 2014
Panoramic Kamikochi Photos
Just a quick post today, again from Kamikochi. After sharing my favorite black and white photos from Kamikochi, here are my favorite panoramic photos of Kamikochi. All of these photos were simply taken with the iPhone camera’s panoramic photo tool and just cropped a little in photoshop. If you have been looking around the blog recently, [...]
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May 25, 2014
Kamikochi in black and white
From Myonjin Pond to Taisho Pond and all the wonderful places in between, it’s no secret I love Kamikochi! I only wish I could have spent more time in this special place in the Japanese Alps to take more photographs and really explore the area. I would have also been really happy with different kinds [...]
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May 20, 2014
Walking Around Kamikochi
When visiting Kamikochi, you will surely visit and get great photos of the famous sightseeing spots like Kappabashi, Myojin Pond and Taisho Pond, but also just by walking around the trails you will find spectacular scenery, nature and perhaps even some animals. With my limited time in Kamikochi, I was always rushing from one place [...]
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May 20, 2014
Kamikochi | Taisho Pond
I already introduced you to the beautiful Myojin Pond in Kamikochi and now it is time to show you photos Taisho Pond. Like Myojin Pond, Taisho Pond is about an hour walk from Kappabashi, but in the opposite direction. So if you were to talk from Myojin Pond to Taisho Pond, it would take you [...]
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May 18, 2014
Kamikochi | Myojin Pond
Myojin Pond is about an hours walk from Kappabashi and the Kamikochi Bus Terminal. Starting from Kappabashi, you can walk along the right or the left side of the Azusa River to get to Myojin Pond with the right side being more of a path and the left side more of elevated wooden platform. Photography [...]
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May 17, 2014
Kamikochi | Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge)
Kappabashi is an icon of Kamikochi and centrally located in the area. It’s about a 10 minute walk or so from the Kamikochi Bus Terminal and an hour or so walk from either of the famous ponds, Myojin Pond or Taisho Pond. Kappabashi, along with the bus terminal, are the most crowded areas as it [...]
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May 17, 2014
Kamikochi Japan | My new favorite place in Japan
I’ve often said that Kyoto is my favorite place in Japan, and perhaps in the world, but last Fall I had the chance to visit Kamikochi for the first time and while I think Kyoto is still my overall favorite, Kamikochi took a small piece of my heart away from Kyoto! Kamikochi offers picture perfect [...]
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May 13, 2014
Why should I visit Japan with a guide or group tour?
I get asked frequently why should I visit Japan with a group or a guide and there are many reasons why you should see the sights in Japan with a guide! There is nothing wrong with going sightseeing in Japan by yourself and Japan is safe enough (actually, crime wise, Japan is probably just about [...]
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May 9, 2014
2014 Summer and Fall Tours of Japan
Japan Photo Guide is excited to announce 2 opportunities to experience Japan in 2014! In June and July of 2014 there is limited availability of short day tours or photography/portrait sessions in Japan. Whether in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Miyajima or someplace else, please contact me about what you want to do in Japan this summer! [...]
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Apr 20, 2014
Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Maiko Portrait Session
The 2014 cherry blossom tour of Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan had been going great and filled with special experiences so far. When planning this trip to Japan, one of the experiences I was most excited about was this portrait session with a real maiko! A maiko is an apprentice geisha or geiko as they are [...]
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Apr 20, 2014
Tour of Japan | Samurai Experience
After spending some time as a Ninja, I was able to stop by for a few minutes to check out the samurai experience being offered by the same group that introduced me to the Ninja Experience, IJCEE. The Institute for Japanese Culture Experience and Education has an office in Tokyo, but can help to arrange special [...]
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Apr 17, 2014
Tour of Japan | Japanese Sword Smith Demonstration
The family I was guiding around Japan during cherry blossom season was interested in participating in quite a few experiences. One of which I was really excited about was visiting with a real Japanese sword smith and getting a demonstration while we were able to take photos. When I was first asked about this, I [...]
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Apr 16, 2014
Photo Tour of Japan | Fushimi Inari Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine is one of my favorite places in Kyoto. It’s a little out of the way in Southeastern Kyoto, but certainly worth the extra effort to get there! There are thousands of torii gates lined up next to each other of various sizes. All of the gates have the names of individuals or [...]
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Mar 16, 2014
Photo Tour of Japan | Kokedera, The Moss Garden Temple in Kyoto
Kokedera is one of my favorite places in Kyoto. The Moss Garden Temple, aka Kokedera or Saiho-ji, is on the outskirts of Kyoto and you not only do you have to make reservation far in advance by mail, the entry fee is 3,000 yen per person. Even though you do need a reservation for the [...]
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Feb 22, 2014
Photo Tour of Japan | Blue Pond
If you have a Mac, there is a good chance you have seen Blue Pond or Aoi Ikke before as it is one of the National Geographic photos is a desktop photo that comes with Mac OS. While I would love to visit this lake and Hokkaido in the Winter, we were visiting the Shirogane [...]
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Feb 1, 2014
Photo Tour of Japan | Lake Onneto
Lake Onneto is about 25 minute drive from Lake Akan and part of Akan National Park. While it isn’t as famous with tourists as some of the other lakes in the area like Lake Mashu or Lake Akan, it certainly should be! Lake Onneto is a much smaller lake than Mashu or Akan, and while [...]
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Feb 1, 2014
Photo Tour of Japan | Oshinkoshin Waterfall
After our final morning in the Shiretoko Peninsula and on the way to Akan National Park, we made a brief stop at Oshinkoshin Waterfall. The waterfall is about 15 -20 minute drive from Utoro and is very easily accessed as there is a parking lot next to Oshinkoshin Waterfall. You can see the waterfall from [...]
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Jan 27, 2014
First 2014 Cherry Blossom Forecast for Japan Released
Cherry blossom season in Japan for 2014 is over… Too bad, but if you missed it, why not see the cherry blossoms in Japan with Japan Photo Guide in 2015! The first sakura (cherry blossom) forecast for 2015 will be released around January 2015 Cherry blossom season is a magical time in Japan when the [...]
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Mar 3, 2011
Japan Photo Guide Recommends: Going to Japan now, HUGE flight sale!
It appears that American Airlines and Delta are in some kind of price war for flights to Asia this spring. I’ve never seen round trip flights go below $900 USD, but right now Delta and AA both have round trip flights starting less than $700 from certain cities on certain days. Lowest I found was [...]
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Feb 3, 2011
Japan Photo Guide Recommends: Sapporo Snow Festival
Japan has many festivals throughout the year, but honestly, most of them share a lot of similar elements (parades, fireworks, carrying portable shrines) and tend to be somewhat overrated *cough* Gion Matsuri *cough*. That being said, there are certainly some incredible festivals that make for some unique and wonderful experiences. My favorite one is probably [...]
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