Sakura 16 Photos

[Luciana]

Fromthe pedestrian bridge that overlooks Roppongi Keyakizaka Street, you may get one of the most spectacular angles to photograph this famous scene. Photographers can capture the entire beauty of the cherry-lined road and create a striking frame full of the delicate white blooms from this vantage point. This image, which beautifully combines nature and urban landscapes, captures the spirit of Tokyo during the sakura season.

For taking pictures at Chidorigafuchi, a tele-lens is highly advised. This lens option adds depth and a unique viewpoint to your images, making it perfect for close-up shots of far-off flowers or for catching the boats on the water of the moat. A range of compositions, from broad vistas of the scenery to close-ups of specific branches hanging over the lake, can be made with the capacity to focus on far-off details.

The best time to visit Sumida Park is early in the morning if you want to take pictures of peaceful, deserted settings. On the other hand, the afternoon is the best time to capture bright vitality during the cherry blossom season because it offers more activity and life to the park. The way people interact with nature enhances photographs, demonstrating the cultural significance of sakura in Japanese society.

Situated in the north of Tokyo, Ueno Park becomes a top photo spot when cherry blossom season rolls around to capture the breathtaking beauty of sakura. This park provides a range of settings and backgrounds, making it a must-visit location in any travel guide covering cherry blossoms.

In Hinokicho Park, the afternoons have a special charm. This time of year, the sun plays hide-and-seek with the cherry blossoms, creating a warm, vibrant atmosphere that is perfect for photographers trying to capture the essence of sakura. The interaction of light and shadow and the vibrant pink of the blooms make the scene both lively and enthrallingly beautiful.

Since we are wanting to take full advantage of the gorgeous cherry blossoms, try to avoid any large, harsh patterns. Stay away from bold graphic tees or outfits with large logos. Minimal patterns, solid pastel colors, and soft, small logos will work best!

Now comes the fun part! And remember, you absolutely do not NEED to buy anything for your cherry blossom family photos. I am absolutely positive you have something in your closet that would perfectly coordinate and complement the gorgeous blooms. But, in the event you want to purchase something new, here are a few ideas!

What to wear for family photos is the number one question I get as a family photographer. I tried for years to ignore it, but it can make a big difference! Thankfully the cherry blossoms can be quite forgiving.

What not wear: pencil skirts and pleated slacks. Overly dressy clothing can look out of place in family photos (unless formality is the goal.) Outdoor locations like the the park and beach are typically too relaxed for business casual attire.

More time does not equal more value. More time never made anyone cry less, or have more fun! Whether your kids are grown and cooperative, or super young and uncooperative, its perfect for simple updated family photos, cake smash, maternity, high school seniors, milestones, or Christmas card shots!

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During spring sakura season, Hirano Shrine is one of the top spots in Kyoto cherry blossoms. Its nighttime illuminations and parties are among the best events in all of Japan. This post offers hanami at Hirano tips and our thoughts on the Oukasai Cherry Blossom Festival. (Updated March 14, 2024.)

On the booze-fueled frat party front, Hirano Shrine is within a 5-minute walk of Ritsumeikan University, and is a popular gathering spot for local college students looking to drink and enjoy the scenery.

With winter now behind us, our great city is finally starting to transition into spring. In other words, the 2024 Tokyo sakura season will soon be upon us. According to this year's forecast, cherry blossoms are expected to start blooming on March 24 and reach full bloom by March 31.

You can find cherry blossoms in many places across Tokyo, from the city's best parks including Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno Park, to pretty suburban streets in Nakameguro, Shibuya and Kunitachi. So with cameras at the ready, save these top places in Tokyo for the most beautiful spring blooms.

Another long-running favourite, the banks of the Meguro River always get packed with hanami-goers around the end of March. If possible, avoid crowds by staying away from the immediate area around Nakameguro Station, or visit during the early morning for a less crowded stroll.

