Japan

A 14-Day Japan Photography Arc

On the map above: every leg has a small [ icon ] chip at its midpoint — click to toggle between Car (real driving polyline), Train (real Tokaido / Sanyo / Tohoku Shinkansen track — plus its far-north extension — from OSM), and Plane (great-circle arc for the far-north hop). Hover any marker label to lift it above the hillshade. The 14-day JR Pass covers every Shinkansen on this route; ANA/JAL flights cut the hop from Honshu to the far north from 8 hrs (rail) to 1.5 hrs.

Day 1 — Arrive Tokyo (NRT/HND). Pick up JR Pass at the airport. Stay Park Hyatt Tokyo (Lost in Translation views) or Aman Tokyo. Shinjuku at blue hour from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatory (free, level 45).

Day 2 — Tokyo deep dive. Tsukiji Outer Market dawn, Senso-ji + Asakusa shopping streets, Akihabara neon, Shibuya Crossing at blue hour from Shibuya Sky.

Day 3 — Shinkansen to Hakone (35 min). Mt Fuji from Lake Ashinoko + Owakudani sulfur valley. Stay ryokan with private onsen — Gora Kadan or Hakone Ginyu.

Day 4 — Shinkansen Tokyo → Kyoto (2h 20m). Check into Park Hyatt Kyoto or Tawaraya ryokan. Evening at Yasaka Pagoda + Ninenzaka stone-paved streets at blue hour.

Day 5 — Kyoto temples + Arashiyama. Pre-dawn at Fushimi Inari (10,000 vermilion torii — get there at 5am to beat crowds). Mid-day at Arashiyama bamboo grove + Tenryū-ji. Sunset at Kiyomizu-dera.

Day 6 — Kyoto eastern hills + geisha district. Higashiyama morning, Ginkaku-ji + Philosopher’s Path, evening prowl Gion for geisha (hanamachi). NEVER photograph maiko without consent.

Day 7 — Day trip to Nara (45 min). Tōdai-ji Great Buddha + 1,200 bowing deer at Nara Park. Return Kyoto.

Day 8 — Shinkansen to Hiroshima (1h 40m). Peace Memorial Park, A-Bomb Dome at dusk. Ferry to Miyajima for sunset over the floating torii (Itsukushima Shrine).

Day 9 — Return to Kanazawa via Shinkansen (3 hrs). Kenroku-en garden (one of Japan’s three great gardens).

Day 10 — Japanese Alps: Shirakawa-go. UNESCO-listed gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses. Winter is the iconic snow-covered scene.

Day 11 — Tateyama or Kamikōchi (alpine). Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route’s 20m snow walls (Apr-May) or Kamikōchi’s Azusa River + Hotaka peaks (Apr-Nov). Return Tokyo.

Day 12 — Fly Tokyo → Sapporo or Kushiro (Hokkaido). Snow monkeys at Jigokudani (winter) or Daisetsuzan autumn color (Sep-Oct).

Day 13 — Hokkaido wildlife or volcanoes. Red-crowned cranes at Kushiro (winter), Steller’s sea eagles at Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.

Day 14 — Fly Hokkaido → Tokyo → home.

Best photographer windows: cherry blossom progression moves north Kyushu → Hokkaido over Mar-May (track at the Japan Meteorological Agency’s sakura zensen); autumn momiji moves Hokkaido → Kyushu over Oct-Dec. Winter (Jan-Feb) is Hokkaido’s wildlife + snow monkey peak. Avoid Golden Week (late Apr-early May) for crowds.

Physical Difficulty

Easy. Train-based, urban + cultural sites, optional alpine.

• Cities + temples: paved paths, stairs at hilltop temples (Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka Pagoda).
• Fushimi Inari torii hike: 4km loop with 4,000+ torii. 2-3 hrs, modest grade.
• Shirakawa-go observation deck: 15-min walk uphill from village.
• Japanese Alps: alpine hiking optional — Kamikōchi has flat river-valley trails; Tateyama requires actual hiking.
• Hokkaido wildlife: stand around in -10°C for hours. Cold tolerance > physical fitness.

Health + Safety

• Tap water is among the cleanest on Earth. Drink freely.
• Earthquakes common but rarely felt by travelers. Tsunami warnings broadcast via mobile + sirens — follow evacuation signs to higher ground.
• Onsen etiquette: shower NAKED with soap before entering the pool. Tattoos may be refused at traditional onsen (less strict at private ryokan baths).
• Japan is extraordinarily safe — lowest crime rates in the world. Lost wallets get returned.

