At Japan Dreamscapes (JDS), we think of photography as a form of art.  And what you take pictures of on a photo tour becomes a personal expression of art.  The things that personally speak to you will be what you photograph and become part of your personal gallery of treasured images that you can return to over and over, reliving the moments and the adventure that were part of your guided photography adventure.

For some people, the blushing sakura, or cherry blossoms, are what fulfills their hope for art, and there are many locations across Japan during the spring season on spring cherry blossom photo tours to enjoy that particular manifestation of art.  For other visiting photographers, the alpine climate of Hokkaido Photography Tours supply the inspiration to create art with the wildlife among the drift ice using the resident avian subjects such as the Whooper Swan, Steller’s Sea Eagle, or Blakiston’s Fish Owl as the centerpiece to their photos.  All these JDS led tours have their appeals.

Niigata prefecture is home to a unique form of art, wara, or rice straw made available after the freshly harvested rice has been plucked from the field.  It has a myriad of practical uses, but Niigata has created an aesthetic means of appreciating and repurposing rice straw.

The Wara Festival in Niigata happens in late summer for the past decade and has been the host of truly spectacular photo ops.  Centered on Uwasekigata Park in the Nishi-kan Ward of Niigata Prefecture, towering sculptures of wara are on display for you to enjoy.  Outright climbing is taboo, but there is no red, silk rope restraining visitors from interacting with the exhibits.  Visiting photographers are encouraged to get up close and personal with the rice straw sculptures and take as many pictures as you would like.

This experience is only held in Niigata, so contact your JDS photo tour leader to get the scoop on how to join this once in a lifetime adventure.