Every season in Akita presents a unique photo op, and Akita Photo Tours have a different focus from your Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) Photo Workshop Leader depending on when you visit. However, whichever season you choose to visit will provide you with once in a life time photos that will become part of your personal photo gallery once you return home.
Akita prefecture is famous for many different features. The sumptuous Kiritanpo Nabe as its most famous food, the infamous onsens to soothe your spirit and body, the namesake dog, or the notoriously beautiful women. Among all of Akita’s appeals, the amount of natural landscapes surpasses all the rest.
The centerpiece of any visit to Akita during any season is Shirakami-Sanchi region. The mountain range is part of the northern border that separates Akita from Aomori Prefecture. It has been declared a UNESCO site, one of the first in Japan, because of its natural beauty and also because of the virgin beech forests, the last of such forests in all of Japan. This merits preservation and investigation. Your JDS Photo Workshop Leader knows the best season to make the most of shinrin-yoku, what is referred to as ‘forest bathing’ or the the healing power of being immersed in a forest, and the beech forests of Shirakami-Sanchi have been preserved in an almost untouched state and will provide you with both physical healing and amazing photo ops as the canopy of beech foliage seals you in a grove of therapy.
One of the most popular destinations for visiting photographers among the many hiking trails and adventures is the Anmon Falls. There are three waterfalls in total, and the voyage to see all three could easily take all day long depending on how deep into photographing the natural landscapes on your Akita Photo Tour you would like to be. You could easily follow the path alone, but what your JDS Photo Workshop Leader provides is perspective and more than two decades experience traveling and photographing all over Japan. Of the 6,852 islands that make up the nation of Japan, our lead Photography Workshop Guide has explored and photographed over 200 of them. He can introduce you to points of view potentially overlooked and make your great photos all the more amazing. What you will notice from the waterfalls is that they progressively get more magnificent and taller. The waterfalls and the nature surrounding them are awe-inspiring to behold and a one of a kind photo op.
Winter means snow hiking and the Juniko, or the twelve lakes. There are actually more than 30 lakes that formed after a landslide during and Edo Period earthquake, but 12 of the lakes were visible from Mount Kuzure, so the name ‘Juniko’ literally translated means 12 lakes. During the winter, one lake in particular is especially spellbinding, Aoike, the blue pond. The clear, cobalt blue water sparkles during other three seasons, but it takes on an even more impressive sapphire shimmer with crisp air during winter. When the winds have stilled, and at just the perfect moment, you may be able to capture a moment with your camera of the snow capped mountains, the beech forests, and their reflection with a surreal hue given by the mysterious waters of the Blue Pond.
Birding and wildlife photography will also definitely on the photographic menu during your Akita Photo Tour. Winter hiking means chance encounters with local birds, so many that you may have trouble counting how many different species you encounter. Along with your feathered friends, you may also come across Japanese Hares, squirrels, or the unique serow, which resembles a goat, but has a character all of its own. With all of these different opportunities awaiting you, booking an Akita Photo Tour is a great idea during any season!