Japan Photo Guide » Flowers

Yoyogi Park

babibubebo — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:09:33 +0000

Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks (and my favorite) in Tokyo. In the spring it is a nice place to view cherry blossom trees and in the fall it is a great place to see some really beautiful ginkgo trees that turn golden. Assuming the weather is nice (and sometimes even when it isn’t) there are plenty of people enjoying outdoor activities, sports, picnics, sunbathing, dancing or just relaxing.

Another interesting thing about Yoyogi Park is that all types of people gather here. If you come on a weekend you will see people playing sports, juggling, playing instruments, dancing and anything else that can be done outside. One of the more unique groups of people is the interest group that is all about the 50s (or maybe 60s). I am not sure if these people dress (and style their hair) like this all the time and are stuck in a time warp or if it is just a weekend activity but you really should take a minute to watch this short video of them dancing.

Yoyogi Park is just minutes from Harajuku Station and is next to Meiji Shrine, so as a photographer you can easily make it a day at these very different (but close) areas. For more information please see the Japan-Guide.com.

Furano and Biei

babibubebo — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:44:30 +0000

Furano and Biei are about 50 minutes apart by local train or bus but they go together like peanut butter and jelly as everyone talks about them as if they were one place. Furano and Biei are about 3 hours from Sapporo and are most famous for thier flowers (especially Lavender in Furano) and their rolling hills and trees. If you have seen photos of flower fields or empty fields and one single tree, most likely that photo was made at one of these places.

The most famous place in Furano is called Farm Tomita. The best time to go is in July when the Lavender is in full bloom. I was there in late August and there was still some flowers and lavender in bloom, but if you can, go in July.

Biei is most famous for the rolling hills and trees that have been in famous commercials. If you don’t rent a car, a good thing to do is take the “twinkle” bus. There are two different routes, the flower route and tree route. Both routes go to about 5 different locations and you can get off at some of the places for about 10 minutes to take photos and some places you just drive by. If you want more time or don’t want to be on a schedule you really should rent a car for Furano and Biei as the good places tend to be spread out.

For more information please see the Japan-Guide.com.
Here is the Official Biei Homepage.
Here is the Official Furano Homepage.

Hokkaido

babibubebo — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 10:20:04 +0000

Hokkaido is Japan’s most northern island, largest prefecture and has the harshest winters (often below freezing temperatures and a lot of snow) in Japan. Hokkaido is much less developed than the rest of Japan and has ample wilderness and beautiful scenery. This makes Hokkaido great for hikers, campers and bicyclers in the summer and skiers, snowboarders and snow lovers in the winter.

If you are going to visit any other areas other than Sapporo, I HIGHLY recommend considering renting a car. Not only are a lot of places in Hokkaido spread out, once you get to your destination, public transportation and getting around can start to become very infrequent and inconvenient.

Some places worth considering going to in Hokkaido are:

Sapporo–Japan’s 5th largest city.
Hakodate–Famous for it’s spectacular night view.
Onuma Koen–Quasi National Park close to Hakodate.
Lake Toya–Famous hotsprings and Japan’s most recent active volcano.
Furano and Biei–Famous for rolling hills, fields and flowers.
Rebun and Rishiri–Japan’s northern most islands, both national parks.
Daisetsuzan–Large national park.
Shiretoko–Considering to be the last unspoiled are of Japan.
Akan–Large national park.

Access

From Tokyo it is about 1.5 hour flight (and is one of the world’s busiest flight routes) and one way ticket can cost anywhere from about $150-300.