Unlike ordinary tourists, we walked with a keen eye, always searching for "subjects that resonate in the heart" through the viewfinder. We spent a day exploring Aizuwakamatsu, Ouchi-juku, and Iimoriyama with four women in their 40s and 50s gathered from Omiya, Osaka, Gunma, and Tochigi.
📷 This time's shooting and strolling route
- Aizu Nanokamachi Street: A retro street with a Taisho Roman atmosphere. The street lined with old Western-style houses and storehouses was a place where we couldn't stop taking photos right from the start.
- Iimoriyama - Sazae-do: A mysterious architectural beauty with a double spiral structure. The one-way spiral, where the ascent and descent do not intersect, is a subject with exquisite contrasts of light and shadow.
- Ouchi-juku: A thatched-roof village that retains the charm of the Edo period. The combination with the snowy landscape can be said to be one of the best "photogenic scenes" in the country.
Aizu Nanokamachi Street - The "Taisho Town" where retro and modern intersect
The journey begins on Nanokamachi Street in Aizuwakamatsu. This street, lined with Western-style houses and storehouses built during the Meiji and Taisho periods, is a place that, while becoming known to tourists, still has a lingering "hidden gem" feel.
As the guide led us, sharing shooting points like "This angle avoids the utility pole" and "The morning light hits directly from the front," all four cameras pointed in the same direction. Yet, it was interesting how each person's "framing" was completely different.
📸 Guide's Shooting Tips: Nanokamachi Street
- Buildings facing east tend to catch light in the morning, allowing for beautiful shots from the front.
- Including the cobblestone pavement in the foreground creates depth.
- It is in the less crowded back alleys that the authentic "real Aizu" remains.
Iimoriyama - Sazae-do - The mysterious relationship between architecture and light
Standing near the summit of Iimoriyama, where Aizu samurai rest, the "Sazae-do" is a uniquely structured hall with a double spiral built during the Edo period. The entrance and exit are separate, designed so that worshippers never cross paths.
The interior is dimly lit, with light filtering through the wooden lattice creating patterns on the floor. The four attempted slow shutter speeds without tripods and captured only the light through the gaps in the lattice. Voices of surprise emerged, saying, "I didn't know such a place existed."
📸 Guide's Photography Tips: Sazae-do
- Since the interior is dark, increase the ISO sensitivity or lower the shutter speed while being careful of camera shake.
- Incorporating the spiral handrail diagonally tightens the composition.
- Capturing 'silence' when there are no people enhances the sense of the extraordinary.
Ouchi-juku — The 'Edo scenery' created by thatched roofs and snow.
The highlight of this day was indeed Ouchi-juku. The village with thatched roofs that suddenly appears in the mountains of Minami-Aizu retains the appearance of a post town from the Edo period almost intact.
The thatched roofs covered in snow and the smoke rising from the irori chimney. Vegetables hanging from the eaves and people walking on the stone pavement. No matter where you cut it, it was a 'picture-perfect' space, and the four of us continued to press the shutter in silence.
The advantage of a private tour is that you can 'wait until people clear out.' Unlike group tours, where you're rushed for time, you have the option to say, 'Let's wait five minutes for this light.'
📸 Guide's Photography Tips: Ouchi-juku
- To capture the entire view from the edge of the post town street, the earlier in the morning, the fewer people there are, making the thatched roofs stand out.
- Details of daily life, such as 'icicles' and 'dried vegetables' at the eaves, are where the flavor lies.
- On cloudy days, shadows do not appear, making it easier to depict the texture of the thatched roofs uniformly.
Encounters unique to the locals that are not in the manual.
In the evening after leaving Ouchi-juku, a customer was troubled because 'they had not made a dinner reservation.' At that moment, I unexpectedly encountered an acquaintance at our stop. They introduced me to a hidden gem, a local izakaya in Aizu that only locals know about. We quickly changed the planned hotel pick-up to take them to that izakaya.
Customer Feedback
“I was happy because I wanted to enjoy the local flavors! It was a place I definitely wouldn’t have entered without the guide.”
This is an encounter that would never happen on a standard tour. While sharing freshly taken photos with my group, we toasted with local sake and snacks from Aizu — that night became the final “snapshot” of our journey.
Reasons why 'Private Guide' is chosen for camera girls' trips
In a journey like this one, where we enjoy photography, there are moments when a private guide truly shines.
- Can wait for the right light: Able to judge that 'if we wait 10 more minutes, the good light will come.'
- Can stick around until the crowd disperses: Unlike group tours, not bound by time.
- Knows local photography spots: Can guide you to places not listed in guidebooks.
- Can take photos with everyone in them: Solves the problem of always having someone designated as the photographer.
- Can adapt to sudden schedule changes: Flexibly changes the route according to the weather or mood.
【Your own photography journey, in Aizu.】
We will propose a custom-made route tailored to your photography goals, such as 'I want to shoot this spot' or 'I want to shoot in the morning light.'
Feel free to contact us via LINE first.
