2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Hiroshima and Miyajima

May 13 | Evan | No Comments |

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 peak seasons for Miyajima which are cherry blossom season and during the Fall when the leaves of Momijidani change colors.

Like when our group was touring in Tokyo, we had perfect timing for cherry blossoms in Miyajima! We were basically surrounded by cherry blossoms in Miyajima and Hiroshima, even after a slightly rainy day had some of the cherry blossom pedals fall!

With Tokyo, Hiroshima and Miyajima finished, next up for the 2016 cherry blossom tour was Himeji, home to one of the best cherry blossom spots in Japan, Himeji Castle. We would also travel to Kyoto and the Fuji Five Lakes to chase and photograph the cherry blossoms around Japan! Interested in joining the 2017 cherry blossom tour? Please contact me today to start your trip to Japan during cherry blossom season or any other time you’d like!

2016 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan | Tokyo

May 13 | Evan | No Comments |

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 Japan didn’t have the best luck with timing, but the 2016 cherry blossom photography tour of Japan, while going the almost exact same dates of the year, had just about perfect timing everywhere we went! Not only did we have perfect timing with the cherry blossoms, we were lucky enough not to have any strong storms until probably day 7 or so, after we had traveled to Kyoto.

Photo created by and courtesy of Kel Blake Photography

Before Kyoto though, I have a lot to share from the other places we visited in Japan for this group tour of Japan from cherry blossom season! First up, like many escorted trips to Japan, Tokyo! Our group had 2 nights to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Tokyo along with other sights and experiences in Tokyo, including a home cooked meal and cooking lesson in a Japanese chef’s home. The photos above are from our first morning at Chidorigafuchi from a overcast morning in Tokyo. Later that day we made it to Sumida Park and then headed an older part of Tokyo, Yanaka where after enough cherry blossom viewing had a nice lunch with some locals. Here are a few photos of our group in Tokyo for cherry blossoms:

Our last morning in Tokyo, a few of us headed to Aoyama Cemetery for a few cherry blossoms photos before heading down to Hiroshima and Miyajima. During cherry blossom season in Japan, early in the morning is really the only time you can expect to easily get photos without crowds of people.

Next up for the 2016 cherry blossom tour was Hiroshima and Miyajima. We would also travel to Himeji Castle, Kyoto and the Fuji Five Lakes to chase and photograph the cherry blossoms around Japan! Interested in joining the 2017 cherry blossom tour? Please contact me today to start your trip to Japan during cherry blossom season or any other time you’d like!

2015 Fall Photo Tour of Japan | Miyajima

Feb 14 | Evan | No Comments |

After taking our time in Kanazawa and around Kanazawa, then a brief stopover in Okayama to photograph another garden and castle there, we made it down to the southern most part of the Fall Photo Tour of Japan, Miyajima and Hiroshima. Miyajima is a small island off the coast of Hiroshima with beatiful scenery, old town, temples, shrines and one of the most iconic images of Japan, the floating Torii Gate. Though as you can see from the photo below, when the tide goes out, you can walkup to and even through the torii gate.

During the day, it’s flooded with tourists but before they arrive in the morning and after they depart in the evening, Miyajima is a peaceful treat. I must have been over a dozen times now and I always enjoy staying and taking photos in Miyajima! It’s also interesting to see the changes going on since my first visit in 2005, though I do miss the monkeys that used to be atop of Mt. Misen!

The short ferry ride back to Hiroshima allows you to explore another city in Japan if there isn’t enough for you in Miyajima. The Peace Park, including the memorial museum for the atomic bomb are worth visiting while in Hiroshima and of course, Hiroshima’s favorite and classic dish, Hiroshima Okonomiyaki!

The 2015 Fall Photography Tour of Japan included Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Okayama, Hiroshima, Miyajima and Kyoto! Interesting in joining your own escorted tour of Japan with Japan Photo Guide? Contact us to get the planning of your trip to Japan started or join one of the group tours of Japan!

2016 Cherry Blossom Forecast for Japan!

Feb 13 | Evan | No Comments |

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 is for an average blooming year. Average blooming year doesn’t mean average quality of cherry blossoms, but means that currently the cherry blossoms are expected to start blooming around the average opening dates over the past years. JNTO, The Japan National Tourist Organization has a great map and list that shows lot’s of cities and their current forecast for cherry blossoms and average dates. If you can handle Japanese or okay with google translate and clicking around, weathermap.jp has a nice interactive map by clicking on the dates. If you just want the quick version, here are the current forecasted dates for cherry blossoms to start blooming in many cities in Japan with full bloom estimated to be about a week or so after.

~~***Updated February 18th***~~

~~***Updated February 24th***~~

***Updated March 9th*** Most places looking early at this point!

Keep in mind that these dates are for the yoshino variety of cherry blossom trees and there are many different kinds of cherry blossoms that bloom at different times throughout Japan!