Autumn in Japan is winding down, soon I will be getting ready for my annual Winter Hokkaido photography tour, and then in a blink of an eye Spring will be upon us and, I will be leading my annual cross-country Cherry Blossom photography tour. For over twenty-five years I have been following an ancient cross-country pilgrimage route during Autumn and Spring, that takes my team, participants and me way off the beaten path away from Tourist Pollution to locations that virtually no other Westerners visit, and where participants experience authentic Japan. Experiencing authentic Japan and viewing the perfect cherry blossoms along with Japanese aesthetics is a stress-free zone, that has an almost Zen Meditation calming effect similar to shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).  Japanese Doctors are known to prescribe Shinrin-yoku which is a therapeutic technique prescribed to patients in to help lower their blood pressure and stress levels, alleviate depression and anxiety, increase immune and autonomic function, improve sleep, and boost mood, creativity, energy, and concentration.  

My annual cherry blossom photo tour is a twelve-day cross-country adventure and it has it all!  As soon as group support team and I meet participants we hit the road traveling from Tokyo the Pacific Ocean side of Japan across to Niigata and the Sea of Japan side, where participants enjoy the very best Japanese cuisine and are welcome to enjoy the finest Japanese Sake throughout Japan.   Viewing and photographing the most stunning cherry blossoms in full bloom is priority number one, and because my team and I are all locals we never run out of stunning spots to visit, as my team and I know our route like the back of our hands.  As I mentioned above we have been using the same pilgrimage route for over twenty five years, and each year we find new hidden treasures to view and photograph.  This spring across Japan cherry blossoms bloomed from two three weeks early, due to an unusually warm winter and Spring, and for the first time I along with participants and my team got to photograph various ancient cherry blossom trees in the highlands.  Our route is rather complexed, in a single day we can be photographing either at sea level or 2000 meters (6561feet) or somewhere in-between, it all depending on the altitude the cherry blossoms are in bloom.  And I guarantee you want to be traveling with a local well established pro photography workshop agency to capture gallery worthy prints, to hang on your walls or studio.  If you go it alone, or join a run of the mill tour agency, or google the best time and places to view cherry blossoms you most likely will not like what you see?, but if by chance you do view the perfect cherry blossoms my advice to you is, go out and buy a lottery ticket became you will never have a luckier day!

Highlights on my annual cherry blossom photo workshop include, a golden hour or two in the highland to photograph the sea of clouds, the sea of clouds is below us in valley, that is covered in fog and cloud, where the hills and trees appear similar to Sea-Stacks in the Ocean, next, we have rice terraces, koi ponds, bamboo forests, ancient Buddhist sanctuaries, plus snow-capped mountains for the perfect backdrop with cherry blossoms, plus we have the annual lighting up of cherry blossoms at Takeda Castle in Joetsu Niigata which is ranked in the top ten lighting up of cherry blossom viewing spots across Japan.  After Niigata, we travel to Nagano, for a visit with Snow Monkeys, and we will visit several twelve to fifteen-hundred-year-old Buddhist sanctuaries that are home to rare Buddhist Pagodas that can only be found in the region, plus we have another Castle to visit Matsumoto Castle an original Samurai castle.  

Then we move into Mt. Fuji and the region where we will visit the Fuji Five Lakes comprising of Yamanakakako, Kawaguchiko, Saiko, Shojiko, and Motosuko Lakes. Over 95% of Japanese have never visited all of the Fuji Five Lakes but you will with camera in hand.  Plus while in the Fuji region we will visit the sea of trees (Aokigahara) which is a fantastic mystical forest that spans 24 square kilometers across the Northwest base of Mt. Fuji. In the year 864 there was a massive volcanic eruption of the Jougan era of Mt. Fuji creating this fantastic Aokigahara Jukai, “the sea of trees,” spreading across the Northwest foot of mt. fuji. The Aokigahara forest trees grow in natural volcanic planting pots, in rich peat moss. It spans over 3000 hectares, the forest comprising of primary of hemlock fir, Japanese cypress, plus other evergreen trees, and broadleafs such as the longstalk holly, Japanese andromeda, oak, Fuji cherry, and maple. There is no accurate count of the number caves in the forest, and some caves have ice throughout the year. The forests popularity is growing among nature photographers, fine art photographer with its incalculable mythological forms appearing from tree roots and moss growing in around and over volcanic lava.  In short the trees grow in volcanic planting pots as there is no soil in the forest, the trees grow in compost.

Lodgings during my workshops are very comfortable three to five-star and are booked a year in advance and filled mainly by locals, and all our lodging includes healing mineral hot springs. In Japan males and females bathe separately, and a few of our Ryokans and Hotels offer private hot springs. I almost forgot about events, there will be opportunities to experience local Japanese spring festivals, such as a maiko geisha procession, and tea ceremony, plus at light-up events local foods are available. Please contact me with any questions you have, hope to see you this Spring.