Whether you’re a nature lover, a photography enthusiast, or just looking for a peaceful escape from the city bustle, the Kyoto Botanical Gardens is a must-visit destination.
Opened in 1924, it is the oldest and most comprehensive public botanical garden in Japan. Here is a quick overview of what makes it special:
🌸 Seasonal Highlights
The garden is a living museum that changes beautifully with the seasons:
Spring: One of Kyoto’s premier cherry blossom (Sakura) spots, featuring over 450 trees. The “weeping cherry trees” are especially breathtaking when illuminated at night.
Summer: Vibrant lotus flowers, hydrangeas, and an extensive collection of roses.
Autumn: Stroll through the Maple Tree Star grove for some of the most vivid red and orange foliage in the city.
Winter: Though quieter, the conservatory provides a warm tropical escape.
🌿 Key Attractions
The Conservatory: One of the largest glasshouses in Japan. It houses approximately 4,500 species, including rare tropical plants, cacti, and orchids.
The European-Style Rose Garden: A symmetrical, beautifully manicured area with a view of Mount Hiei in the background—perfect for photos.
Nakaragi-no-mori Pond: A traditional space featuring a small shrine and natural forest scenery that feels like ancient Kyoto.
Starting my photography journey in 1998 during my time as an expatriate in Singapore, I have now been a photographer for over 20 years. My deep affection for Kyoto is reflected in my work, which has been exhibited internationally. I am a photographer with a global perspective, dedicated to capturing the universal beauty found in the interplay of light and shadow.
My core focus is on documenting and preserving Kyoto's landscape, which is being negatively affected by the rapid increase in inbound tourism. I work across genres—from landscapes to portraits—always prioritizing the unique "essence" of the subject and the atmosphere of the moment. I am also actively engaged in international photographic expression, including photo shoots for tourists visiting Japan, exhibiting my work both domestically and abroad, and participating in cultural exchange projects.
2008年日本写真家協会（JPS）展 入選（プロ写真家への登竜門）Selected for the 2008 Japan Professional Photographers Society (JPS) Exhibition (a gateway to becoming a professional photographer)
International Exhibitions: The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) and the Consulate-General of Japan in New York's annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival)
The eaves of a traditional townhouse bathed in light and shadow, the stone-paved streets silent in the early morning, and the back alleys where the scent of daily life lingers.
Instead of the "Kyoto-ness" seen in tourist brochures, my mission as a photographer is to document and convey the genuine Kyoto—the lives of the people who live here and the atmosphere shaped by the passage of time.
However, this Kyoto is being quietly destroyed.
The traditional townhouses of Kyoto are not just scenery; they are a way of life.
Now, they are being sold off, along with their "memories of life," under the guise of temporary lodging businesses.
Tourism is undoubtedly a major industry that supports Kyoto. There is no denying that. However, if tourism transforms Kyoto from "a city for its residents" into "a spectacle for tourists," it becomes an act of cultural destruction.
I don't want to photograph a "tourist destination." I want to photograph a "living Kyoto," where people live, gather, and connect.
I will continue to photograph Kyoto. To document and share the "authentic Kyoto" that still remains. And I hope to contribute, even in a small way, to returning Kyoto to a place where "daily life, not tourism, is the main character."
Kyoto is not a place to see; it's a place to live.
