Photo guide for “Mitaki no Sakura”, one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Mie Prefecture!

・What is Mitaki no Sakura?

Hello, this is Koshi Iguchi.
This time we will introduce the cherry blossoms of Mitaki, one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Mie Prefecture.

Mitaki no Sakura is located in Misugi-cho, TsuCity Mie Prefecture. Not only is it home to a magnificent wild cherry tree, but it is also one of Mie's most representative cherry blossom photo spots, as you can take photos with the rice terraces. .

This time, I would like to introduce the cherry blossoms of Mitaki and write about how to take beautiful photos of the cherry blossoms of Mitaki, which I won in a photo contest!

Click here for the photo contest I won↓
Transportation Comprehensive Culture Exhibition 2020

You can get there in about an hour by car from Tsu Station.
If you search for the detailed location on Google Maps, it will appear immediately, so this time I will only list the location information.

Click here for Mitaki cherry blossom location information

There is a parking lot, so you won't have to worry about finding a parking spot, and there are restrooms nearby, so you can rest assured.

I think it took about 10 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the shooting spot.
There are signs along the route in the parking lot, so you shouldn't get lost!

You'll be climbing up a slightly sloped hill, so it might be best to wear comfortable shoes!

Also, some of the shooting spots have poor footing and are muddy, so it's a good idea to bring rain boots. (Of course, you can still take pictures without it)

・Photography period

It's time to shoot, but first of all, it's spring! It's April!

However, unlike the most common Someiyoshino, the type of cherry blossoms in Mitaki are Yamazakura, so I think it would be better to think that the cherry blossoms bloom a week or two later than the Someiyoshino.

I took this photo on April 20th, 2019, but this year (2021) is warm and the flowers bloom early, so they may reach full bloom around April 10th. Sorry if it was earlier.

Before you go, we also have a page on our website that lists the blooming status of the cherry blossoms, so we recommend checking it out before going!
Mie Prefecture flower calendar/flowering status 2021

・Target weather and time

​Weather and time are the next most important things to consider when shooting.

The weather we are aiming for is ``sunny''. Sunlight will be necessary to bring out the elegant color of cherry blossoms.

Humans perceive color when light hits a substance and the colors that cannot be absorbed by the substance are reflected.
The pale pink color of cherry blossoms cannot be seen clearly on dark nights or days with thick clouds, right?
In other words, light is a very important point in expressing the true beauty of cherry blossoms.

I think the best time to see cherry blossoms is during the morning or evening sun. The light from the morning sun and sunset is very soft and brings out the colors of the cherry blossoms even better.

However, the cherry blossoms in Mitaki are surrounded by mountains, and the setting sun is hidden by the mountains and does not hit the important cherry blossoms. Therefore, the best time for photography is the morning.

Of course, you can take beautiful photos even during the day, but the results will be a bit mediocre.
I want to make my photos even a little better! If this is the case, you may want to try taking photos with the morning or evening light in mind.

In fact, the time I took the photo was from 5:30 AM to 8:00 AM, and the weather was perfect, so I was able to capture the best light.

There are other reasons why the light in the morning is good!
The light hits only the high places of the mountains in the background, and you can get a good effect from the mountains as well.

When taking landscape photos, it may be a good idea to think about not only the main subject, but also other things when creating the composition and timing of the shot.

・Points for shooting

After introducing the location, time, and time, the next question is how to take beautiful photos. But it is that!

First of all, we recommend using a tripod to take better landscape photos!
Especially when taking pictures in the morning when it's not yet bright, handheld shots tend to be blurry, ruining even the most beautiful scenery.

A sturdy tripod is never better, but even tripods that cost several thousand yen that are sold on certain online shopping sites are much better than handheld photography, so if you don't have one yet, take this opportunity to buy one. It might be a good idea to consider it!

・Shooting settings

Next is the settings.
There are many sites and blogs that recommend manual shooting, but I recommend shooting with "aperture priority auto"!

This mode is called A mode or Av mode, and is a mode in which you can adjust the aperture value (F value) and ISO sensitivity by yourself, and the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed (SS).

If you set the ISO sensitivity to auto, the camera will determine the ISO sensitivity, so beginners will find it even easier to shoot.

Let's explain in detail what settings to make.

