Japan Photo Guide

My favorite season is coming back! Even though I love cherry blossom season, in my opinion autumn is the best time to visit and travel around Japan. Below is a chart for the average dates to best observe fall leaves in Japan.

Along with cherry blossom season, fall is a great time to visit Japan. In any country, fall leaves are beautiful and make for great photos and this holds especially true with Japan. Japan’s most famous fall leaf is the Japanese Maple Tree which turns brilliant red in the fall. These red leaves are referred to as “kouyou” (紅葉) in Japanese.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Before you know it, the fall season will be sweeping across Japan and the leaves will be turning brilliant shades of reds, oranges and yellows. Even though I love cherry blossom season, I think the fall is my favorite time of the year. Below is a chart for the average dates to best observe fall leaves in Japan.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Gion Matsuri is one of the, if not the most, famous festivals in Japan. It actually lasts pretty much the the whole month of June but the peak of the festival is July 17th with the Yama Hoko Parade. This is a massive parade where 32 floats are either pulled or carried throughout downtown Kyoto. More massive than the parade itself is the crowds of people that come to watch it. Seriously, if you are not good with crowds, then you might wanna pass on this festival. I was once told that there is an old Japanese joke that goes:

Question:
What did you see at Gion Matsuri?

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The Kyoto Imperial Palace, or Kyoto Gosho, is the former residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. Even though the family moved out more than 300 years ago, to visit here you have to make reservations and go through an (easy) online application process.

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Sanjusangendo, also known as Rengeo-in, is located in eastern Kyoto. The main attraction are the 1001 statues of the goddess of mercy, Kannon. It was originally built way back in 1164. These statues are inside the main hall, which at over 100 meters long is Japan’s longest wooden building.

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With Kyoto’s endless amount of temples and shrines and such a unique and rich history, sometimes the smaller, but equally beautiful, things are missed. When in Kyoto, of course some of the bigger places are nice and “must sees,” but also do not be afraid to go off the beaten path, got lost, and find your own place.

One thing that makes Kyoto such an interesting city is the mix of a very old society and culture with the modern day Japan. This contrast can really make for some interesting photos and can be seen all over the city. Let’s take houses in Kyoto for an example. Houses and buildings in Japan can really make for some interesting photos, but even more so in Kyoto.

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Tofukuji is the head temple of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism and was built in 1236. Not only does Tofukuji bare resemblance to the great temples in Nara, Todaiji and Kofukuji, but Tofukuji even got its’ name from combining the names of the two temples. I went here in the spring and to be honest I was not that impressed. Partly because at this point I have been to so many temples that what I was once impressed with has kind of become average for me.

However, that being said, there is at least one very good reason to check this place out. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Heian Shrine is located in eastern Kyoto and compared to the rest of the famous temples and shrines in Kyoto, it is very new, being built in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian Capital Foundation. Part of the shrine is a replica of the Imperial Palace of the Heian Period but not all of it is the same scale.

The best time to go here is during cherry blossom season, which is usually around the first week in April. Heian Shrine is one of the most famous places in Kyoto to see cherry blossoms, personally I prefer the Path of Philosophy though. To see the cherry blossoms here you have to pay an extra fee to go into the garden.

If you are short on time during your trip to Kyoto, it wouldn’t be so bad to skip the Heian Shrine (especially if it is not cherry blossom season). Below is a photo of a huge tori gate and in the background you can (kind of) see the entrance of Heian Shrine.