Japan Photo Guide

Ninnaji Temple is one of the more diverse temples in Kyoto. Ninnaji is in the western part of Kyoto, within walking/biking distance from Kinkakuji and Ryoanji. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. A lot of people skip out on Ninnanji after seeing Ryoanji and Kinkakuji but if you have time it is worth it to stop by and take some photos of Ninnaji.

What makes Ninnanji worth it is the diversity I mentioned before. It has some really nice gardens and rock gardens, 5 story pagoda, enormous tori gate, temples, tea houses, covered walkways and bell tower. In addition the grounds are very well landscaped. All in all, Ninnanji feels very peaceful and welcoming.

For more information about Ninnanji, see the Japan-Guide.com.

Nanzenji is my favorite temple in Kyoto. It is beautiful in every season and has nice a variety of places to photograph, including, gardens, a huge gate that you can go to the top and have a very nice view, aqueducts, and a tea room in front of a small waterfall. Nanzenji is famous but will have smaller crowds than the more popular tourist spots of Kiyomizudera and Kinkakuji. Don’t miss this jewel that is on the east side of Kyoto at the southern end of Tetsugaku no michi (Path of Philosophy).

For more information take a look at the official homepage of Nanzenji.

Ryoanji Temple is most famous for it’s Zen rock garden (below), which is the most famous in all of Japan. The rock garden consists of, yes you guessed it, rocks (and a little moss). The rocks of various sizes are arranged in a certain way and small rocks (more like pebbles) are raked to create a Zen design.

Ryoanji is most famous for the rock garden, but the temple grounds are much more picturesque, especially around the lake. Also of the 4 times I have been there has been construction work on or close to the rock garden which obviously is not a plus. Ryoanji is located in northwestern Kyoto and close to Kinkakuji and Ninnanji.

For more access information please see Japan-Guide.com or the Official Ryoanji website.

Kokedera (Moss Garden) in Kyoto is home to 22 different kinds of moss. Basically it is a garden where moss is covering most of the ground. It is believed to be the first designed garden with moss in Japan. I went during the fall and the autumn leaves were especially beautiful situated against the mostly green moss garden. I have been told that summer, during the rainy season, is a nice time to visit as the sunlight does wonders to the beads of water on the moss…that is of course, assuming it is not raining while you visit.

Of course like most places in Japan, fall is also a lovely time to go. The admission fee is a little steep (3000 yen and you NEED a reservation which should be made as early as possible due to the high demand of visitors) and while I thought it was worth it, I think I will not go again. That being said, I would be lying if I told you that I think you will be disappointed if you go, because it is a very beautiful and relaxing place.

Finding contact and access information has been a little hard on the internet for some reason, but I will post more information when I have it. In the meantime here are some telephone numbers (maybe they can speak English).

615.8286 (from Japan)

81(0)75.391.3631 (from outside of Japan)

Flowers and plants delivery – order flowers & plants online with Proflowers, your online florist. The flowers are fresher than local florists and last longer

Where to start…Well, let’s just say if you are a photographer in Japan and you do not go to Kyoto, you should really consider giving up photography. Seriously, Kyoto and the surrounding areas like Arashiyama and Nara are so spectacular that there is no excuse not to find a way to get to Kyoto. As of Spring of 2006 I have been to Kyoto 5 times, going atleast once ever season of the year. The two best times to go are, cherry blossom season and during the fall.

Kyoto is the old capital of Japan is said to have more than 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. Also Kyoto’s district Gion, is the only place in Japan where you can regularly see real geisha or maiko (and no they are not prostitutes).

There are many famous places and most of which I will encourage you to go to, but sometimes it is a good idea to go off the beaten path and find your own little treasure in Kyoto.

Here are some of the famous places you should consider going:

• • Nanzenji (My personal favorite)
  • Kinkakuji (Golden Pavillion)
  • Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion)
  • Ryoan-ji (Most famous rock garden of all of Japan)
  • Kiyomizudera (One of the most famous temples in Japan and a good view of Kyoto)
  • Tetsugaku no michi (Philosopher’s Path)
  • Kokedera (Moss Garden Temple–3000 yen and reservation required to enter!)
  • Ninnanji (A very diverse UNESCO World Heritage Site close to Ryoanji)
  • Fushimi Shrine (Shinto Shrine with thousands of tori gates)

Kyoto is about 2 hours by shinkansen from Tokyo and about 45 minutes by express train from Osaka. For more detailed access information please see Japan-Guide.com.

Here are some Links you may find useful about Kyoto:

• • Kyoto’s Visitor’s Guide–Online version of the monthly publication.
  • Kyoto Event Web Magazine–Provides information about festivals and events.
  • K’s Hostel–The best hostel in Kyoto.
  • Japan-Guide.com–A lot of really good information
  • Kyoto Prefecture Travel Guide–Official site of Kyoto Prefecture with travel information

Tokyo has pretty much everything you can imagine, including beautiful temples, shrines, museums, gardens, parks, sky scrappers, and much more. For a city as dense and urban as Tokyo there is a fair amount of nature and parks, such as Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park. There is so much to see and do and even if you live there for a year you will not be able to see and do it all.

Here is a short list of places you shouldn’t miss (in no order):

• Roppongi Hills–modern shopping and business district, the tower has a great 360 degree view and art musem at the top. I reccomend going just before sunset.
• Yoyogi and Ueno Park–Both really nice parks on opposite sides of Tokyo.
• Harajuku on a Sunday–This is when and where all the goth and cosplay people gather.
• Shinjuku and Shibuya–Two of the very urban areas of Tokyo. Great for neon lights, buildings, and people photographs.
• Ginza–This is the expensive shopping district
• Asakusa–This is where the famous big latern is you have seen in photographs.
• Akihabara–Electric Town but is kind of turning into Anime/Cosplay Town.
• Tsukiji–The largest fish markets in the world, go early and don’t dress up!

The Kansai (Japanese: 関西) region of Japan, also known as the Kinki region (近畿地方, Kinki-chihō), lies in the Southern-Central region of Japan’s main island, Honshu.

The word ki (畿) in Kinki is also read in Japanese as miyako meaning capital. It stems from the fact that up until the Edo era Japan’s capital was located in this region.

The Kansai region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga. The Kansai region is often compared (yet more often contrasted) with the Kantō region, which lies to the east and is comprised primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area.

The Kansai region is the mainstay of the counterculture to the Kanto region (Tokyo/Yokohama), and can be said to define the character of Western Japan.

For more information, please see wikipedia or the Japan-Guide.com.