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)…
Yanaka Cemetery: A Walk Through Tokyo’s History In a quiet corner of Tokyo’s Taito Ward lies Yanaka Cemetery, a place where history rests beneath canopies of cherry blossoms and towering trees. Here, you won’t find a grand, imperial-style mausoleum for the last shogun. Instead, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the man who oversaw the end of samurai rule,…
Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin: Tokyo’s Fox Temple Tucked away in the modern cityscape of Akasaka, Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin is a spiritual oasis guarded by an army of stone foxes. While other temples might have a handful of these divine messengers, this one is home to a staggering collection of what feels like a thousand….
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…
Tokorozawa Aviation Museum Photo Guide Step into the cradle of Japanese aviation at the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum in Saitama Prefecture, a must-visit for aircraft photographers and history buffs alike. Located on the very site of Japan’s first airfield, this museum narrates the nation’s compelling relationship with flight. Whether you’re a seasoned aviation enthusiast or simply…
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…
FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup 2018 in Odaiba The highlight of my photo life for 2018 was the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup. I hadn’t photographed any type of motorsport until that point. My only experience with photographing cars was at the Tokyo Motor Show, which I attended the previous year. Things were about to change in…
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…
Tama Cemetery Photo Guide: Tokyo’s Resting Place of Giants As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here. My first visit to Tama Cemetery was an eye-opener. A mere forty-minute train ride from the electric chaos of Shinjuku, I found myself in a sprawling, 128-hectare kingdom of silence. Here, beneath…
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…
Inside Tokyo Auto Salon 2018: Beyond Bling The cavernous exhibit halls of Makuhari Messe were electric, overflowing with an outrageous sea of automotive fantasy. Vivid colors and gleaming chrome fought for attention under the constant, frantic strobe of camera flashes going off left, right, and center. Tokyo Auto Salon 2018 was here, and it was…
Gotokuji Temple Photography Guide: Tokyo’s Cat Temple Gotokuji Temple is tucked away in the quiet streets of Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. Thousands of beckoning cats, the adorable talismans that bring luck, call it home. Photographers and feline lovers will find an unforgettable blend of culture and history. Picture-perfect moments abound. Are you ready to discover this…
Lessons from My First Professional Model Shoot in Tokyo This article was first published on the now defunct Around Tokyo website in 2017. It was updated in 2026 with current location tips for visiting photographers. I photographed my first professional model in 2017. It would be my first stop to become a full-time photographer. While…
Kyowa Bridge: Haneda Airport Runway 16R Plane Spotting Guide Have you ever photographed flying aircraft from so close that you can almost see the cabin crew walk the aisles inside? There is a location with an almost endless line of ANA, JAL, and Skymark jets for that. It’s Kyowa Bridge, one of the best plane-spotting…
Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall 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 to the victims of quake and fire,…
Masashige Kusunoki: The Imperial Palace Samurai Statue Story Standing guard in the Outer Gardens of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace is a towering bronze samurai on horseback. Most visitors snap a quick photo and move on, but who was this man, immortalized in the heart of the city? The first time I saw this statue, I did…
What Does a Real Tokyo Neighborhood Look Like? A local’s look at Takaido-Higashi Have you ever wondered what a “real” Tokyo neighborhood looks like? I mean the one beyond the tourist maps, in the quiet suburbs where people actually live? I’m going to take you on a photo tour of my home: Takaido-Higashi in Suginami…
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’s Giant Jizo: More Than Just a Buddha As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here. The Shinjuku Giant Jizo is a massive bronze statue located at Taiso-ji Temple in Tokyo. Often mistaken for a Buddha, it is actually a Bodhisattva, a compassionate deity in Japanese Buddhism who protects…
Shibuya Halloween 2017: A Party That Grew Too Big Shibuya Halloween 2017 was an experience on an entirely different scale. While I didn’t go to the main event that year I went to the “prequel”. What’s that I hear you ask? Well the event goes for a whole week! I went on the 29th and…