Amazed by the beauty of 47 Japanese provinces through the lens of a Vietnamese photographer

5 years and a journey to the land of the rising sun

In early December, Khac Tien officially completed a photo album in all 47 provinces and cities of Japan. The "unrealistically beautiful" photo album caused a stir on social networks because it is the result of a long-term dream of a Vietnamese man with a special passion for photography who is currently living and working in Tokyo (Japan).

“The inspiration came from a photo album of a brother that I saw on social media and a sister in the photography team who planned to travel all over Japan. Traveling all over Japan is not difficult, but taking beautiful photos that show the characteristics of that province or city is difficult. Therefore, I am determined to conquer everything to have the most complete and best Japanese photo album possible,” Khac Tien confided.

5 years is the total time Khac Tien has traveled through 47 provinces and cities in Japan and devoted all his love to his passion for capturing moments through photos. At first, he chose to travel around 13 provinces near his place of residence that possess beautiful landscapes. After officially determining his goal of conquering the land of the rising sun, he began to build a clearer plan. He focused on creating a priceless photo treasure trove in just 2.5 years.

Talking to Travellive, the male photographer said: “I can go to nearby provinces on the weekends. For provinces that are far away like Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, I have to wait until the long holidays to go.”

During his tireless journey across Japan, the only thing Khac Tien cared about was taking photos. The top priority he set for himself was to have beautiful photos. “I only cared about what to take, where, and when. In my head, I always calculated to draw up a plan to run the show in the most reasonable, economical, and most effective way,” he said.

Setting foot on new lands brings the photographer many special and indescribable emotions. He is overwhelmed by the natural scenery bestowed on the Land of the Rising Sun, both majestic and charming, poetic. “I am extremely impressed with the vast snow fields in Hokkaido, which look like a miniature Europe. When I arrived at the southernmost region of Kagoshima, I felt like I was lost in a countryside somewhere in Vietnam because the houses and landscape there are strangely similar to Vietnam.”

Each photo that Khac Tien took captured the moments and outstanding features of each province. In particular, the priceless treasure he received after the whole journey was not only the photos but also contained deep impressions of each footprint he passed. According to him, Hokkaido, Nagano and Yamanashi are three provinces that left him with many precious memories. Hokkaido is memorable because of its vast flower fields, where it is easy to encounter wild animals such as foxes, cranes or flying squirrels... Nagano with its majestic snow-capped mountains brings breathtaking beauty. Finally, in Yamanashi, the beauty of Mount Fuji captivated him at first sight.

To make a “long” trip in terms of both time and distance, the cost that Khac Tien spent was not small, especially in a country with expensive expenses like Japan. However, with a passion for photography, like-minded friends found each other to accompany and share in every journey.

Sharing about the difficulties of traveling to 47 provinces and cities, the photographer said: “The hardship of having to stay up late and wake up early to climb mountains to find shooting spots. Taking photos is really hard, while everyone is sleeping in warm blankets, photographers like me are stepping on rocks, wading through snow, climbing to the top of wild mountains at night, in the cold north wind. Taking photos at first seems fun, but in reality it is very exhausting. The most exhausting thing is lack of sleep, in the late afternoon when people are drinking, I still take photos; in the middle of the night when people are sleeping soundly, I still drive to take photos to catch the sunrise; in the middle of the noon when the sun is breaking people's heads in the house, I struggle to wade through the trails to find shooting spots to catch the train…”.

Luggage to "harvest" priceless assets

Before each trip, Khac Tien tries to prepare everything carefully and always be on guard for the worst situations. Giving advice to those who share the same passion for photography and love to capture the beauty of natural landscapes, the photographer said:

First, he had to have enough photography equipment. He always had two cameras ready in case of equipment failure, and sometimes he even brought an infrared camera in case he couldn't find anything to photograph.

Second, before going to a certain place, he always collects as much information as possible about that area. For example, what time the temple or park opens, is there any sudden repair or maintenance going on; are there landslides or road closures in places deep in the mountains or forests in the winter?

Third, check the weather information, the blooming flowers, red leaves, and snowfall at the shooting location. According to Khac Tien, beautiful hours only last for a moment, you can't carry your camera and run from one province to another in an hour to choose the right angle. Therefore, he spends a lot of time researching and learning carefully about the location where he will stand to shoot and always has a backup plan B.

Let's admire the moments of 47 Japanese provinces and cities through the lens of photographer Nguyen Khac Tien:

Phuong Mai is a reporter for Travellive Magazine in Hanoi.

Phuong Mai