The scene here is similar to that at Meguro River but with far fewer crowds. The riversides and the bridges will be adorned with festive pink lanterns, and since the cherry trees here are old, their sheer size and volume do make for a jaw-dropping impact when in full bloom.

Take a springtime stroll down Roppongi's Sakurazaka street to see this ritzy neighbourhood's beautiful cherry blossoms. This short street, which sees relatively less tourist traffic, takes you from Roppongi Hills entertainment complex to the Azabu-Juban neighbourhood.

The main road leading from Kunitachi Station towards Hitotsubashi University is lined with large cherry trees, which make for a scenic stroll while you check out the various shops, restaurants and cafs in the area. Walk up to some of the pedestrian overpasses for a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the street in full bloom.

Catch sight of cherry blossoms with Tokyo SkyTree in the background at Sumida Park near Asakusa. There are more than 600 cherry blossom trees to admire around the park, with varieties including somei-yoshino and oshima-zakura trees.

This picturesque park also straddles a small section of the Sumida River with sakura trees lining the riverbanks. Visit in the evening and you can see the beautiful sakura trees illuminated for yozakura (evening cherry blossom viewing).

Ueno Park is well-known for its zoo and museums, but it's also incredibly popular for the avenue of cherry blossoms along its main path. There are roughly 1,000 sakura trees here with 800 of them being the somei-yoshino variety. During peak cherry blossom season, the sakura trees along the main path are decorated with 800 lanterns that light up in the evening.

This tree-lined street a short walk away from Shibuya Crossing is a lovely spot to catch cherry blossoms while on a stroll through the neighbourhood. A walk under the blooming trees during the day is always pleasant, but visit in the evening and you can see the blossoms illuminated.

This massive park in Tachikawa, just 30 minutes by train from Shinjuku, is great for seasonal flowers, especially cherry blossoms. The sakura trees stand out here as they sit against rows of nanohana (canola flowers) for a beautiful blend of yellow and pink petals. You can also see an overwhelming array of cherry blossoms as the park is home to 31 different varieties including somei-yoshino and yamazakura trees.

With its central location in Shibuya and close proximity to Meiji Shrine and Harajuku, Yoyogi Park is quite possibly the city's most popular location for cherry blossom viewing. Hence, also one of Tokyo's most crowded.

This 2.5km stretch of sakura trees along the Tama River in Fussa is great for a less crowded cherry blossom experience. What's more, the area also hosts the annual Fussa Sakura Festival with LED lanterns lighting up the cherry trees, plus plenty of events to keep you entertained. This year's festival runs from March 23 to 31.

Along with Ueno Park, Asukayama Park is one of the oldest green spaces in Tokyo. People from all over the city have been coming here to see the sakura in spring ever since shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune had the trees planted in the first half of the 18th century.

Light shining through sakura petals gives the tree more dimensionality and brings out details. However, if the surroundings are just as bright, the tree will simply blend into the background! I decided to increase the tonal contrast between the tree and the background so that the tree stands out more. This was achieved through the time of the shoot, exposure settings, and composition decisions.

Exposure settings

Shooting in aperture-priority AE mode at f/9 to keep the detailed blossoms in sharp focus, I used negative exposure compensation to underexpose the shot slightly so that the elements surrounding the tree became silhouettes. As the sunlight was on the sakura petals, they remained bright even though everything else around the tree became silhouetted.

Composition

The more space you put around the sakura tree, the smaller it will look. I composed the shot so that the entire width of the image was filled by the tree, with no empty space to the left and right. If you use a wider lens, step closer so the tree fills the frame!

Pro tip: Your focal length and shooting distance will change how large (or small) the tree and mountain look relative to each other. For example, with a longer focal length such as 400mm, you could pull in the mountain so much that it fills the entire background, which would change the effect altogether.

Just like the photograph of the Komatsunagi sakura tree shot by Chikako Yagi in #1, my main shot of the Inai sakura tree was taken in the evening where the light fell on just the tree, with no light on the mountain slopes. The spotlight effect helps to make the tree stand out better.

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