An autumn leaves Japan photo tour viewing is the most breathtaking photogenic fall experience on our earth. Have you ever thought about enjoying autumn the Japanese way? If you are in the mood for the scenic journey of a lifetime the Japanese way, joining a Japan photo tour with us will exceed your expectations.
Annually we offer two group tours and several weeks of private Japan photo tours throughout the beautiful Oriental autumn. Our October Japan photo tour begins in the Southern Alps in the Yatsugatake Chusin Kogen Quasi nature reserve. Vantage points have a 360º pano view of the alps in spectacular autumn vibrant colors. We use the ancient pilgrim route that legendary “Samurai-Takeda Shingen was known to use with its many majestic clear water mirrored ponds while viewing Japanese autumn maple leaves and Mt. Fuji in the drop back a 130km away.
The area is well-known for observatories with its clear view of the soothingly captivating night’s sky. We always dedicate an evening for astrophotography including autumn’s breathtaking landscapes in our star-lit night sky.
After several days in the Alps we take a meandering scenic route to Ueda Village, it is a mystically strong ancient samurai castle village. The castle had successfully fought off attacks by the elite samurai armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Ieyasu is best known as (The Shogun,) Ueda Castle located on a hill overlooking the Chikuma River in Nagano. The Central Bailey (Hon-Muru) had seven two-story yogura, but no donjon and was protected by a moat as well as stone ramparts. The Central Bailey is also surrounded by a Second Baily (Ni-no-Mura) also with moats and farther ramparts. The adjacent Third Bailey (San-no-Maru) had an additional yagura and contained the main residence of the Samurai Daimyo which was also protected by a moat; gardens work area and the main castle gate. Ueda Castle today is built in Edo architectural style, with fine architectural lines and autumn colors, plus the alley of the zelkova vividly lit up each evening making for compelling, beautiful photo ops. During the autumn festival the village hosts the Yakatori Olympics where chefs from all over Japan gather to compete, and festival goers enjoy the cuisine. At the festival you can expect a fantastic atmosphere with plenty of photo ops of persons in traditional Japanese clothing, street and cultural photography.
On the itinerary is Jigokudani-Yaen Koen, home to the world famous snow monkeys who love the hot springs. Autumn is the mating season when little-photographed behaviors and fleeting encounters can be photographed with proper planning and preparations, even rarely photographed Japanese macaque facial expressions can be captured. My wife Manami and I spend several weeks per year at the hot springs park and are familiar with individual monkeys in the park, including their ranks and behaviors.
We bid the snow monkeys farewell till winter, and make our way a few hours drive to Matsumoto castle National Treasure. Matsumoto Castle also known as Crow Castle or Kuasu-Jo, due to it’s grandeur poised black exterior. The samurai fortress was built in 1504 which has a unique architectural design that does not exist elsewhere, having both a secondary donjon and turret adjoined to its central keep. From the from the outside the castle unquestionably has 5 floors. However, the builders managed to perfectly hide the fact that on the inside there are 6 floors. The wood interior of crow castle provides an authentic experience unlike that felt at many other castles. While photographing the interior of the castle we use tripods for low lighting techniques that we explain to participants while on location. The area is home to several of the oldest remaining shrines and temples throughout Japan, many with the pictures perfect zen garden awaits.
Our second group Japan photography tour takes place in UNESCO World Heritage Site Mt. Fuji and region. Mt. Fuji has been workshopped over since humans have lived nearby. Artisans have been inspired since ancient times by the majestic beauty of the region. As photographers visual artists we look to capture that unchanged ancient beauty and be awe inspired by the autumn season. We follow the ancient pilgrimage route taking us around the Fuji Five Lakes comprising of Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Saiko, Shoji and Motosu lakes, stopping in to visit Chureito Pagoda, Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine. A must for every autumn photographer is the Fui-Kawaguchiko autumn leaves festival also the Yuyake no Nagisa, fall foliage festival. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; it will take a thousand pictures to express the one Zen emotion that has overcome you photographing around Japan with us.
Our Japan private photo tour autumn leaves commence in September starting in Hokkaido and go until December in Arashiyama Kyoto and the Tokyo regions.
1 Comments
Oct 7, 2022, 1:22:56 AM
Anne Silverstein - Looking to experience and capture iconic beauty of Japan famous flak coloring, tradition, culture and custom of tea ceremony, geisha, samurai, delicious fresh raw fish sushi/food and traditional home stay.