Tokyo Photoshoot Locations
February 3, 2023
As a Japan-based wedding photographer, the recent reopening of the country’s borders has brought renewed excitement for exploring and capturing the beauty of Tokyo through my lens. While it’s understandable that many clients request photos in popular tourist spots like Shibuya and Harajuku, I strive to showcase the city’s depth and character beyond these well-known landmarks.
Tokyo is a city where past, present, and future seamlessly blend together, and I find myself constantly drawn to its gritty, raw, and nostalgic side streets, as well as its clean and chic neighborhoods. Whether it’s capturing the vibrant street art or the charming atmosphere of an izakaya, this city never ceases to amaze me with its endless possibilities for creative expression. As a wedding photographer in Tokyo, it’s essential to showcase the city’s wide range of locations to potential clients.
As a wedding photographer, there’s a certain degree of secrecy in the industry when it comes to sharing techniques and locations. We all have our tricks up our sleeves to gain an edge over the competition, and famous photographers often charge exorbitant fees to teach these skills. One of the most critical skills for any photographer is the ability to scout the perfect location. It’s a process that requires a lot of research, attention to detail, and a keen eye for aesthetics.
I’ve spent countless hours researching different locations on Google Earth, carefully curating and judging which places are worth the effort of visiting. But as a result, photographers naturally tend to keep their “secret” locations to themselves to maintain a sense of exclusivity and integrity in their work.
I’ve been contemplating whether to create a collective public database of locations, including the ones I’ve researched, and it’s a decision that raises many questions. Is accessibility more important than preventing overcrowding? Is competition more important than building community? Would it be beneficial for the creative process if photographers shared their locations and inspired one another?
These are difficult questions that each photographer must answer for themselves, but the pros of building a community and collaborating with others outweigh the cons—a pool of ideas from photographers of different and diverse backgrounds. By making a collaborative database open to all, we can collectively pick new perspectives from each other and give a fresh perspective on the hidden gems of Tokyo that I’ve come to know and love.
I invite everyone who reads this to chime in and give ideas on how we can improve this database!
Location Database:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UBeKvNUcM2GOCFpUmf_9DLiRyGjiaJbpOv6o-1dvb_I/edit#gid=0
If you want to add your own location here is the google form link: