Tokyo International Forum is great for photographers
In spring 2018, I faced a dilemma. I planned to photograph Yushima Tenjin’s famed plum blossoms, but nature had other ideas. The flowers were far from their best. I was early, they needed some more time. Suddenly, I was left scrambling for a new subject.
But Tokyo is a photographer’s paradise, a city teeming with iconic spots and hidden gems. Coming up with a substitute should have been easy. But at that moment, my mind drew a blank. After some frantic brainstorming, an idea finally surfaced: Tokyo International Forum.
I had never photographed it before. It wasn’t my usual style. But as soon as I arrived, I knew I’d stumbled upon something special. A striking architectural marvel that continues to inspire me to this day was my savior.
How can I describe it? Many people say it looks like a ship on the outside. I can only agree. It definitely has that shape. And it has some blinds that run along the windows. Maybe they are sails?
Others say the interior resembles that of a whale. I also see that. If you stand on the ground floor and look up, the ceiling looks like the rib cage of a cetacean.
What is Tokyo International Forum?
Tokyo International Forum is a multi-purpose concert/exhibition hall near Yurakucho station. Designed by world-famous architect Rafael Viñoly, it was completed in 1996 and opened in 1997. The building is an immense glass edifice 207 meters long and 32 meters wide. It is eleven stories high and filled with curves, curves, and more curves. From the outside, it is very much boat-shaped. It is a fantastic place for photography.
International Forum has a spacey feel to it. It has eight halls, thirty-one conference rooms, a lounge, a restaurant, and a museum. Inside is an enormous lobby area that allows you to shoot up at the roof. You can get to the upper floors by taking the walkway which winds around the wall. The upper levels offer some great vantage points to shoot from too.
How to photograph Tokyo International Forum?
- The first time I went, I wished for a wider lens. My 16-155 mm, at the wide end, was still too narrow to accommodate the entirety of the ceiling. It made me realize the value of having Fujifilm’s XF 10-24 mm F4.
- Longer lenses work there, of course. They won’t capture much of the ceiling, so use them for shooting along the length of the building. You can be creative with them.
- For photographers, Tokyo International Forum is versatile. If you are into architecture, you can do that. You could spend many hours photographing the building.
- There are the shadows. The building has many curves, beams, and windows—lots of places for the sun to come through. As the day progresses, the areas of dark and light will move. It is a fun place for that type of photography.
- The Forum offers chances for minimalist photography. It has so much space inside. You can use that by waiting for a single person to come along to get your photos.
Photo spots near Tokyo International Forum
Where is Tokyo International Forum?
Address: 3 Chome-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
Here it is on Google Maps:
Closest train station:
Tokyo International Forum is near a few:
- Hibiya: Chiyoda, Hibiya and Mita lines
- Tokyo (via an underground concourse): Yamanote line and many others
- Yurakucho: Keihin-Tohoku, Yamanote and Yurakucho lines
Opening hours
7 AM to 11:30 PM every day.
Conclusion
I enjoy photographing this building. There is a lot of natural light as Viñoly used a lot of glass in the construction. It is a gorgeous piece of architecture. Night photography there is also excellent. Those photos will be here one day! And I will do some in black and white too.
If you are looking for a great building to photograph, try Tokyo International Forum. It is excellent even for a place to walk around. There is a flea market outside on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month.