My Hokkaido Photography Tours, the "Essence of Autumn Photo Tour" and "Cherry Blossom Photo Tour," are often booked two years in advance, including my private photo tours. This is thanks to the authentic, Japanese locations I led my clients to, ensuring truly once-in-a-lifetime, breathtaking shots. And  the word gets around that I don’t cut corners on accommodations, food, or transporttion; my clients receive only the best Japan has to offer, ranging from 3- to 6-star lodgings, which are not based on Google stars, but on traditional hotel ratings, plus our transportation is busienss class, and the foods are top tier, my workhsops are fully inclusive from the time I pick up clietns to the time I drop them off. The only items not included in the price are the obvious expenses, such as health insurance, travel insurance, and flights to and from Japan. However, domestic flights are included in the price, and we seldom fly coach. 

While leading wildlife landscape photo workshop tours, I incorporate authentic culture by introducing my Ainu friends in Hokkaido, as well as unique local power spots throughout Japan, such as Buddhist sanctuaries, Shinto shrine complexes, mystical forests, and places shrouded in deep mystery along ancient pilgrimage routes. The wildlife that my clients mostly want to spot and photograph includes snow monkeys, Steller’s sea eagles, Red-crowned cranes, Shima Enaga, Ezo Red foxes, White-tailed eagles, Whooper swans, Ezo Sika deer, woodpeckers, the Eurasian sparrow, and I also, introduce over dozens or more other species; on some trips we spot and photograph two dozen or more species.

 

One of the key elements of being a professional explorer and photography workshop leader is conducting pre-participant trips, which involve in-depth scouting of locations, including accommodations and food. And I just returned with my group support team from scouting a few locations in Yamagata, Japan. The main location I wanted to scout was an oceanfront hotel with a gorgeous beach and sea stacks view right from the rooms, as well as the sunset from our dining room table. In truth, I had driven past this hotel over a hundred times, and I knew I had to try it, as I had a good idea of the photography it would produce. The photography speaks for itself, but before I have my booking agent book accommodations and arrange for clients to stay, I need to test them. In my workshops, it’s not only about photography, but also about the lodging experience, decor, manners, and authentic Japanese culture. This hotel was okay, but not excellent. My team and I enjoyed the food; it was very traditional, ocean-side cuisine for the Yamagata region, and distinctly Japanese. And from my years of leading photo workshops in Japan, I have found that over 80% of my clients cannot fully enjoy a 15- to 20-course traditional seafair Japanese cuisine, as every dish is locally sourced from the Ocean and the region, which I think is a good thing. But the taste can be overwhelmingly fishy. But most of my team and I enjoyed the food; however, even some people from other parts of Japan could not fully appreciate it. Therefore, I will not be adding these lodgings to my 2025 workshops; however, I am hopeful that I can discuss this with management and arrange a special menu for my client. Hopefully, in 2026, we will be able to stay here overnight. Also, the Onsen (hot springs) was way too hot. I watched Japanese men get in, and they spent only a minute or two in the Onsen, then got out, showered, and left. I have visited some of the hottest onsens in Japan, with water temperatures around 50℃ (122℉), which is incredibly hot, and I cannot fully appreciate them. The trick here is to sit by the onsen and splash hot water on yourself with a bowl provided by the onsen for rinsing yourself and washing your wash towel. I spent about ten minutes dousing myself with hot water, then I got into the bath for 2-3 minutes, then got out and took a cool shower. I repeated the process for about an hour, for the next few days. When we checked out, I mentioned to the manager that the Onsen was too hot, and they apologized, telling me to report it to them next time, and they would adjust the temperature accordingly. “Hmmm, I thought, why not check for all customers?” But to be polite, I agreed, bowed, and we departed the lodgings.  However, this year or next year, I will stay once more. However, don’t worry; the region is blessed with many spots that are a photographer's dream. Our usual lodgings are about twenty minutes away and they are 4-5 star luxury hotels, offering delicious Japanese cuisine and a balanced 12-15 course dinner.