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National Treasures - Japan Photography Workshop Tour

Sep 18, 2025 | By: Blain Harasymiw Photography

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The majority of visitors to Japan will view national treasures, such as ancient sacred Buddhist statues, scrolls, sculptures, paintings, maps, vases, prayer bells, singing bowls, lanterns, main shrines, Kantanas, and Samurai armour, among other treasures, but these are often displayed behind glass or in museums or in heavily monitored shrines and temples.  Photographing or getting close to them can be nearly impossible and sometimes illegal. 

Due to my ties with historical societies, Zen Buddhism, and Shintoism in Japan and abroad, I am often welcomed to meditate or offer a prayer in the main hall. If there are no ceremonies, and if I have a kind group, we sometimes take an hour or two to photograph the sacred prayer rooms and national treasures. On some occasions, the main abbot or Shinto priest may serve tea and bring out and display ancient scrolls and other national treasures for us to view and photograph. However, this is rare, and the group needs to be the right bunch. I don’t take just anyone. This autumn, I plan to visit a few ancient Shinto and Zen Buddhist Sanctuaries, where we will explore the interiors and photograph national treasures both inside and outside in the gardens and grounds. But if there is a ceremony, we will only photograph the gardens. 

Buddhist altar.

Buddhist temple, a place of meditation.

A temple off he beaten path, it was built before the Edo period. The person in Kimomo is a guide I often work with.

Oil painting, image taken inside an ancient Zen Buddhist Hall.

Buddhist Sanctuary ceiling in the main hall.

A Shinto priest getting ready for prayer. Of course, I asked him if it was okay to take his picture.

Buddhist Sanctuary Main Hall, for ceremony and meditation.

A Buddhist statue sitting outside a Buddhist sanctuary.

As for sharing locations, I am very hesitant to do so, and over 99% of the time, I will never share a location on social media or in person. The reason is that over 90% of my photography workshops visit ancient Zen Buddhist and Shinto sanctuaries that are way off the beaten path. These sacred spots on Japan's most ancient pilgrimage routes have limited security and do not employ security personnel. Domestic and international tourism is extremely rare and mostly non-existent, and somewhat unwelcome due to a lack of understanding of shrine and temple etiquette. 

For example, the image of the stone pillar below this is located at a Buddhist Sanctuary next to a samurai battleground, far off the beaten path. This is no ordinary marker at a temple/cemetery; this features 100 coins from the Edo period. Each time the monk goes to meditate/pray, one coin will be moved to mark the mantras' prayers that have been made. This process transforms the task of counting into a focused, meditative act. And this location I will never share, as some tourists might move one coin and disrupt the monks' counting. Additionally, these coins are valued anywhere from $10 to $10,000 each. As for their actual value, I’m not sure, as I have never handled them, but only counted them, and never touched them. However, I guarantee that others, both domestically and internationally, will touch the coins and mix up the count, mainly out of curiosity. And let's not forget all the trouble we have with so-called influencers; several have been expelled from Japan, and some have active arrest warrants in Japan after posting videos abroad following their departure from Japan, clearly showing them breaking Japanese law.  Such is the case with Logal Pual, who has an active arrest warrant with no expiration date.  So, if he comes back, he will be arrested. 

Buddhist Sanctuary with 100 coins built into a Buddhist mantra counter, one coin will be moved to mark the mantras' prayers that have been made.

100 Edo-era coins, used to count at a Buddhist Sanctuary, by monks, one coin will be moved to mark the mantras' prayers that have been made.

Autumn 2027: 3 spots open. BOOK NOW!
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