How to Find Your Next Tokyo Photo Spot
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Living in this city is like a double-edged sword. Everyone wants to come here for their holidays and take photographs. So while I love Shibuya, Meiji Shrine and Sensoji, there are times I want to avoid them. Who wants to go to places you need to share with a million and one tourists? Can’t my camera and I enjoy some peace and quiet together? How do you find those peaceful, unknown Tokyo photo spots?
How do you find lesser-known Tokyo photo spots?
Here are some of my ideas:
- Use Google Maps: Open maps and pick a random neighborhood. When you see something interesting, drop the person icon to check it on Google Street View. It’s time-consuming, but it works. The best thing is that the sidebar has a lot of information like reviews, directions, and photos. You can check it out completely before you go. By using this method, I found my spot for the Sumida River Fireworks Festival the first time I went.
- Engage with photography blogs and forums: Leave a comment on your favorite site. Most creators or their readers are happy to share tips about lesser-known locations.
- Use AI wisely: I asked AI for some popular temples and shrines to photograph. It gave me the popular ones like Meiji Jingu, Sensoji, and Zojoji which are tourist magnets. Those weren’t needed. Instead, ask for “quiet neighborhood temples” or “locations off the tourist path” which might get better results. Play around with the search terms and see what works.
Which method has been best for me?
I’ve used all the above methods to varying degrees of success. Google Street View and photography blogs have worked best for me. AI has been the least, but maybe it needs more time to mature. Blogs and forums have been a mixed bag for me. Sometimes, questions are never answered and others, the responses have come months and in one case, years late.
My first discovery: Kisshoin Temple
One of my first discoveries was Kisshoin in 2023. It’s a temple near Takaido Station which I found on Google Maps. There isn’t much to it. It has a main hall and many Buddhist icons on a replica of Mt. Ontake. A line of slowly eroding jizo statues fills one corner. Everything is slowly but surely falling into a state of decay. You can see it in the weathered grain of the wooden prayer hall. Yes, it has a subdued, austere beauty. It was exactly what I wanted.
It’s not a major sightseeing or photography spot. But I appreciate it. The classic temple architecture is beautiful. Plus, it’s near my house. Kisshoin’s wabi-sabi atmosphere makes it a photo spot for me!
This little temple isn’t a sprawling complex like Gokokuji or Sensoji. Instead, it’s the kind of intimate, neighborhood temple that serves its local community. These are the places often overlooked by guidebooks, holding a quiet history for their local communities. If it hadn’t been for Google Maps, I never would have seen it because it is well back from the street.
I’ve only seen a few people there over the years. Most of them were visiting graves, as Kisshoin has a small cemetery. But a rack also has omikuji on it, so people must visit it to pray.
Where is Kisshoin?
- Address: 1-5-44 Takaidonishi, Suginami City, Tokyo
- Closest train station: Takaido on the Keio-Inokashira Line
- See more information on the official Kisshoin website.
- Here is the temple on Google Maps:
My photography gear for this shoot
- Camera Body: Canon EOS R5
- Lenses:
- Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
- Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM
Start searching for your Tokyo photo spots
Some of these ideas I’ve suggested to find places are time-intensive. Others require you to wait for an answer. AI might let you down completely. But one of them should find you what you want. Tokyo has a lot to see, but much of it is hiding away in the suburbs. I know the example I’ve used in this article is temple, but the same methods of exploration can be used for anything.
Do you have a method to find Tokyo photo spots? If you do please share them in the comments below. Also, tell us your biggest ever discovery.
