Japan Photo Guide

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! There will be new posts along with the new year! Until then…

Big Japanese Santa in Sendai

Tanabata, according to wikipedia, is a Japanese star festival, derived from Obon traditions and the Chinese star festival, Qi Xi. The festival is usually held on July 7, and celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). The Milky Way, a river made from stars that crosses the sky, separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year. This special day is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar; however, in Sendai, Tanabata is celebrated from August 6th-8th and has fireworks on the 5th.

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Yamadera is one of the more popular tourist spots in the Tohoku Region of Japan. Yamadera is located on the Senzan Line about 15 minutes from Yamagata and is about one hour from Sendai. You only need about 2 or 3 hours to see all of Yamadera so if you have more time and like hiking, I suggest getting off one stop before at Omoshiroyama Kogen and walk from there.

Yamadera is built into the mountains and offers great views. To get to the top takes about 45 minutes from the entrance. A common thing to do in, as seen in the photo on the right, is to put some money into the bark of trees at temples and then make a wish. See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Omoshiroyama is the in Yamagata Prefecture and one stop before Yamadera on the Senzan Line and about 50 minutes from Sendai. Omoshiroyama Kogen has a nice hiking trail that runs next to a river. If you want to go to Yamadera but want to do some hiking as well, Omishiroyama Kogen is a good place to get off.

The hiking trail is about a 45 minute to an hour walk (assuming you are not stopping to take photographs–it took me about an hour and half taking photographs), but then after the trail runs out you have to walk another 45 minutes or an hour to get to Yamadera. Also there is not much as far as signs pointing where to go, so don’t go by yourself or don’t go if you are short on time and want to make it to Yamadera.

The hiking trail is really quite beautiful, especially during fall, as you pass by waterfalls, through a gorge and over bridges; however at some points the route can be a little slippery and very narrow. Once you get to the end of the trail you will go up some steps which will take you to a pathway which leads to a road. Once you get to the road, turn right (downhill) and there shoot be signs coming up soon to verify you are going towards Yamadera. Again I do not recommend going by yourself.

The above photo was taken after the hiking trail and walking along the road towards Yamadera.

Matsuhima is considered to be one of the 3 most scenic places of Japan. Matsushima is a bay with hundreds of islands, that have been carved away by the ocean, that are covered with pine trees. Matsushima is an amazing place but for a photographer the weather will drastically make or break your photos.

Of course this could be true for any place and seems like common sense, but Matsushima is a place that it’s true beauty can only be appreciated with good weather (and the right time of the day). During the day you can take a boat ride/tour throughout the bay. Also you can walk through some of the larger islands which can be nice.

Matsushima is close to Sendai and can be reached by train. For more detailed access information please see the Japan-guide.com.

The Tōhoku region (東北地方, Tōhoku-chihō) which means “northeast,” is most northern region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures: Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures.

Tōhoku retains a reputation as a remote region, offering breathtaking scenery but a harsh climate. Tōhoku, like most of Japan, is hilly or mountainous, with the Ou Mountains forming running north-south. Also public transportation is not as abundant as other regions but more so than Hokkaido. In Japan, Tohoku receives the fewest foreign visitors a year, but that does not mean it is not worth traveling to. Actually this area is really beautiful , especially in the Fall. Also if you like nature or want to escape the city, but can’t or don’t want to make the trip to Hokkaido, Tohoku is a very nice place to visit/photograph. Be prepared though, a lot of the good places are spread out. If you like hot springs, Tohoku has many famous ones and in the winter there are many good places to ski/snowboard. Here are a few places that are worth considering going to as a photographer/traveler:

–Matsuhisma–one of the “3 most scenic views” of Japan.
–Zao Mountain–
–Hachimantai–
For more information about the Tohoku Region, see Japan-Guide.com or the Official Tohoku Travel Guide.