Spring in Japan is a magical season, and if you're visiting during the cherry blossom season, a photoshoot in Showa Kinen Park is an unforgettable experience. Located in Tachikawa, just a short train ride from central Tokyo, this expansive park offers stunning natural beauty, making it an ideal location for capturing your special moments in a wedding dress or elegant attire.
Showa Kinen Park is one of the most picturesque locations in the Tokyo area for a spring photoshoot. The park is famous for its wide-open spaces, charming landscapes, and diverse seasonal flowers. While cherry blossoms are the main attraction, the park also boasts vibrant fields of yellow rapeseed flowers (nanohana), tulips, and other colorful blooms, ensuring beautiful photos even if the sakura are not in full bloom.
The Unpredictable Beauty of Cherry Blossoms: Why Showa Kinen Park is Your Reliable Spring Photoshoot Destination
Cherry blossoms are undoubtedly a dream backdrop for wedding photos, their ephemeral beauty capturing the essence of romance.
However, nature's calendar can be fickle. Each year, the peak bloom varies, and what was planned as a photoshoot amidst a sea of full blossoms might end up being a wait for flowers that are stubbornly late. This is where Showa Kinen Park shines as a reliable and versatile choice.
A Safety Net of Early Bloomers:
Unlike locations that rely solely on the main wave of cherry blossoms, Showa Kinen Park offers a delightful secret: pockets of early-blooming varieties. These precede the main bloom, offering a head start on your cherry blossom photoshoot.
Even if the main blossoms are delayed, you'll still find stunning pink blossoms to frame your special moments. This natural safety net ensures that your spring photoshoot dreams aren't dashed by unpredictable weather patterns.
Flexibility for Your Perfect Shot:
The presence of early-blooming cherry trees allows for greater flexibility in scheduling your photoshoot. It provides a buffer, an assurance that you'll capture the beauty of cherry blossoms, regardless of the main bloom's timing. This flexibility is invaluable for couples traveling from afar, who need to plan their schedules well in advance.
Only about three trees blooming but enough to create beautiful images
During the main season, we will be expecting about 60-80 trees at the park blooming with pink flowers.
Well, they were not. But when we visited there, we saw about three of them fully blooming. Don't get disappointed. It can be enough to make some beautiful images, as long as our bride and groom enjoy.
Golden Fields of Rapeseed Flowers
If the cherry blossoms haven’t reached full bloom, don’t worry! The bright yellow rapeseed flowers provide a stunning contrast and add warmth to your photos.
Peaceful and Spacious Setting
Compared to the crowded parks in central Tokyo, Showa Kinen Park provides a more relaxed and private atmosphere for your shoot.
Best Time for a Spring Photoshoot
The cherry blossoms in Showa Kinen Park typically bloom from late March to early April, but exact timing varies each year. The rapeseed flowers, on the other hand, usually bloom from mid-March to mid-April, making them a reliable and stunning alternative if the sakura season is slightly off-schedule.
Travel a little distance from your hotel
While Tokyo's city center boasts numerous beautiful parks, many require prior permission for wedding dress photoshoots. In recent years, obtaining these permits during the cherry blossom season has become increasingly difficult. This is reportedly due to Tokyo's policy of preventing potential issues amidst the already crowded conditions of the cherry blossom season.
For casual photoshoots, Tokyo's central parks pose no issue. However, if you envision a wedding dress photoshoot amidst the cherry blossoms, suburban locations like Showa Kinen Park are highly recommended. These areas offer more freedom and slightly fewer crowds, allowing you to capture stunning photos with greater ease.
One-day pre-wedding plan with a different outfit
Our pre-wedding photoshoot plans include a half-day session with one dress and shooting at 1-2 locations, and a full-day plan where couples can change into a kimono or casual attire.
On this particular day, a couple from Australia opted for our full-day plan. After finishing their photoshoot at Showa Kinen Park, they returned to their hotel in Shinjuku. From there, they decided to change into kimonos.
If you're looking to rent a kimono, Asakusa offers numerous rental shops with relatively affordable options starting from 3,000 yen for two hours. However, this couple wanted to experience the real deal, mentioning that they wished to try authentic kimonos. They requested to rent traditional kimonos, the type Japanese people wear for their wedding.
Second destination, Asakusa
Welcome to the most popular, and busiest tourist area in Tokyo, Asakusa. Yes, it is very busy place. To start our second session, we started from a little distance, to avoid the crazy crowd.
Enjoy the crowd of Asakusa street
From there, we gradually started weaving through the bustling crowds of Asakusa to begin the photoshoot. Too many people? Well then, let's capture that crowded atmosphere as a part of your memories! It might be interesting to take photos with that kind of approach.
Arriving at Sensoji Temple, a Tokyo's historical monument
Arrived in front of Asakusa temple, also known as Senso-ji, one of the ancient Buddhist temples in Tokyo. Its history spans over nearly 1400 years.
Since 400 years ago, this temple became a popular center of entertainment and commerce, contributing to the development of the vibrant Asakusa district.
While Asakusa Temple and its surroundings are often perceived as crowded, there are actually many quiet spots tucked away. Having photographed in Tokyo for many years, I've become adept at discovering these hidden gems.
'Wait, we can capture photos like this here?'
I believe my role is to guide you to these special places and create memorable photos.
We are Tokyo based wedding & family photography studio
bozphoto & Styles is a Tokyo-based photography studio specializing in wedding, engagement, and elopement photography. With a focus on documentary-style photography, we aim to preserve the emotions and stories behind each image, allowing you to relive those memories for years to come.
Whether an intimate elopement in the heart of Tokyo, or a stunning pre-wedding shoot amidst Japan’s breathtaking landscapes, we strive to deliver photographs that are both meaningful and unforgettable.
we believe that every picture tells a story. Let us help you tell yours.
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