First, the settings for the thumbnail photo for this article are as follows.
Focal length: 65mm (35mm equivalent) F value: f8 ISO: 200 SS: 1/20 second

Accurate focus is important for landscape photography.
To achieve this, it is important to increase the F value so that the entire photo is in focus.

Basically, when taking landscape photos, set the F value to around F8 to F16 to ensure that the entire subject is in focus!

Increase the ISO sensitivity as necessary. With digital cameras currently on the market, I don't think there will be any problems if you raise the ISO to about 800, but be careful not to raise it too high as the result will be noisy photos!

Next, let's try shooting with vertical composition.

My recommendation is a vertical photo that includes the cherry blossoms reflected in the paddy fields.

The settings for this photo are: Focal length: 65mm (35mm equivalent) F value: f8 ISO: 100 SS: 1/5 seconds

This photo was taken a little earlier than the first photo I introduced.
Gradually, a gentle light overflows, creating a photo that gives you a sense of ephemerality.

Also, by shooting from just above the surface of the water, you can capture the reflection clearly!
Please note that if you take the photo from a high position, such as at eye level, the cherry blossoms will not be reflected on the water surface.

*Even if you want to take pictures from the very edge of the water, please do not set up a tripod or go into the rice fields!

Next is one with stars.

This one image was completed using Photoshop to connect the stars using comparative brightness compositing, so it cannot be created in this state from the camera, but if you can use Photoshop, it might be fun to try it for fun. I don't know!

The area around the Mitaki cherry blossoms is very dark and the stars are beautiful, so I think it would be nice to be able to intertwine with the stars without having to process them into a trajectory!

This concludes the introduction of my photos and explanation of the shooting process.

After you finish shooting, you might feel tired, thirsty, and hungry, right?
Finally, I would like to introduce a store that is perfect for you!

​Cafe Harunon is located a 10-minute drive from Mitaki no Sakura and a 7-minute walk from Ise-Okutsu Station on the JR Meimatsu Line.

The restaurant is run by a married couple with the concept of "relaxing like Haru," and the inside of the restaurant, which is a renovated old private house, is very calm and comfortable, and you can spend a relaxing time there.

The store opens at 10:00 a.m., so if you finish shooting early in the morning, you may have to wait a bit, but we encourage you to come even if you wait. I highly recommend it!

This time I received today's specialty coffee, scones, cheesecake, and gateau chocolate. And the coffee was so delicious that I even had a take-out coffee on the way home.

After the host takes your order, he grinds the coffee beans and brews the coffee by hand.
The beans I received this time were from Guatemala, and they had a strong aroma and a slight sweetness, so they didn't feel bitter at all, and were refreshing and delicious.

I wanted people who don't like coffee to try it too!

And the cake I received as a set was cheesecake and gateau chocolate.
This also had an elegant taste and was not too sweet, so it was perfect for a refreshing coffee.

Are scones with walnuts and dried fruit? It is heated up after you order it, so you can enjoy the crispy outside and the warm and moist texture inside.

The focus is not only on the taste, but also on the tableware and inside the store. Behind the counter, there are various types of mugs and glasses.

This was really pretty and cute, and this time I had my coffee in a green mug, but I was wondering what kind of mug I would get it in next time as I ate my coffee.

I wasn't able to take many photos of the inside of the store as there were other customers besides myself, but all the chairs and tables in the store are pieces of art and craftsmanship that I can feel are the result of the couple's good taste. There were so many wonderful things that I couldn't express with my limited vocabulary.

And what creates such a space is not only the chairs and tables, but also the light created by the lighting. The scene created by the light and shadow is like a chandelier.

A chandelier of light illuminated the Japanese space, creating a great atmosphere.

And most of all, we would like to thank you for agreeing to be featured on the tourism page of Mie.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again.

·summary

Thank you for reading until the end.

how was it? I would be happy if this article made some of you want to go to Mitaki no Sakura and Cafe Haru Noon.

In the future, I'm planning to continue to introduce "shooting locations + recommended shops you can visit after shooting," so I hope you'll look forward to next month's article.

Article author: Photographer Koshi Iguchi

Born in 1997 in Komono-cho, KomonoTown. When I became a university student, I wanted to preserve the scenery I saw while traveling as beautiful as possible, so I bought a camera. In 2018, I went on a solo trip to France and was moved by the spectacular scenery around the world, which led me to start landscape photography in earnest.
Currently, while working as an office worker, he uses his holidays to take landscape photographs mainly in the Chubu region.