Being able to host Niigata Private Photo Tours is one of the pleasures our photo workshop leaders at Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) enjoy because of our proximity to the prefecture’s capital city.  With so many famous photogenic sites in regions such as Tokyo and Shizuoka, we are often asked why move one of the main offices to Niigata prefecture?  The answer is simple.  Niigata prefecture has a treasure trove of off the beaten path locations that appeal to visiting photographers who are interested in something beyond the tours that everyone without insider information takes when they visit Japan.  The JDS Japan Photo Tour experience is something that can’t be found with other photography tour companies.

For example, in a small section of Niigata prefecture, there is an off the beaten path shrine called Asaiino Shrine.  The shrine’s history goes back nearly 1700 years.  Part of the temple’s name written in traditional kanji carries the meaning of the rising sun, a symbol that most people find synonymous with the country of Japan itself.  As is common with temple entrances in Japan, Asaiino Shrine has the same torii or gate as an entrance and demarcation of the spiritual realm that you enter the temple grounds.  However, at the golden hour, which is when we would recommend you first set eyes of the temple, the gate reflects the brilliance of the sun’s embrace changing from the standard red and appearing as a glittering amber. It is a once in a lifetime photograph, and your JDS Photo Tour Workshop Guides look forward to introducing you to this opportunity.

The deity that the shrine is built around is Honda Wake no Mikoto.  It is said that this deity is credited with starting rice cultivation in the area.  With Niigata having the most famous rice in all of Japan, we are very thankful for this contribution!  You may only be visiting Niigata for one day, but your JDS photo workshop leader will recommend that you sit down and sample the delicious harvest of delicious rice before returning to Tokyo or back home.

As you pass the gates, you will be greeted by an amazing natural landscape unfolding all around you as you are caressed by the healing power of shinrin-yoku, or forest therapy.  While you take numerous gallery worthy photos, you will feel the beneficial elements of exploring the forest, a double benefit while on your Niigata Private Photo Tour.  As you scale the gently graded stone steps to the main hall of the temple, your JDS Photo Workshop Leader recommends glancing backwards to enjoy the view of the forest on either side of the path, the gate, and the soothing pond in the background of your view.  It makes a spectacular photo as well as a spiritually fulfilling perspective.

There is one more must see spot beyond the main hall of the shrine, which we at JDS recommend that you participate in.  We will make the donation on your behalf, but you will ring the bell yourself.  After that, as you stroll the perimeter of the shrine, you will find a large stone called the Holy Spirit Stone.  Two things will stand out immediately for you.  The first is that you’ll want to take a picture to commemorate your viewing of the stone, and, second, you will want to know why such is stone has been placed behind a temple.  The stone beyond being a great photo op also demarcates a power spot, a region which emanates power to those who approach it.  The myth is that if you make a wish while you are in contact with the stone, the chances of your wish being granted are greatly increased.  We always wish for breathtaking photos, and we’ve never been disappointed yet.