Join us for an all-inclusive Cross Country Autumn Leaves Photography Workshop Tour in Japan, where over 90% of the journey takes you off the beaten path to avoid tourist crowds. Both amateur and professional photographers are welcome!
We provide pick-up and drop-off services at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND). You'll have the opportunity to capture Japan’s stunning Red Maple Leaf trees in Niigata, Nagano, Yamanashi, Toyama, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka Prefectures, along with other vibrant tree species and plants adorned in autumn colours.
This cross-country photo expedition will cover a wide range of breathtaking sights. Highlights include close encounters with the famous Snow Monkeys, the picturesque Maple Leaf Corridor at Mt. Fuji, the stunning Fuji Five Lakes, jade gorges, and the sea of clouds in the Valley of the Dragons in Niigata, as well as numerous waterfalls and much more.
Remember, over 90% of this Autumn Leaves Photography Workshop takes place in authentic Japan, where few Westerners travel. Experience and photograph the untouched beauty of authentic Japan! 🇯🇵

Day 1-2: Welcome to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)! The time and meeting location will be announced to participants in advance. After our meet and greet, we will depart for the Nikko UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features over 100 Japanese architectural masterpieces. Founded in the 8th century, Nikko is closely linked to the history of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The iconic Shinkyo Bridge serves as the gateway to the Futarasan Shrine and is best photographed during the early morning light.
We will also explore Nikko's highland lakes and waterfalls, venturing off the beaten path to discover less crowded spots. Having spent over 25 years photographing Nikko, I am familiar with tourist timings, which allows us to avoid the rush and minimize tourist interference.

Lodging: To be announced for participants (2 nights). Our accommodations will feature private and communal hot springs, with separate bathing for males and females. Rooms will be either Western or Japanese-style, each equipped with en-suite facilities. Dinner and breakfast will be provided at our hotel, while lunch will be at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Fukushima Highlands. Over 70% of Japan is unpopulated wilderness, home to more than 120,000 wild snow monkeys. The region we will explore boasts a healthy population of these monkeys, stunning autumn foliage, and vividly coloured lakes. The colours of the lakes range from lime green to deep turquoise to topaz blue. These unique hues resulted from a volcanic eruption in 1888, which enriched each lake with distinct minerals, giving them enchanting colours and a mystical aura.

Lodging: To be announced for participants(1 night).
Accommodation details will be announced to participants later. Our lodgings have communal hot springs, and males and females bathe separately. They are Western or Japanese-style Rooms with ensuite facilities. Dinner and breakfast are at our hotel, and lunch is at a local establishment.

Day 4 - 6: Niigata, Yamagata Ocean Stacks.  During the day, we will venture into the interior to photograph autumn colours, possibly snow monkeys in the wild frontier.  My friends in this region are farmers who provide for my family's annual rice consumption.  The mineral-rich water in this region is famous; it is so pure and clean that locals and people such as myself and my team visit and take home hundreds of litres of water a year that is drunk unfiltered, and this is the same water in which the region's rice grows.   Mid-afternoon, we will photograph Ocean Stacks by the water's edge and prepare for golden hour.  The ebb and flow of the Sea of Japan has created photogenic sea stacks along the coastline.  
Lodging: To be announced for participants(3 nights).
Accommodation details will be announced to participants later. Our lodgings have communal hot springs, and males and females bathe separately. They are Western or Japanese-style Rooms with ensuite facilities. Dinner and breakfast are at our hotel, and lunch is at a local establishment.

