Japan Pictures: My Photo Highlights

Land of the rising sun

From mid-October to mid-November 2018 we explored the two largest and northernmost islands of the Japanese archipelago for a month. In the metropolis Sapporo we took over a rental car and drove off. The north island Hokkaido is a true natural paradise and offers the most magnificent photo opportunities in every season. But especially during the autumnal discoloration of leaves - Japanese koyo or momiji called - the island shines in its very own light.

On the way through Hokkaido in a rental car

The wild national parks Daisetsuzan and Akan in the heart of the island offer extensive forests, idyllic lakes and all kinds of volcanic activity like the Akan-Fuji, Meakan-dake and Iō-san. In the far northeast Hokkaidos let's visit the Shiretoko National Park: Bear Sanctuary. Unfortunately we don't get any of the up to 200 Grizzly bears in the park, but we have some great encounters with the pretty trusting ones here Red foxes. We meet the revered Red-crowned cranes and some Whooper swanswhich are an attraction here, especially in winter. From Kushiro we fly south to the old imperial city of Kyoto.

Honshu - classic Japan

From here the classic Japan tour begins. Everything is densely built up and, despite the enormous crowd, is excellently organized and structured. Kyoto alone offers sights for well over a week with its fabulous 17 Unesco World Heritage Sites. The best known are certainly those Golden Pagoda (Kinkakuji), den Silver pavilion (Ginkakuji), as well as the thousands of orange toriis des Fushimi Inari Shrine. Next offers geisha district Gion. with its narrow streets and traditional wooden houses lots of great photo subjects. Also the bamboo grove in Arashiyama and the garden of the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple with its hilarious 1200 rakan statues should not be missed.

Onward travel by Shinkansen

We take the super-fast Shinkansen maglev train to Hiroshima. The city is still a memorial to the destructive power of nuclear weapons. When the Little Boy atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 at 8:16 a.m., up to 90,000 people instantly lost their lives. This number was to increase to 140,000 in 1945 due to radiation sickness. Im worth seeing Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park a memorial is impressively placed on this tragic moment. The city is also the starting point for a detour to the Miyajima Island, where the Itsukushima Shrine stands with the large torii standing in the sea at high tide. One of the classic photo opportunities in Japan. With the Japan Railpass we continue to Himejito visit the Himeji Castle there. We continued via Koyasan, the deer paradise Nara after Takayama. On a day trip to the Japanese Alps Kamikochi we meet a group of the red-faced Japan macaque, which are also known as snow monkeys.

Between tradition and modernity

Before we explore the greater Tokyo area we have to wait Matsumoto such as the symbol of Japan par excellence: the Fuji-san or Fujiyama called volcano. Around the Fuji Five Lakes there is all sorts to discover and see, which is why we are renting a rental car again. The classic photo subjects are particularly worth seeing Lake Shōji with the morning mist and the fishermen and the red deciduous trees on Kawaguchiko lake. Via Kamakura and the big one Buddha Daibetsu we reach the Kotoku-in temple complex Tokyo. The largest metropolitan region in the world with over 38 million inhabitants offers the greatest possible contrasts. The funky neighborhoods Harajuku and Shinjuku invite you to linger, as does the Odaiba reclaimed from the sea with the futuristic one MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM. In Asakusa there is the big Senso-Ji temple, in Shibuya you can see the hustle and bustle on the Shibuya crossing observe and take photos.

Last but not least, we have a very interesting detour to Nikko planned. The impressive one Kegon waterfall, as well as the idyllically situated and richly decorated grounds of the Taiyuinbyo Lemitsu Taiyuin Temple and Toshogu definitely not to be missed!

My Japan pictures for your home

My best Japan pictures can be found in this gallery. You are welcome to me to contact for your personal wall pictures on canvas, aluminum dibond, posters, acrylic glass etc. as a creative gift or for decorating your home.