Cultural Etiquette

• Photographing geisha (maiko) without consent is now ILLEGAL in Gion — 10,000 yen fine per offense. Stand back. Use long telephoto from public roads only.
• Bow instead of shaking hands.
• Shoes off entering homes, ryokan, some restaurants, all temples + shrines. Carry slip-on shoes.
• Tipping is RUDE in Japan. Don’t tip taxis, restaurants, hotels. Service is included.
• Trash bins are rare in public — carry trash until you find one at a convenience store.
• Quiet on trains — no phone calls. Silent mode required.
• Drones: banned in most national parks + cities by default. Permit via mlit.go.jp/koku/koku_drone.

Permits + Access

• Visa-free 90 days for US/EU/UK/AU/CA/most ASEAN.
• JR Pass: 7/14/21-day rail pass — must purchase OUTSIDE Japan before arrival. ~$330 (7d), $530 (14d), $670 (21d). Covers all Shinkansen except Nozomi.
• Photo permits inside temples: typically free for personal use, fees for commercial. Some prohibit photography entirely (Kinkaku-ji’s interior, some Nikkō halls).
• Snow monkey park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen): 800 yen, walk 1.6km from parking. Open year-round; monkeys most active in snow (Dec-Mar).

Airports

• Tokyo Narita (NRT) — primary intl, 60 min to central Tokyo via Narita Express.
• Tokyo Haneda (HND) — closer to central Tokyo (15 min via monorail), more domestic + Asian routes.
• Kansai (KIX) — Osaka/Kyoto gateway. 75 min to Kyoto via Haruka express.
• Sapporo Chitose (CTS) — Hokkaido gateway.
• Kushiro (KUH) — eastern Hokkaido wildlife gateway.

Lodges + Lodging

• Tokyo: Aman Tokyo (luxury), Park Hyatt Tokyo (the Lost in Translation hotel), Hoshinoya Tokyo (urban ryokan), Hotel Niwa Tokyo (boutique).
• Hakone: Gora Kadan (Imperial family ryokan), Hakone Ginyu (private onsen rooms), Hyatt Regency Hakone.
• Kyoto: Tawaraya (300-year-old ryokan, must reserve 12 months ahead), Aman Kyoto, Park Hyatt Kyoto. For temple stays: Shunkō-in.
• Kanazawa: Beniya Mukayu, Hyatt Centric.
• Shirakawa-go: Magoemon, Yosobei, Kanjaya minshuku.
• Hokkaido: Hyatt Niseko (winter), Setsu Niseko, Kawayu Onsen ryokan, Hotel Kushiro for crane access.

Food

Japanese cuisine = world’s most photographed. Sushi/sashimi (Tsukiji + Toyosu), ramen regional styles (Sapporo miso, Hakata tonkotsu, Tokyo shoyu), tempura, yakitori, kaiseki tasting menus (Kyoto specialty), conveyor sushi (kaiten-zushi), izakaya tapas + sake. Standouts: Sukiyabashi Jiro (Tokyo — of Jiro Dreams of Sushi), Kikunoi (Kyoto — 3-Michelin kaiseki), Den (Tokyo). Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) sell world-class onigiri + bento — not a compromise.

Transport

• JR Pass + Shinkansen is the spine of any Japan trip. Tokyo → Kyoto in 2h 20m. Tokyo → Hiroshima 4hrs. Tokyo → Sapporo via Tohoku Shinkansen (8h, fly faster).
• Local subways (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto): rechargeable SUICA / PASMO IC card works everywhere.
• Internal flights Tokyo ↔ Hokkaido (90 min) save 8 hours over rail. JAL + ANA.
• Taxis: clean + reliable but expensive. Doors open automatically.
• Driving: not needed except Hokkaido. Left-side, International Driving Permit required.

Side Trips

• Mt Koya (Koyasan) — Buddhist mountain temple-stay, Okunoin cemetery night-photography.
• Naoshima — modern-art island in the Seto Inland Sea, Tadao Ando architecture.
• Okinawa — tropical south, subtropical reef diving, Ryukyuan culture distinct from mainland.
• Tohoku (NE Honshu) — least touristed region, autumn momiji in Yamadera + Geibikei.
• Kyushu — earliest cherry blossoms (mid-Mar), Mt Aso active volcano, Yakushima ancient cedar forests.