Beyond the Blossoms: A Photographer’s Guide to Yoyogi Park Next to the pop-culture center of Harajuku, Yoyogi Park offers a natural mix of splendor and urban charm. For photographers, this expansive green space is a playground of endless photo opportunities. Whether you love cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, or rockabilly dancing, a story lies around every…
Spring Rose Festival 2020 at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens For most people, 2020 was a bad year. For photographers like me, cancelled events and empty streets filled Tokyo which was a disaster. That’s why the Spring Rose Festival at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens felt like such a gift. In a year of so much gray, these flowers were a…
My 2026 Kinuta Park Cherry Blossoms Season Started Today Recently, my professional life took an unexpected turn. One of the companies I work for lost a major contract, leaving many teachers, myself included, looking for new jobs. The timing couldn’t have been worse, coinciding exactly with the official opening of the Tokyo cherry blossom season…
5 Tips for Photographing Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue is one of Tokyo’s most iconic autumn destinations, and for good reason. It is lined with 146 majestic ginkgo trees that lead to the outer gardens of Meiji Shrine. When autumn arrives, the leaves ignite into a brilliant gold, creating a…
Plum Blossoms at Shiba Park in 2020: A look back I went to Shiba Park in spring 2020. The weather was cool, the sky was a perfect, cloudless blue that made the pinks of the blossoms even more vibrant. Looking back, it was the kind of day that was made for flower photography. Photographing plum…
Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival 2017 Spring in Tokyo is synonymous with color, and few places promise a spectacle quite like the Bunkyo Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine. However, travel photography is often a game of timing, and even the best plans can fall victim to a busy schedule. On May 1, 2017, I finally arrived…
Aoyama Cemetery Cherry Blossoms: 2018 Photo Gallery I found myself back with the Aoyama Cemetery cherry blossoms in 2018. While I had hoped for a sunny day, the clouds had other plans. Still, the beauty of the sakura trees has a way of making you forget everything else, and I had a wonderful time. Photographing…
Hanegi Park Plum Blossoms: Why ‘Real Cameras’ Still Matter Hanegi Park’s plum blossoms in 2022 weren’t just a feast for the eyes. They offered a glimpse of hope for both Tokyo’s spirit and the future of photography. Beneath the blooms, I found myself reflecting on more than seasonal beauty. As shutters clicked around me, something…
Asakusa Samba Carnival 2024: Photography & Highlights It was a hot one in every sense of the word. The 2024 Asakusa Samba Carnival was a roaring success. But performers and the parade had to sizzle under an unseasonable mid-September sun. With temperatures soaring into the mid-thirties, the heat was as intense as the action. For…
Gokokuji Temple: A Tokyo Photo Guide Tokyo is a city of contrasts, but few places offer the serenity and visual splendor of Gokokuji. While it boasts stunning historical architecture, it is the atmosphere that truly captivates. In spring, it becomes as pretty as a picture, framed by soft blooms. A bronze Buddha sits meditatively in…
Shooting Kanda River Cherry Blossoms with a Fuji 35mm f/1.4 I photographed the Kanda River cherry blossoms again in 2020. That year, I had planned to photograph some new places. But due to the pandemic, that didn’t happen. It was a disastrous flower photography season. At least I had something close to home to fall…
Asakusa Kaminarimon Bon Odori 2026: A Photo & Visitor Guide Asakusa Kaminarimon Bon Odori 2026 details The event is divided into three 30-minute sessions starting at 5:30 to prevent overcrowding and heatstroke. When you have danced once, please retire so others can join. Japan’s Bon Odori is a traditional dance festival (or matsuri in Japanese)…
Kyu-Furukawa Gardens: A Photo Guide to Tokyo’s English Oasis Imagine stepping off a bustling Tokyo street and into a scene from the English countryside, complete with a stone manor and a fragrant rose garden. This isn’t a dream; it’s the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, a stunning example of Taisho-era elegance and a photographer’s paradise. You can’t get…
Kiyose Sunflower Festival 2018 I’ve never been a big fan of sunflowers. So, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this festival as much as others like hanami, Nezu Shrine’s azaleas, and Kameido Tenjin’s plum blossoms. But, I had a change of heart after spending time with them in Kiyose City in 2018. It was fun photographing…
Yushima Tenjin Plum Blossom Festival 2017: A Photo Archive In 2017, Yushima Tenjin was draped in clouds of plum blossoms. The beautiful flowers brought a unique blend of serenity and tradition. Photographers came to capture them. Students came in large numbers. The day had perfect skies, a large crowd, and nostalgia for the gear I…
A 2021 Chrysanthemum Study at Zenyoji Temple Archival Note: This post was originally published in November 2021. It is presented here as part of the Tokyo Snapped archive, documenting one of the city’s many flower festivals. There are days when you set out to document a location, and then there are days when you simply…
Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall A hall born from two great tragedies The Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall was born from two enormous tragedies. One was the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake; the other was the 1945 Bombing of Tokyo. Each event claimed over 100,000 lives that Tokyo hasn’t forgotten. Within these grounds, tribute is paid not only…
Kanda River Cherry Blossoms: A Broken Camera in Tokyo When I visited the Kanda River cherry blossoms in 2017, I had a good and terrible day. Well, even though the sky was cloudy, the flowers were fantastic. The bad? My beloved Pentax K3 camera died. The rear display said goodbye, fizzled,and went black never to…
Shinjuku Gyoen Cherry Blossoms 2017: Hanami and Cityscapes Shinjuku Gyoen might be Tokyo’s most famous and most popular cherry blossom spots. You can read what gives it that reputation in [Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s Best Cherry Blossom Spot]. Now read on and learn more of my photographic adventures there in 2017. The 2017 cherry blossom…
Hakusan Shrine Hydrangea Festival 2017 in Photos The annual Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival, held at Hakusan Shrine, showcases over 3,000 blooming hydrangea shrubs. During the festival, visitors can enjoy food stalls, art exhibitions, and interactive events. If you’re in Tokyo in June, the Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival is a chance to experience a traditional Japanese festival and…