10 Beautiful Places to Photograph in Japan as a Visiting Film & Digital Shooter

Japan is currently one of the trendiest travel hotspots thanks to social media.

It’s got a fast paced, neon, hustle & bustle mixed with historical and traditional charm, making it a unique and extremely aesthetic place to explore. As a photographer, it’s an endless playground. Street photography, incredible landscapes, traditional architecture, classic cars, incredibly well dressed fashionista’s… there is quite literally a subject for every kind of photographer in Japan.

In Tokyo alone, you are a short train ride from a multitude of incredible places. Japan is a mountainous country, with an active volcano (Mt Fuji), a multitude of islands, plenty of forests and many major cities. Though I’m not native to the country, I am a huge admirer of it’s beauty and this past January I had the opportunity to visit for 2 weeks with my cameras and some creative friends.

So, in this article I am going to share with you some of the incredible locations we visited to capture just some of Japan’s distinctive beauty.

1. Shinjuku

A bright, neon light haven that is home to the infamous viral calico cat billboard. This is a gorgeous part of Tokyo with trains running across bridges, hidden yokocho’s and as many light up signs as you could possibly count. We visited both during the day and at night, and though both make for an incredible photograph, I personally think it truly comes alive at night. It’s busy, bright and exciting, sort of similar to NYC but with a much more modern twist. I had a 28mm and a 16-80mm zoom for this area.

Notes for Photographers:

This is a very busy strip with lots of locals who are commuting and wanting to access the paths easily, keep gear to a minimum. Some shop owners don’t want to be on camera so be mindful of who you are photographing!

2. Shibuya

Shibuya is famous for it’s massive and chaotically busy zebra crossing that spans any and every direction. It’s a hotspot for street photography as an estimated over 2.5 million (yes you read that right!) people cross here every day. Outside of the crossing, you can find some incredible street art such as the balloon pictured bellow, the telephone wires and poles seem to be at their finest in this area and you can also find some incredibly cinematic frames with all of the small ‘hole-in-the-wall’ type restaurants. We visited Shibuya a few times, I preferred daytime, and my favourite images here were shot on a 28mm lens.

Notes for Photographers:

Keep your set up small if you can, there are a LOT of people in this area so if you can, be quick and keep it moving. It’s a fast paced area which will definitely test your working under pressure skills.

3. Shibuya… From Above

If your mind wasn’t blown enough by the number of people that pass through Shibuya, I might add that up to 2500 people can be crossing it at any one time. There are plenty of viewing platforms and shops that have incredible views of Shibuya from above where you can get some really artsy imagery. Golden hours tend to be extremely busy, and they are great but you can also get great photographs if there are harsh shadows or perhaps a lot of umbrellas in the rain. We chose to go to Shibuya Sky which is the 45th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square skyscraper. This gives you 360 degree views on an open air rooftop to look out over the whole of Tokyo. I think this is worth it because you can photograph out of the window on the 12th floor before taking the elevator up to the 45th floor to get photographs of other areas of Tokyo. Mt Fuji can also be seen in the distance on a clear day. These were shot on a 24-70mm and a 100mm lens.

Notes for Photographers:

Your camera must have a strap on it to have it on the Sky Viewing Deck, you can’t take loose items up here but they do provide free lockers for you to store any loose belongings.

4. Shiinamachi Station

This is a smaller spot, though I believe you can take hundreds of photographs in just one room, some people might not find a lot here outside of the ‘classic’ shot. It’s more off the beaten path but my goodness was it worth it to come here. We caught the end of golden hour and into blue hour where with an incredible stroke of luck got this photograph of a sports car in front of the Nanten restaurant. You could definitely spend time photographing the streets around this area and get some incredible street photography. These shots were on a 28mm and a 50mm lens.

Notes for Photographers:

This is a very quiet area and it is next to a police station, please be respectful and quiet whilst you capture it’s beauty.

