Mt. Myoko and its surrounding area create the foundation for an all-inclusive Niigata, Japan Photo Tour. Niigata prefecture, one of the largest in Japan is home to Mt. Myoko. The mountain is an active strato-volcano, but during the winter, most hints of the magma roiling underneath the surface disappear as the snow coats and caps it, transforming into its winter incarnation. However, care must always be given when dealing with forces of nature.
Winter is an amazing season to visit Japan especially for a Hokkaido Wildlife Photo Tour, landscapes included, but further south we have Mt. Myoko, and being in the top 10 snowiest locations on the earth you are sure to get that winter wonderland scene you have dreamed of. As an ex-first responder I will be extra cautious to stay on the paths and roads that are cleareed, during blizzards, going out is still possible, but for safety’s sake, everyone is tied together. As your Japan photography workshop leader, I recommend visiting the Myoko area during spring to see the lovely sakura that bloom all over Takada Park. Mt. Myoko is included in the Top 10 must-see mountains in Japan, and being included in the beauty that is cherry blossoms season. If you’re curious about joining me during spring, summer, or fall for your private group tour, please click this link to find out more:
While on a Japan Photo Tour with Blain Harasymiw Photography, you will have access to perfectly composed natural scenery with the still waters framed with scintillating Japanese Maples in red, yellow, and orange await you in autumn, and, to further perplex your vision, you will gaze upon the Japanese Purple Maple. On this autumn leaves Japan private photo tour, a trip to the sepcatular rice terraces for a photographic enouchnter during the glue into the golden hour sunrise is included. Hoshitouge Tanada is one of the five most beautiful rice terraces in all of Japan. In span of one hour, from blue hour to sunrise, your view of the rice terraces will dramatically change. The sky will slowly brighten from a dark blue to brilliant orange, but the mountains, forests, and the terraces themselves will remain shrouded in fog banks. As the sunlight reaches the valley, the fog slowly dissipates, and the radiance of the sun dispels the magic of the valley of dragons, and the trappings of humanity reappear. Myoko Kogen (Highlands in Japanese) is famous all across Japan for its breathtaking natural landscape photo tours during fall. If a fall photo tour is more what interests you, there are still a few spots left for the 2020 Blain Harasymiw Autumn Photo Tour: https://www.blaininjapan.com/oct-2020-essence-of-autumn-japan-photo-tour
I or another Blain Harasymiw Photo Workshop Leader know the most photogenic spots among the vast open plains throughout Japan, and by the way Japan is over 70% unpopulated wilderness. Several ponds, waterfalls, and other awe inspiring locations all await you on your tailed made photo tour with Blain Harasymiw Photography. And while exploring all these picturesque locations, you will have so many unique and unforgettable experiences.
All our photo workshops are fully-inclusive and our Japan Photo Tours during spring and autumn have the added bonus of the Milky White Tsubame Onsen. The heavy snowfall during winter closes the path leading to the famous local Milky White hot springs. And because this onsen is an off the beaten path location, there is only Japanese hosts for guidance. I have spent more than 20 years exploring the Myoko Highlands as a Japan Photo Tour Guide and I am happy to lead you down the narrow path to the Milky White hot springs as well give you support on Japanese bathing etiquette. Traveling to the hot springs is an adventure in and of itself. The path is surrounded by a lush forest so you can enjoy ‘Forest Therapy’ and/or release of stress and tension due to being immersed in nature. You may want to photograph on the path leading to the onsen, and you may also want to photograph while in the Milky White Onsen, but that is only advised if you are alone. Two famous baths, Kawara no Yu and Ougon no Yu await you at the end of the path. The schedule while on your Japan Photo Tour will allow for you to rest as you enter a near meditative state in the milky-white, mineral rich waters of the respected as healing and regenerating hot spring recognized since the age of the samurai and reaching even further back into history of Japan.