Article tag
Sakura
Field notes, tour reports, and photography guides tagged with this topic.
Apr 7, 2021
What’s Different, Maiko and Geisha?
What is the difference between the two? Maiko and geisha are one of the most iconic symbols of Japan. They are mysterious, beautiful, elegant, and perfect photographic subjects for your photo tour of Japan. With 300 years or so of history, we can learn so much about Japan through them. In this article, let’s learn [...]
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Mar 17, 2021
Time for Sakura in Japan!
Sakura Flowering Rush about to take place in Japan 2021 March One of the most popular times of the year for international travelers to visit Japan is spring when sakura, cherry blossoms are blooming. If you have visited Japan during this time, you know the beautiful pink sakura flowers spotted all over the country. For [...]
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Jul 21, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Kyoto Geiko Portrait Session
In 2014 I received a request to arrange a private tour in Japan for a photographer and his family. There were a few photography opportunities requested such as spending time with a master sword smith as he worked to to take portraits of a real maiko, geiko or geisha in Japan. So it was in [...]
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Jul 18, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Mt Fuji
I’m always a little anxious when Mt. Fuji is included on the plan for our photography tours as mountain can be quite shy hiding behind clouds days at a time. For the 2019 photography tour of Japan during cherry blossom season, we had 4 nights planned in the Mt. Fuji area. Two nights in Shizuoka [...]
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Jul 17, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Kyoto
So far our cherry blossom photography tour of Japan was lucky enough to have nice weather and perfect cherry blossom timing for just about all cities we traveled to in Japan. Kyoto was more of the same with cherry blossoms in full bloom just about everywhere in Kyoto waiting for our group to photograph them. [...]
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Jul 16, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Himeji Castle
With Tokyo and Miyajima finished, the 2019 cherry blossom photography tour continued to Himeji, home of Himeji Castle. Famous for the thousands of cherry blossom trees, Himeji Castle is a great spot to capture the essence of Japan. Finding spots where the castle and the cherry blossoms can be photographed together is the goal but [...]
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Jul 15, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Miyajima and Hiroshima
After spending 2 nights in Tokyo, the 2019 cherry blossom photo tour of Japan traveled by bullet train to Miyajima. While tour was without rain so far, colder than normal temperatures had Japan feeling more like Japan in the winter rather than Japan during cherry blossom season. For the most part, the cooler temperatures during [...]
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Jun 14, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Tokyo Portrait Session
During my cherry blossom tours of Japan, we almost always have a portrait session in Kyoto with a real maiko or geiko but during the 2019 cherry blossom photography tour we also had a portrait session in Tokyo with a model living in Tokyo. Last summer in Tokyo I photographed the same model so it [...]
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May 25, 2019
2019 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour | Tokyo
The 2019 cherry blossom season in Japan was an interesting one in terms of cherry blossom timing. A warm winter had the cherry blossoms start blooming earlier than normal in most places in Japan, including cherry blossoms in Tokyo, but a sudden cold spell had spring closer to winter temperatures and paused the cherry blossoms [...]
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Jun 1, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Maiko Portrait Session in Kyoto
I’ve been photographing this maiko san since 2014 and this past photography tour will be the last time I photograph her as a maiko as she is finished her apprenticeship and became a geiko (geisha are called geiko in Kyoto) in May! A portrait session with a real maiko is always a popular request from [...]
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May 25, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Mt. Fuji
In previous photography tours of Japan, I’ve spent a lot of time photographing Mt. Fuji from the Fuji Five Lakes, but for the 2018 photo tour of Japan in cherry blossom season we spent most of our time photographing Mt. Fuji from the Shizuoka side. One thing that really interested me about photographing Fujisan from [...]
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May 20, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Kyoto
By the time our small group of photographers reached Kyoto, time earlier than normal cherry blossom season was starting to catch up with us. Even that being the case, there were still areas of Kyoto where we could still find cherry blossoms in good condition and also many places in Kyoto are picturesque with [...]
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May 16, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Himeji
After 3 wonderful days photographing the cherry blossoms of Miyajima, the 2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour continued North East to Himeji, home of Japan’s most spectacular castle, Himeji Castle. Like most of the locations I choose for the photography tour of Japan during cherry blossom season, the castle has fantastic cherry blossoms, but also there [...]
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May 13, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Miyajima
The 2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour departed Tokyo to travel to Hiroshima by bullet train, then took a chartered van to Miyajima Port and finally a ferry to reach Miyajima. It’s a long journey but our small photography group arrived in Miyajima at perfect time to photograph the cherry blossoms. When one thinks of Miyajima, [...]
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Apr 30, 2018
2018 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan | Tokyo
Either as a photographer to take photos or just view the cherry blossoms, Japanese and tourists are always excited for cherry blossom season. The 2018 the cherry blossoms couldn’t wait either. Compared to an average year, the cherry blossoms in Japan bloomed earlier than normal and in some places in Japan even 10 -14 days [...]
