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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 a popular place for photographers.
These photos are from 2019 when I visited there for the first time with my camera. It was good to cross one more item off my photographic bucket list! And they were easy to photograph, which was a bonus. Just 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). Click here to see it on Google Maps. But, if you get lost, follow the crowds!
Photography tips for Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
- In autumn, the area gets very crowded with people and cars, so it pays to 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
Wrapping up
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.
For other autumn articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Meiji Jingu Gaien (official website)