Tokyo › Locations
These five places are our recommended Tokyo routes. Pick one, or combine them to fit your package. If you have another place in mind, mention it when you book; the photographer confirms whether it works.
Senso-ji + Sumida Park · Classic Tokyo
Location reference photo, not client work · Daderot, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The big lantern at Kaminarimon, Senso-ji's five-story pagoda and the lanes around it all suit kimono photos. Then walk to the Sumida River for Tokyo Skytree. To keep passers-by out of the frame, make Senso-ji the first stop of the day.
Read the guide → Official guide ↗
Yanaka Ginza + Nezu Shrine · Retro street
Location reference photo, not client work · User:Kentin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Yanaka's old shops, slopes and narrow lanes suit easy walking shots, and the vermilion torii of Nezu Shrine suit portraits with more of a sense of occasion. The two make one walking route.
Read the guide → Official guide ↗
Kiyosumi Gardens · Quiet Japanese garden
Location reference photo, not client work · Irina Gelbukh, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The pond, garden stones and waterside path suit calm full-length portraits, and they show a kimono's pattern and shape well.
Read the guide → Official guide ↗
Koishikawa Korakuen · Classical garden
Location reference photo, not client work · Kimon Berlin, Gribeco, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The pond, bridges and woodland paths give photos with depth, and in autumn the red leaves make a backdrop.
Read the guide → Official guide ↗
Shibamata Taishakuten + approach street · Old downtown
Location reference photo, not client work · Aimaimyi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wooden shopfronts, dango shops and the temple approach carry the feel of everyday old Tokyo, good for Showa-style kimono street photos.
Read the guide → Official guide ↗
Matching Tokyo locations to a package
- Intro (30 min): one location.
- Standard (60 min): two neighboring locations, such as Senso-ji + Sumida Park or Yanaka Ginza + Nezu Shrine.
- Extended (120 min): two or three locations. Travel time between them counts toward the session time.
Meeting point
The meeting point depends on the route. We agree on it after the booking is confirmed, or by message on the day.
Do gardens need a photo permit?
In Tokyo metropolitan parks and gardens, family snapshots and scenery photos need no application. Shoots that occupy an area for a while, commercial or not (model shoots, for example), need an application in advance. Koishikawa Korakuen's official site says model shoots and pre-wedding shoots need an advance application and review, and may be declined in busy seasons and during events. The photographer checks this when you book and suggests another place if needed.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government: photography in parks (Japanese) ↗
In Tokyo we offer photography only. Bring your own kimono or rent one from a kimono rental shop; rental, dressing, makeup and hair are not included.
For session lengths and prices, see Tokyo packages. Two people pay the same price as one.