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Jun 1, 2017
2017 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Fuji Five Lakes
The last stop for our group of photographers visiting Japan before returning to Tokyo was Fuji Kawaguchiko. Lake Kawaguchiko is one of the Fuji Five Lakes and offers stunning views of Mt. Fuji no matter what time of year. Thankfully this is the case as we were early for cherry blossoms this year. Though we [...]
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May 18, 2017
2017 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Tokyo
The 2017 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan was shaping up to be quite a large group of photographers visiting Japan but suddenly some members had to drop out for personal reasons. In January I had pretty much accepted that the 2017 Cherry Blossom Tour was not going to happen when just as suddenly as [...]
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Jun 1, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Fuji Five Lakes
Mt. Fuji as a reputation for being really shy, especially while visiting the Fuji Five Lakes outside of Winter. For the 2016 Cherry Blossom Photo Tour of Japan, Mt. Fuji was operating about half of our photographer sessions in the Fuji Five Lake area. Our hotel was at Lake Kawaguchi (where the photo above was [...]
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May 29, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Maiko Portrait Session in Kyoto
If you have stopped by my blog before, you may have noticed my group tours to Japan have participated in a few portrait sessions with real maiko as the subject of our portrait session in Kyoto. It’s rare for visitors or really Japanese as well, to meet a real maiko or geiko (geiko is what geisha [...]
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May 28, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Portrait Session in Kyoto and Tokyo
While in the USA, my main business is small boutique portrait photography studio, so while on these photo tours of Japan, I always enjoy working in a portrait session or two if the other photographers are interested. For the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, we not only had a portrait session with a real maiko [...]
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May 27, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Arashiyama and Kenninji
Even when visiting the same cities in Japan, every photography tour of Japan has some locations that I’m returning to and some locations that are new. When visiting Kyoto, Fushimi Inari is always one that photographers want to visit along with the bamboo forest in Arashiyama. One location in Kyoto that isn’t always on my list [...]
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May 26, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Shrine in south eastern Kyoto is always a popular place to visit for photography tours of Kyoto or just as a normal tourist visiting Japan. Like the bamboo forest in Arashiyama though, if you don’t go early in the morning, good luck with getting photos without lot’s and lot’s of fellow tourists in [...]
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May 15, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle is a great place to visit anytime of the year when traveling to Japan, but the best time to visit Himeji Castle to take photographs is probably during cherry blossom season. Japan’s most spectacular castle is also perhaps one of the top 2 or 3 spots to view and take photos of cherry [...]
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May 14, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Hiroshima and Miyajima
Miyajima is a small and beautiful island off the coast of Hiroshima in Japan. Like the tides that come and go to make Itsukushima’s Great Torii float or just stick out of the sand, hordes of visitors come to visit Miyajima during the day and leave in the afternoon or early evening. Especially during the [...]
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May 13, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Tokyo
Cherry blossom season in Japan is a beautiful time of year if you are lucky enough for good timing! Besides the cherry blossoms blooming slight different times in different years, after the cherry blossoms bloom, one strong storm can wash off a lot of the cherry blossoms. In 2015 the cherry blossom photo tour of [...]
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Feb 13, 2016
2016 Cherry Blossom Forecast for Japan!
I can’t wait for the 2016 cherry blossom tour of Japan and things are looking good with the current cherry blossom forecast! The first cherry blossom forecast for the 2016 season in Japan has been released by the Japan Weather Association and Tenki.jp. While it’s still early and a lot can change, currently the forecast [...]
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Apr 30, 2015
2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Fuji Five Lakes
Before evening returning from the the 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, I received a few inquiries about the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan! If you are looking for that information, the details of the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan can be found here. After part of the group returned home after [...]
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Apr 29, 2015
2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Kyoto
Before evening returning from the the 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, I received a few inquiries about the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan! If you are looking for that information, the details of the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan can be found here. I’ve said it many times before, Kyoto is my [...]
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Apr 29, 2015
2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Himeji Castle
Before evening returning from the the 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, I received a few inquiries about the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan! If you are looking for that information, the details of the 2016 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan can be found here. Himeji Castle, located in between Hiroshima and Kyoto, is [...]
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Jan 25, 2015
First 2015 Cherry Blossom Forecast for Japan Released
Cherry blossom season is probably my favorite time of year to experience Japan but it’s not always exactly the dates for year to year. The first cherry blossom forecast for 2015 of Japan’s cherry blossom season has been released by weathermap.jp! As with all forecasts, they are best guesses and will certainly be updated from [...]
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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 16, 2014
2014 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Tokyo and Kyoto
I love visiting and sharing Japan during anytime of the year, but there is nothing like Japan during cherry blossom season! What started out as me helping the family plan by consulting on their trip, turned into a 8 day tour with them in Tokyo and Kyoto during cherry blossom season. We were perhaps a [...]
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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 2, 2013
2013 Cherry Blossom Forecast
Every February brings (at least) 2 great things related to traveling to Japan: The Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido and the first sakura (or cherry blossom) forecast for Japan. If you plan on visiting Japan during cherry blossom season, head over to the Japanese National Tourism Organization (JNTO) site for some great information. Like the with [...]
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