Japan Photo Guide

This is a problem that we all encounter, you go to a place that is famous and because it is famous there are so many people, if you take a photo you are taking one of the people not the place you want to photograph. There are a couple of obvious things you do to get the photo. The first is just wait it out. Sometimes it just takes waiting for a minute or two for things to clear up, sometimes a little longer, but I find it usually takes less than 5 minutes for things to clear up in most cases. The second thing you can do is go early in the morning. This is good for two reasons, first because the earlier you go the less crowded it will be (because who really wants to wake up early) and maybe even more importatly the light is much better earlier in the morning than in the middle of the day. Another tip is use the people in your photographs. Sometimes the secret to a great landscape photograph is having that small person in the corner, or the couple holding hands. Don’t be afraid to use the people that are there! The mood of the photograph can change, for better or worse, so play around and don’t be afraid to use the people that are there! Look at the photographs below of garden at Nanzenji, Kyoto for an example.

As you can see, each photo have a different feel to it. Which one you prefer is up to you but one thing that is for certain is that you need a little patience as for both of these shots I had to wait for the decisive moment. The best advice I can give for this is to have your camera ready and just look through the lens until the time is right. The one on the bottom was harder to get because people were always walking by, if I had waited one more second there would have been somebody walking in my frame, so be ready!

See the rest of the Photography Travel Tips!

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.

Tetsugaku no michi, or the Philospher’s Path, is on the east side of Kyoto. It is a path that runs from about Nanzenji all the way up to (and kind of passed) Ginkakujin. Along the way are various smaller temples, but the ones that you should make a point in going to are Nanzenji, Honen-in, and Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion).

To be honest, I went there in every season and I was never really impressed until I went in cherry blossom season. During the other seasons it is a nice walk, but when the sakura are in bloom, Tetsugaku no michi really comes to life and makes for a wonderful place to take photos or just go for a stroll. From end to end, without stopping in any of the temples or taking any photographs it takes about 30 minutes.

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