Japan Photo Guide

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My favorite season is coming back! Even though I love cherry blossom season, in my opinion autumn is the best time to visit and travel around Japan. Below is a chart for the average dates to best observe fall leaves in Japan.

Along with cherry blossom season, fall is a great time to visit Japan. In any country, fall leaves are beautiful and make for great photos and this holds especially true with Japan. Japan’s most famous fall leaf is the Japanese Maple Tree which turns brilliant red in the fall. These red leaves are referred to as “kouyou” (紅葉) in Japanese.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump. Read the rest of this entry and see more photos »

Before you know it, the fall season will be sweeping across Japan and the leaves will be turning brilliant shades of reds, oranges and yellows. Even though I love cherry blossom season, I think the fall is my favorite time of the year. Below is a chart for the average dates to best observe fall leaves in Japan.

Read more about fall in Japan and check out some of my favorite places to see the autumn foliage after the jump. Read the rest of this entry and see more photos »

Gion Matsuri is one of the, if not the most, famous festivals in Japan. It actually lasts pretty much the the whole month of June but the peak of the festival is July 17th with the Yama Hoko Parade. This is a massive parade where 32 floats are either pulled or carried throughout downtown Kyoto. More massive than the parade itself is the crowds of people that come to watch it. Seriously, if you are not good with crowds, then you might wanna pass on this festival. I was once told that there is an old Japanese joke that goes:

Question:
What did you see at Gion Matsuri?

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The Kyoto Imperial Palace, or Kyoto Gosho, is the former residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. Even though the family moved out more than 300 years ago, to visit here you have to make reservations and go through an (easy) online application process.

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Sanjusangendo, also known as Rengeo-in, is located in eastern Kyoto. The main attraction are the 1001 statues of the goddess of mercy, Kannon. It was originally built way back in 1164. These statues are inside the main hall, which at over 100 meters long is Japan’s longest wooden building.

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With Kyoto’s endless amount of temples and shrines and such a unique and rich history, sometimes the smaller, but equally beautiful, things are missed. When in Kyoto, of course some of the bigger places are nice and “must sees,” but also do not be afraid to go off the beaten path, got lost, and find your own place.

One thing that makes Kyoto such an interesting city is the mix of a very old society and culture with the modern day Japan. This contrast can really make for some interesting photos and can be seen all over the city. Let’s take houses in Kyoto for an example. Houses and buildings in Japan can really make for some interesting photos, but even more so in Kyoto.

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