It’s no marvel why Japan is a dream vacation spot for therefore many photographers. With futuristic cityscapes, historical temples, timeless landscapes and 4 well-defined seasons to paint all of it, it’s very arduous to take a foul image in Japan.
On the similar time, all places in Japan are usually not created equally, no less than not in a visible sense. In some instances, it’s because they only aren’t particularly photogenic; in others, it’s as a result of they’re so crowded that getting the shot you need is principally inconceivable.
Clearly, this checklist of one of the best locations in Japan for pictures isn’t complete. However I feel you’ll really feel impressed by the picks I’ve curated, which I’ve been distilling over greater than a decade of touring in Japan.
Japan Made Me the Photographer I Am
If I’m sincere, I wasn’t an ideal photographer on April 1, 2014, the primary time I touched down in Tokyo. Nor was this the case on the finish of the journey, despite the fact that I had visited most of the conventional finest locations in Japan for photographers. Step one in my journey? Truthfully critiquing images I’d taken in these traditional spots, and endeavoring to return sooner or later and “get them proper,” so to talk.
After all, as you recognize in case you’re a very long time reader of this website, I went again—repeatedly and once more. No, it wasn’t luck or taking a flip at an on-line on line casino video games that led me to with the ability to take images that would compel folks to journey to Japan from everywhere in the world. It was steady enchancment, each when it comes to righting inventive wrongs from the previous, and pushing myself towards new horizons, corresponding to those you’ll see listed beneath.
My Favourite Japan Picture Spots
Ritsurin Backyard, Takamatsu
Though not usually considered one among Japan’s “three nice gardens,” Ritsurin Koen in Shikoku island’s Takamatsu metropolis is nonetheless a standout for photographers. Whether or not you seize its eclectic seasonal landscapes from one among many viewpoints, or zoom in on conventional boats gliding over koi ponds, it’s very a lot well worth the journey off the crushed path.
TIP: If you happen to’re in Takamatsu for just a few days and searching for superb pictures day journeys, I’ve bought three in thoughts: close by Marugame Fort and Kotohira-gu shrine; you possibly can journey over the Seto Inland Sea to Okayama and go to Korakuen-en backyard, which frames adjoining Okayama Fort as “discovered artwork.”
Goryokaku Fort, Hakodate
Likewise, when you received’t discover Goryokaku on many lists of one of the best Instagram spots in Japan, this star-shaped fort in Hakodate metropolis on Hokkaido island is nothing if not photogenic. I particularly like seeing it overhead from Goryokaku Tower, and notably in late April or early Might, when the lots of of cherry bushes inside the fort are in full bloom.
Watatsumi Shrine, Tsushima
Have you ever ever performed the sport Ghost of Tsushima? Me neither. Nonetheless, once I visited this distant island off the coast of Nagasaki prefecture, I discovered most of the landscapes and sights nothing in need of ghostly. My favourite Tsushima attraction (and now, one among my favorites in all of Japan) was most likely Watatsumi-jinja shrine within the central a part of the island close to the airport.
i-Hyperlink Tower, Chiba
The obscure i-Hyperlink skyscraper in Ichikawa, Chiba isn’t sometimes famous as among the best pictures spots in Japan, and even within the Tokyo space. If you happen to ask me, nevertheless, there are few higher locations to {photograph} the Tokyo skyline. Right here, you get all of it: Just about all the Tokyo cityscape (together with the Tokyo Skytree) splayed out beneath Mt. Fuji, photographed from far sufficient away that the mountain appears to be like substantial. Simply excellent!
Kegon Falls, Nikko
Talking of the Tokyo space, many vacationers take a day journey from the capital to Nikko, which is legendary for the Seventeenth-century Tosho-gu shrine. Many even enterprise to the bottom of Kegon Falls, probably the most highly effective cascades in all of Japan. Nonetheless, I like to recommend going as an alternative to Akechidaira, a viewpoint that lets you see the waterfall spilling out of Lake Chuzenji. As you see above, it’s particularly attractive in autumn!
Is it Price Shopping for a Digicam in Japan?
Probably the most widespread questions folks ask me is “which digicam do you employ to take images?” As of 2024, the reply is definitely that I used two cameras: The Nikon D750 and D850, plus an assortment of lenses. Whereas I didn’t purchase both of those cameras in Japan, the very fact is that I may’ve. And, if I ever have to switch them (I imply, assuming DSLR cameras nonetheless exist then), I virtually definitely will achieve this in Japan.
Presently, the extraordinarily weak Japanese yen makes this an excellent worth proposition. Past this, nevertheless, since many prime digicam manufacturers are designed and typically even manufactured in Japan, the bottom worth is way decrease, no matter foreign money conversion. Plus, since I’m virtually all the time in-country scouting out Japan pictures places, it’s actually not an enormous leap for me to need to do that.
Different FAQ About Pictures in Japan
What’s the most photographed place in Japan?
Not surprisingly, probably the most photographed place in Japan is Mt. Fuji, and the Fuji 5 Lakes area extra broadly. Past this, different prime spots embrace the Kabukicho sub-district of Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, the Glico Man in Osaka, Sagano Bamboo Grove in Kyoto and the “floating” torii gate of Hiroshima’s Itsukushima Shrine.
Is it OK to take photos in Japan?
There are only a few locations in Japan the place it isn’t OK to take photos, such because the interiors of sure buildings. It’s additionally thought of impolite to mob Geisha to take photos of them; if in case you have an excellent Zoom lens, nevertheless, taking discreet photos must be tremendous. If pictures is ever not attainable, conspicuous signage will let you know this.
The place to take a photograph in Japan?
Japan is a pictures gold mine, whether or not you go to “typical” photograph spots like Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo or the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, or go off the crushed path to locations like Shikoku and Kyushu. It’s virtually inconceivable to take a foul image in Japan!
The Backside Line
For my part, these are one of the best locations in Japan for pictures. Though I’ve chosen simply 5 places for the sake of simplicity, my checklist hits all notes. You’ve bought a conventional Japanese backyard on sub-tropical Kyushu and a Western-inspired fort up north in chilly Hokkaido; if the mysterious mist and emerald hillsides surrounding Tsushima’s Watatsumi Shrine aren’t your jam, then the postcard-perfect view of Tokyo from a random skyscraper in Chiba prefecture could be. Need customized assist making a Japan journey that may hit simply the appropriate inventive notes? Think about commissioning a customized Japan itinerary!