Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue: My first autumn visit
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue is a famous road in Tokyo. It goes to Meiji Jingu Gaien, the garden of Meiji Shrine. One hundred forty-six beautiful ginkgo trees line it. In autumn, their yellow leaves attract huge crowds. Tokyoites love it. That makes it popular with photographers. Let’s dive in.
These photos are from 2019 when I visited the street for the first time. It was good to cross another place off my photographic bucket list! And they were easy to shoot, which was a bonus. Point your camera and click.
It was a good experience. There were quite a few people, but they added to the atmosphere. Some trendy people even wore yellow jackets, which matched the leaves. It’s easy to understand why it is a popular place in Tokyo during autumn.
Where is the avenue?
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue is easy to find. It is between the Ginza subway line stations, Gaienmae (exit 4a) and Aoyama-Ichome (exit 1).
Here it is on a Google map:
Photo tips for Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
- People and cars crowd the area in autumn, so be careful.
- If you want pictures with few or no people (which can be hard to get), go early in the morning.
- Photographing these trees under clouds doesn’t do them justice. They will look much better with a blue sky behind them on a nice day than the shots you see here.
- For the best photos, shoot along the street to get some sense of depth. T-junctions are at both ends, so it is easy to do this.
- Over recent years, the base of the trees has been covered in “keep out” tape. It looks pretty ugly. You might want to keep that in mind.
- If you need a break, there is a Shake Shack to accommodate your needs.
What was my photo gear for this shoot?
Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T2
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Conclusion
I’ve been to Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue a few times since 2019. It’s always a great place to photograph in autumn. All that yellow makes incredible images. It’s a pity it couldn’t be like that all the time. Leave questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
For other flower articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Meiji Jingu Gaien (official website)