Whilst on holiday in Hakuba we took a drive through the mountains to Togakushi Shrine. We did a walk through through the area and as always I took a few photos along the way. It’s a beautiful Forested area in the mountains with a series of Shinto shrines. dotted throughout the area. The area was originally Buddhist temples but the government made it Shinto in 1868 in what was called a Buddhist/Shinto separation initiative. Some people believe that the upper shrine was first constructed in 210 BC.
It is truly beautiful forest and setting for the temples and I can see why Buddhist monks would have gone there on pilgrimage.
I wasn’t there at the best time to photograph the areas but I hope to return some day at sunrise when I can capture a beautiful mist in the forest. Also I think wintertime when snow is covering the trees and forest floor will be a beautiful time to photograph the temples as well.
Landscape & Travel Photography, Musashi Mitake Shrine, Tokyo (prefecture).
Mt Mitake is a landscape and travel photographers paradise in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. It is 1.5-2 hours from Tokyo and can be reached by car or train and bus. I caught the cable car up the mountain and from there did a hike around the mountain and to the Musashi Mitake Shrine. This day was what seemed to be the first day after the rainy season in Japan and the mountain was alive with life fuelled by the rain and the Sun. The vibrant greens and the bountiful insects ( butterflies, dragon flies and many many more ) show the beautiful life cycle that exists in Japan’s four seasons.
The Shinto Shrine has been a place of mountain worship for many centuries and a nearby village (also up the mountain) has served as a stop for pilgrims and nowadays for tourists as well.
It is a magnificently beautiful day trip (or stop over) from Tokyo and a great place to take some beautiful photos of traditional shrines and nature.
Landscape Photography. A quick hike to the The Rock Gardens at Mt Mitake, Ome, Tokyo.
On Mt Mitake in Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park on the edge of Tokyo prefecture there are some beautiful hiking trails and exquisite landscapes. I often find myself saying that Japan is a landscape photographers paradise but it truly is. The four seasons ensure that the landscape is constantly evolving and you often find a new and glorious aspect each time you return.
On this day I hiked with my family to the Rock gardens. The clear mountain stream, the surrounding forest, and the stunning, moss-covered rock formations make this a place of true beauty. Waterfalls are considered as sacred in Shintoism and the majestic beauty of these natural formations inspires awe. There are Shinto torii gates and shide paper streamers marking the entrance to a waterfall as sacred ground inhabited by a deity. A great hike and beautiful place to photograph the landscape.
Travel Photography, Koyasan Temples and Graveyards, Wakayama, Japan.
A short trip from Osaka Koyasan is beautiful mountainous area of Japan. It is the centre of Shingon Buddhism which is one of the most important Buddhist sects in Japan and has a surviving lineage that spread from it’s origin in India, through China and arrived in Japan in 805AD. It’s a beautiful area to photograph temples in serene landscapes. I was in Koyasan photographing hotels and landscapes for an advertising client when I took a few hours the morning to photograph these images for myself.
