Being able to host Niigata Private Photo Tours is pleasant 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 and the Sea of Japan 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 Japan Dreamscapes Japan Photo Tour experience is something that can’t be found with other photography workshop companies.

For example, in a small section of Niigata prefecture, there is an off the beaten path location called the Yahiko Shrine.  The shrine’s founding dates back to pre-historic times.  The founding date is lost to history, but even in the Nara period, which spanned the years 710 - 784, the shrine was referred to as "ancient" in a poem called the Man'yōshū.  Samurai, artisans, geisha, craftsmen, and other important Japanese people have visited the shrine for guidance for thousands of year.

The deity for which the shrine was constructed is called the Ame-no-Kaguyama-no-Mikoto (天香山命).  The ancient folklore tells the story that the god descended from the heavens to protect the region and supply the residents in the Niigata, then Echigo region, with skills for fishing, rice cultivation and harvest.  These skills are staples of modern day Niigata, as the prefecture is famous in Japan and worldwide for having the best rice as well as amazing fishing, and there are ample opportunities to sample the delicious treasures from the Sea of Japan.

Once you enter the shrine grounds, you are overcome with a sense of replete calm.  The outer gate cannot be missed.  Standing at 6 meters (nearly 20 feet), the vivid red gate serves two purposes. It is the official entrance to the shrine’s grounds as well as a line of demarcation between the outside world of bustle and distraction and the world of spiritual healing and peace.  JDS Niigata Private Photo Workshop leaders know this pursuit all too well.  While leading Niigata Private Photography Workshops, our lead photo workshop leader encourages clients to immerse themselves in the moment, to breath in the calm and peace that the area surrounding the shrine provides.  We at JDS find that areas around shrines and temples provide the best mindsets to take amazing photos, and that’s what westrive for each time we are leading a photo workshop.

As you trek deeper onto the shrine’s grounds, 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, an extra benefit while on your Niigata Private Photo Tour.  As you scale the gently graded stone steps to the main hall of the temple, I recommend glancing backwards to enjoy the view of the forest on either side of the path, the gate, and the seemingly endless forest.

Being a Niigata local means knowing about the smaller attractions that come as part of the shrine photography experience.  Yahiko’s founding legend is tied to a philosopher’s tree.  On the grounds of the shrine, there is a sacred tree slightly away from main hall.  It can easily be missed if you are not paying attention or know what to look for, but leave that to your JDS Photography Workshop Leaders.  They’ll lead you directly to it, so everyone can all pay their respects to the mystical tree and record it as part of your Niigata Private Photography Workshop.  The tree is believed to have been what dictated the direction of the shrine.  And there is yet one more adventure you can enjoy.  There is small platform with two stones resting on it.  If you can easily raise the stones with your wish in mind, your wish will be granted, but if the stone takes substantial effort, then you will have to find another method for your wish to be fulfilled.  JDS Photography Workshop Leaders  always have a wish for spectacular photos in mind when they visit Yahiko, and once you see and photograph the shrine and its surroundings, we’re sure you’ll feel like a wish has come true.