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!

 

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!

2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Miyajima and Hiroshima

Apr 26 | Evan | Comments Off on 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Miyajima and Hiroshima |

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 spending a few days in Tokyo we took our chartered bus from the hotel in Shibuya to Shinagawa Station for the first ride on the bullet train of this tour of Japan.  I love riding the shinkansen and find it relaxing and much less stressful than flying or taking a car.  The one way trip from Tokyo to Miyajima takes over 5 hours and included bus, train and ferry!  Especially since it was raining the entire time our group was transferring, the trip worked out fine and was well worth the time spent in transit through Japan!

Like with Tokyo, cherry blossoms blooming earlier than normal, hard rain and strong winds limited cherry blossoms still intact in Miyajima and Hiroshima, but it’s still a beautiful place…. even if we did have mostly cloudy, rainy and misty weather for our stay in Miyajima!

 

Part of the group did take some time during the day to visit nearby Hiroshima and Peace Park.  The museum is under renovation, but about half of it was open.  After that we made sure to eat some Hiroshima Okonomiyaki, which I love love love!

All the photos below are courtesy of and created by 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan participant, Gavin Everson:

Want to see more photos from the 2015 Cherry Blossom Photography Tour of Japan?  The group tour also went to Tokyo, Himeji Castle, Kyoto and some of us to The Fuji Five Lakes close to Mt. Fuji.  Stay tuned for more photos from the escorted tour of Japan!

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