Two superb Kyoto photographers have allowed Inside Kyoto to showcase their work in our weekly “Kyoto Photo” series – a new photo will be published here on the Inside Kyoto blog each week. Here’s the inside story on Damien Douxchamps and Jeffrey Friedl
About Damien Douxchamps
I’ve lived in Japan for about 10 years, where I work as entrepreneur, researcher and photographer.
Kyoto is the center of traditional culture in Japan so there’s always new places to see and new things to do. Personally I became more and more interested in the zen atmosphere of temples, and ended up photographing more than 200, often visiting them numerous times to get the proper light at the proper season. Photography can be a frustrating past time!
When I go hunting for pictures these days I try to find places that are only open exceptionally, once every few years, as these are the only ones that I haven’t (over-)visited. I will then often be the only foreigner for the day as the phone calls, postcard reservations and hours of internet search quickly thin the herd of tourists. Except in autumn when no place is safe from the tablet-toting obaa-san 🙂
For more on Damien, see his full resume
About Jeffrey Friedl
Jeffrey was born in California and raised in Ohio, but has been living in Japan on and off for the last 25 years. He’s got a masters in Computer Science, and has worked for Omron, Yahoo!, and Adobe, among others. He is the author of Mastering Regular Expressions (O’Reilly Media, 1997, 2002, and 2005).
Jeffrey lives in Kyoto with his wife and son. His interests including photography (obviously), blogging, and creating photo-processing add-ons for Adobe Lightroom. Jeffrey’s blog is http://regex.info/blog/.
Kyoto Vacation Checklist
- ESSENTIALS – For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Kyoto guide
- HOTELS – Check Kyoto accommodation availability on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
- BULLET TRAIN – You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Kyoto, Kyoto to Osaka and Kyoto to Tokyo
- WHERE TO STAY – Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Kyoto
- PACKING LIST – See my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- SIM CARDS – You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airports or Kansai International Airport. You can also rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- FLIGHTS – Compare Japan flight prices and timings to find the best deals
- JAPAN RAIL PASS – If you're making frequent train journeys during your visit, you might save money with Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
- TRAVEL INSURANCE – World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
- WANT HELP? – Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help
Kyoto District Map
Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation
About InsideKyoto.com and Chris Rowthorn
- Chris Rowthorn is the co-founder of InsideKyoto.com and has an unparalleled travel knowledge of Kyoto spanning three decades. Chris has written or commissioned and edited every page on the Inside Kyoto website.
- A former author of Lonely Planet Kyoto and Lonely Planet Japan guidebooks, Chris is also the director of the Kyoto walking tour company Chris Rowthorn Tours, and Japan Travel Consulting, where you can get bespoke travel advice for your Japan trip.
- InsideKyoto.com has been cited by the New York Times and The Times of London, among many other publications and websites.
