PhotoTokyo · Tokyo Metropolis

Autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo

In short

An autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo costs $260 for 30 minutes and 15 edited photos within 3 days. From mid to late November we shoot the ginkgo on Gyoko-dori or in Hibiya Park; from late November into early December, the maples at Hamarikyu or Zojo-ji. The exact spot is chosen from the colour reports for your week.

Starting from: $260
Duration: 30 min
Edited photos: 15

Why here

Why choose Autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo?

Tokyo’s autumn is gold before it is red. The ginkgo along the city’s avenues turn from mid-November, two weeks or so before the maples, and they grow in straight lines that suit portraits: a corridor of yellow with a building at the end. So a Tokyo autumn session is planned around which colour is at its peak in your week, and we pick the spot from the colour reports a few days before.

How the shoot is planned

How a session in Tokyo is planned

The route

In ginkgo week we start on Gyoko-dori at about eight, with the yellow rows framing Tokyo Station at the far end, and finish at the palace moat; with an extra hour we walk on ten minutes to Hibiya Park, where fallen leaves carpet the paths by mid-morning. In maple week the session moves to Hamarikyu at 9 am opening: the red trees by the teahouse, the wooden bridges over the tidal pond and the Shiodome towers behind. A late-afternoon alternative is Zojo-ji, with autumn colour in the grounds and Tokyo Tower lighting up behind the gate.

The timing

Ginkgo usually peaks from mid to late November, maples from late November to early December — later than Nikko, where the town peaks in early November. Leaves fall fast after a windy day, so we keep a second morning in reserve if you have one. Morning is best: low sun through yellow leaves and few people; weekends in Hibiya Park get busy after eleven.

What’s included

What Autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo includes

In the package

15 edited photos
Spot chosen on the colour reports for your week
Start in the low-sun hours, morning or late afternoon
Private online gallery within 3 days

Fees and permits on the route

Hamarikyu Gardens: ¥300 entry; tripods and commercial shoots need prior application to the garden office

Book online

Inspiration

Autumn leaves photoshoot: ideas for your shoot

Frames by photographers on Unsplash, credited below — the mood to plan your own shoot against, not our portfolio.

Photos: Micah Bratt, Cole Keister, Jay, Diana Lisunova, Na visky on Unsplash

Before you book

FAQ — Autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo

How much is an autumn leaves photoshoot in Tokyo?

$260 for 30 minutes and 15 edited photos within 3 days, with the spot chosen from the colour reports. The only on-the-day cost is Hamarikyu’s ¥300 entry if we shoot there. Kimono for the session is an $55-per-person add-on, dressed in Asakusa or at your hotel.

What if the leaves are not at their peak on our dates?

Something is usually at its best in late November: if the maples are early, the ginkgo are full, and vice versa. If you come in early November, before either, we suggest a regular Tokyo session instead and say so honestly before you book.

Can we shoot at the famous Jingu Gaien ginkgo avenue?

It is extremely crowded at peak, especially at weekends, and the area has been affected by redevelopment works. We prefer Gyoko-dori, which has the same straight yellow rows with Tokyo Station at the end and far fewer people at 8 am.

Same shoot elsewhere