2015 Fall Photo Tour of Japan | Kanazawa and Shirakawago

Jan 23 | Evan | No Comments |

We stayed in Kanazawa for 3 nights for the 2015 Fall Photo Tour and while we spent a lot of time at Kenrokuen, there is plenty else to see and photograph in Kanazawa and a few great day trips you can make. The first day trip we took was this Shirakawago, a village of traditional farmhouses in the remote mountains of Japan. The historic villages of Shiragkawago and Gokayama are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are famous for the traditional architectural style of home known as gassho zukuri, which translates to praying hands construction.

Recently, Shirakawago and Gokayama have become very popular with both foreign and Japanese tourists and it can be quite crowded during the day. If your schedule allows it, staying in one of the traditional homes is a unique and usually recommend experience! While you can expect lodgings amenities to be minimal, waking up early and walking around the area without the hoards of tourists is quite peaceful!

This post has images created by and courtesy of Mami Yasui, thank you!

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 Fall Photography Tour of Japan | Kanazawa and Kenrokuen

Jan 22 | Evan | No Comments |

The 2015 Fall Photography Tour of Japan started off with a short stay in Tokyo and then on to include Kanazawa, Okayama, Miyajima, Kyoto and then returning to Tokyo. The first evening started off with a rainy day in Tokyo and by the time we reached the city from the airport, it was dinner time. So on a rainy Tokyo evening, we head out to meet a group of Japanese friends for a welcome dinner at an izakaya (think Japanese tapas bar). After breakfast the next morning we headed north west along the new Japan Rail Hokuriku Shinkansen which extended all the way to Kanazawa in the Spring of 2015. This makes reaching Kanazawa much easier and quicker from Tokyo than in the past! So what’s to see in Kanazawa? Too much for our 3 days we would spend in the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, but the most famous attraction is Kenrokuen, Japan’s most famous garden.

Our timing for the leaves was good as we could see some trees in the peak and others in the midst of changing, offering a variety of greens, yellows, oranges and reds, very nice! The weather could have been a little better though as we had fairly dreary days. Though with my recent luck with the weather, not having rain, or a typhoon, was certainly a plus! Back to Kanazawa and Kenrokuen though! It’s a beautifully landscaped garden that is big enough that you could spend all day walking around and finding interesting things to make photos of. The stone lantern in the first two photos is Kenrokuen’s iconic view and what you will see if you google Kenrokuen, but plenty of other great photography spots to be found!

There is small entrance fee to access the garden, but what’s great for photographers is that early in the morning, before sunrise you can enter for free until the normal access hours. The fact that Kenrokuen opens before sunrise is wonderful as that happening for gardens is very rare in Japan. These next few photos were taken early in the morning during the blue hour.

As you could guess, along with the benefit of having great light in the early morning, as Kenrokuen is the most famous garden in Japan, going early means you beat the mass crowds of tourists to come later in the day. Besides the iconic lantern in the first few images, Kenrokuen is famous for how they protect their trees from the heavy snow Kanazawa gets during the Winter called yukitsuri. During our time there, most of the ropes were setup already but we did get to see one being setup by a team in the garden. You can see the ropes in a cone shape on some of the trees below and then at the bottom some night time photos as during the fall leaves season, Kenrokuen lights up some of the trees.

The next three works of art were created by and courtesy of Charles Bowers, check out his site for more fantastic art from his international travels and information about upcoming shows!

2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Maiko Portrait Session

May 07 | Evan | Comments Off |

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 already shared with you about Kyoto and some of the special experiences we had there, but one other special experience in Kyoto that I saved a post for itself was our portrait session with a maiko in Kyoto. If you have been to Japan Photo Guide before, perhaps you have seen the portrait session with the two maiko from the 2014 cherry blossom tour of Japan, also in Kyoto! If so, you might recognize this maiko as she is in those portraits as well. Can you spot what has changed about her appearance since last yet?

Of course she is a year older but now she has lipstick on both the bottom and top lips, not just a style thing, but as they advance in their training, different things like hair style and make up changes as well! This time we first met at her tea house in Gion Kyoto, had a short tea ceremony and played a game before heading out to Kyoto Botanical Gardens to take portraits of her.

Taking portraits of a real maiko is always a unique and special experience itself, but also, just having sometime to talk with her was very interesting for the group visiting Japan as talking with a maiko is so rare, especially for foreign visitors. Catching a glimpse into the world of geiko (geisha is actually geiko in Kyoto and maiko in Kyoto is a geiko in training) is a special experience that everyone enjoyed, including a couple that was taking their wedding portraits that really wanted to take a portrait with her!

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

2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan | Special Experiences in Kyoto

May 05 | Evan | Comments Off |

It’s on the front page of Japan Photo Guide, “Don’t Just Visit Japan, Experience Japan” and I strongly believe that! There are so many different ways to really experience Japan and Japanese culture. Whether it’s meeting locals, taking part in lessons of culture or witnessing some special events that take place in Japan, unique and special experiences take visiting Japan to the next level! Often the feedback I get from those on the tours to Japan is that the experiences and new friendships are two of the most memorable and important parts about their trip to Japan.

For the 2015 Cherry Blossom Tour of Japan, we had quite a few great experiences! In Tokyo there was a cooking lesson with an English speaking Japanese chef in her home, a visit to a sumo stable and a meal in a Japanese style restaurant with some Japanese locals interested in meeting visitors. In Kyoto, I had arranged for some private lessons with the wonderful people at Kafu.

Our group split into one class for ikebana (flower arrangement) and one class for Japanese Calligraphy and then we all came together again for a tea ceremony demonstration and lesson. You don’t have to be part of a group to sign up for the lessons and they do offer other lessons like cooking experience, sake tasting experience and some other events throughout the year. Everyone had a great time not only learning at their lessons, but also interacting with their Japanese instructors! You can check out their reviews on tripadvisor or visit them on facebook as well!