5. Mt. Fuji

There are many different towns you can visit to get a view of mount fuji. We chose to go to Fujiyoshida because we wanted to visit both Honcho Street and Lake Kawaguchiko. I would definitely recommend this town if you want the classic Lawson shot, it’s absolutely worth it. We found that walking down a few of the other roads parallel to Honcho Street meant you could still find a beautiful shot with a lot less people. In this area you can also find the Chureito Pagoda which is beautiful in itself and gives you access to incredible views of Fuji and Fujiyoshida town. Please note that the mountain is only visible around 80 days of the year and it is best to visit in December, January or February! I mainly used my 16-80mm here , but I did use a 28mm for a few shots. I think even a 100mm prime could be a great choice here to give you more compression and really bring the mountain closer.

Notes for Photographers:

The taxis here are few and far between, make sure you plan your journey properly or have access to a car or bikes if you plan to photograph at sunrise!

6. Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture

Nikko is a stunning town located just a 1.5hr train ride from Tokyo’s Skytree. It’s a gorgeous area that I really wish I’d had more time in. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can visit the famous Toshogu Shrine. It is home to Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji which if I had done better planning, I’d definitely have visited. I managed to walk a lot of the town itself, visit the incredible Shrine and capture some of the mountains that you can see in the distance. If I managed to get these photographs in a matter of hours in town, then I know that there is so much more magic to be uncovered here with the lakes and waterfalls! I loved the early morning light and golden hour here, it looked incredible over the mountains. Here I used my 16-80mm again for most shots and occasionally my 28mm for a wider perspective.

Notes for Photographers:

This area is much more rural, please be respectful to the locals who live here. It is a quiet area that much be treated with the upmost respect, especially at the shrines. Do not litter and keep gear to a minimum.

7. Shinsen

Shinsen is home to narrow and beautiful roads that feel a little more suburban even though you're within walking distance of Shibuya. There are trees in amongst the intimately built roads, an incredible train crossing which is a hotspot for photographs and some seriously cool vintage stores - just in case you’re capturing portraits and wanted a unique jacket! The restaurants here have some intricate signage and there is even a store covered entirely in stickers. This gorgeous area is walkable from Shibuya in about 20 minutes (highly recommended for street photographers) or you can hop on a train to Shinsen Station. Again, I mainly used my 16-80mm here, it is such a versatile lens with an amazing zoom to give you the option of different perspectives. Daytime is best here, as it isn’t as neon and bright as the other areas.

Notes for Photographers:

This is a more suburban area, please keep the noise down. It is much quieter here which makes it easier to work with a tripod or bigger set up!

8. Skytree

Tokyo Skytree is a very impressive broadcasting and communications tower that is also home to shops, restaurants, cafes, a viewing platform and more. It is the second tallest building in the world. As it’s so tall, you can view it from many streets in the surrounding area which adds a wonderful touch of dimension to street photographs. These images are a mix of 28mm, 24-70mm and 16-80mm, I was staying by this building so managed to capture it with different equipment throughout the trip, I think a wider lens is best as the building is so large and again, golden hours or sunrise tend to look best here.

Notes for Photographers:

You can see this building from many streets in the surrounding areas so definitely walk about and explore to get a varied selection of images here.

9. Asakusa

Just a short walk over the Sumida River from Skytree is Asakusa, you can find a shopping street named Nakamise. There are plenty of gorgeous shop fronts and intimate street moments you can capture here, there are food stalls, souvenir shops and lots of chances to catch beautiful pockets of light. Early mornings provide the best light and the best time of day for slightly quieter images, it can get extremely busy in this area after about 10am. I used a 100mm a lot here to really hone in on subjects and little happenstances between the big street market chaos.

Notes for Photographers:

Photographing this area is very fun, however some shop owners do not want to be photographed. Please make sure to contribute to the street market and purchase from a vendor or two, there are some incredible foods and products here and the shop owners might let you get a photograph of them if you talk with them first.

10. Trains & Stations

The rail system across Japan is unfathomably aesthetic. The trains themselves are gorgeous, most of the stations are beautiful and the train drivers make for the perfect subject with their uniforms. There is always a photo to be capture at any station in Japan but my favourite was probably Ochanomizu Station. Not only can you capture great photographs within the station, you can also exit and head to Hijiri-bashi Bridge where you get a great view of the Marunouchi line, Sobu line, and Chuo line passing simultaneously on different levels.

Notes for Photographers:

Japanese work culture can be very intense and many people have long commutes to work. If you’re taking the train during rush hours, make sure to line up correctly, keep quiet on the trains and move out of the way of those on their journey to/from work.