Day 7 - 8: Niigata Highlands, Yuzawa Region, Experience perfectly composed natural scenery featuring still waters framed by vibrant Japanese Maples displaying red, yellow, and orange hues.
On our first morning, we'll witness the breathtaking Sea of Clouds. Departing our lodgings in the pre-dawn blue hour, we will travel for 30 minutes to a viewpoint known as the Valley of the Dragons. Here, we will capture photographs above the clouds, gazing down into a 20-kilometre-long valley that is dotted with several hamlets below. The hills and trees appear to float above the sea of clouds, creating a stunning view, where the landscape resembles sea stacks in the ocean, and the hamlets glow with a mystical light as the clouds shift and change.
After returning to our lodgings for breakfast and some rest, we will continue our day around 11 am. Our first stop will be a Koi sanctuary, where Niigata's most prized Koi are housed year-round. Some of these Koi fish are valued at tens of thousands of dollars, and at Koi auctions in Niigata, it is not uncommon for Koi to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’ll have the unique opportunity to feed the Koi and photograph them as they emerge in droves, their mouths open wide in anticipation.
Additionally, we will visit one of Japan's most renowned autumn leaf forests, complete with a reflecting pond. To cap off the day, we will photograph the highland rice terraces during the golden hour.
Lodging: To be announced for participants(2 nights).
Accommodation details will be announced to participants later. Our lodgings have communal hot springs, and males and females bathe separately. They are Western or Japanese-style Rooms with ensuite facilities. Dinner and breakfast are at our hotel, and lunch is at a local establishment. 

Day 9: Chichibu On this day, we will delve into the mystical spiritualism that has inhabited the area for centuries. As fellow pilgrims, we will capture the beauty of our surroundings through photography. Many of the temples, Zen Buddhist sanctuaries, and Shinto shrine complexes in this region were crafted by the same artisans who created the intricate and captivating art found in the temples of Nikko, with influences from the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. As someone who has explored this region for decades, I will guide you to some of the most breathtaking shrines and temples. We will spend the entire day uncovering the mysteries of the numerous Zen Buddhist sanctuaries and burial mounds that dot the landscape. 

Lodging: To be announced for participants(1 night). Accommodation details will be announced to participants later. Our lodgings have communal hot springs, and males and females bathe separately. They are Western or Japanese-style Rooms with ensuite facilities. Dinner and breakfast are at our hotel, and lunch is at a local establishment.

Day 10-11: Mt. Fuji & the Fuji Five Lakes For centuries, artisans have been captivated by the breathtaking beauty of Mount Fuji. Autumn, in particular, offers a mesmerizing display of vibrant fall foliage, with legendary Japanese maple trees showcasing stunning shades of red, yellow, and orange. Blain guarantees Mount Fuji will capture your heart and imagination under daylight or moonlight. No single photograph will fully convey the Zen-like emotion you will experience while photographing the autumn scenery at Mount Fuji. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but it may take a thousand pictures to express just one emotion from this extraordinary experience.
Lodging: To be announced for participants(2 nights).
Accommodation details will be announced to participants later. Our lodgings have communal hot springs, and males and females bathe separately. They are Western or Japanese-style Rooms with ensuite facilities. Dinner and breakfast are at our hotel, and lunch is at a local establishment.

Day 12: We will rise early for sunrise photography at one of the Fuji Five Lakes, with Mount Fuji in the backdrop, or at the region's ancient Shinto Sanctuary. After returning to our lodgings for breakfast and checking out, we will have an afternoon drop-off at Tokyo Haneda International Airport (HND). Thank you for participating; we look forward to our next adventure together!

Why Choose this Photography Tour/Workshop?

☞Any level of photographer is welcome

☞All camera formats are welcome: digital, handy-cams, scoping with iPhone large format, film, etc 

☞Professional photo instruction available when requested

☞Photograph Japanese cultural and architectural masterpieces

☞Visit the Snow Monkeys without dealing with the freezing cold

☞Activity level varying from leisurely to moderate

☞Provided transportation: Sports Utility Vehicles with Business Class Seating

☞Small group size means quality, in-depth time with your workshop leader 

☞All questions are welcome and encouraged throughout your adventure

☞Each morning and evening, we will discuss our best shooting options with our weather conditions in hand so that we will be well-prepared

Tour Cost: $9,900 USD

Single Supplement: $1400 USD

Not Included: Flights to JPN and from JPN, alcoholic beverages, travel health insurance and other insurances, lunches, and items of a personal nature.

Workshop/Tour Policies 

General Enrollments Information for Adventure/Workshops
by Instructor/Teacher of Photography Blain Harasymiw.

A deposit of USD$1000 per persons, will reserve a place for you on one of our tours/workshops.
Or you can simply pay in full now.