Japan

Locations

Where to shoot in Japan

Tokyo is four distinct sessions rather than one. Asakusa for the Senso-ji gate, the red lanterns and the old streets behind it. Shibuya for the scramble crossing and the neon. Shinjuku for narrow alleys and stacked signage after dark. Yoyogi Park for trees, space and the torii at Meiji Jingu.

Kyoto is the kimono city. Gion's wooden machiya and stone steps, the lanes below Kiyomizu-dera, the torii tunnels at Fushimi Inari and the bamboo at Arashiyama.

Osaka is louder and more fun. Dotonbori's signs at night, the covered shopping arcades, street food lanes, and the castle with cherry blossom in April.

Nara is an hour from Kyoto and unlike any of them: free-roaming deer in an open park, the great wooden gate at Todai-ji, and far fewer people than you expect.

Timing

When is the best time to photograph in Japan?

Late March to mid-April is cherry blossom, the most beautiful and the most crowded fortnight of the year. The exact week moves annually and nobody can promise it.

Mid-November to early December is the maple season — arguably better for photography, with lower, warmer light and far fewer people.

May, June and October are comfortable and green. July and August are hot and humid, with the rainy season running into July; early mornings are the usable part of those days.

In every city the first two hours after sunrise are worth more than any other time. Kyoto's lanes and Tokyo's crossings are both transformed by being there before everyone else.

What to wear

What should you wear for a Japanese photoshoot?

If you are shooting in Kyoto or Nara, hiring a kimono for the day is worth it. It photographs beautifully against wood, stone and temple grounds, and the rental shops are everywhere. Allow extra time — dressing takes a while and walking in one is slower.

In Tokyo and Osaka the backgrounds are neon, signage and crowds. A single strong colour separates from that; busy patterns disappear into it.

Vermilion is everywhere in Japan — torii gates, lanterns, shrine buildings. Red and orange clothing competes with it, so white, cream, black and deep blue work better than you might expect.

How it works

What does a Japan photoshoot include?

You book online, choose a session length, and agree a meeting point by message the day before. Your photographer is local and will tell you honestly what fits in the time — Japanese cities are large and the train is part of the plan, not a detail.

Every session is private. Nobody else is in your slot and nothing is staged for anyone else. Photographs are edited and delivered within 48 hours in a private online gallery you can download from and share.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before, and booking stays open until one hour before the session starts.

Prices

How much does a photoshoot in Japan cost?

Sessions start at €79 for thirty minutes with twenty edited photographs. Sixty minutes with fifty photographs and ninety minutes with seventy-five are the longer options, and proposal sessions are priced separately.

Japan sits a little above our European entry price because photographer availability in Tokyo and Kyoto is tighter and the distances are greater. Every price is shown in full before you pay, and nothing is added afterwards.