May 19–27, 2027: Deeper Japan — A Cultural & Photographic Masterclass

A nine-day photographic journey through Yokohama, Tokyo and Kyoto with Steve Simon & Soichi Hayashi, plus an optional two-day Tokyo extension

DatesMay 19 – May 27, 2027

LocationYokohama • Tokyo • Kyoto, Japan

GenreStreet • Urban • Travel

Group sizeMax. 8

Skill levelAll Levels

Tuition$8,000.00 USD

Deposit$500.00 USD

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Workshop overview

Japan rewards the photographer who slows down, pays attention and embraces curiosity. This workshop, created with my longtime collaborator Soichi Hayashi, takes us from Yokohama’s waterfront to Tokyo’s sumo culture and the streets of Kyoto. Each place gives us a different rhythm to work with, and time to build photographs into a meaningful body of work.

Over nine days and eight nights, our group of no more than eight photographers will work in the streets, return to look carefully at what we’ve made and head out again with new ideas. We’ll photograph recognizable places and quieter scenes, staying alert to the people, light and small exchanges that make a place feel alive.

Three Distinct Ways of Seeing Japan

We begin in Yokohama, with InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 as our waterfront base. Harbor neighborhoods, Chinatown and the bay after dark give us room to land, reset and reconnect with our way of seeing. A planned outing to Kamakura and Hakone brings shrines, coastal scenes and the possibility of seeing Mt. Fuji if weather and visibility allow.

Our time around Tokyo coincides with the May Grand Sumo Tournament. We are working to secure tickets, but attendance inside the arena is not guaranteed. If we can attend, we’ll photograph from our seats, paying attention to ceremony, waiting and sudden action. If tickets aren’t available, we’ll work in the surrounding neighborhoods, where fans, wrestlers and everyday life may offer photographs of their own.

Soichi and I have been photographing Tokyo together for more than fifteen years. We build our days around places we know and situations that reward patience: staying put, working a scene and letting the picture come to us rather than rushing to the next location.

Kyoto anchors the second half of the workshop. We’ll explore Gion, Arashiyama and quieter areas around the city, with a nearby day trip still to be chosen. Through Soichi’s local connections, we’re also working to arrange portrait sessions with craftspeople and local characters, and access beyond the usual visitor experience. Those arrangements remain subject to confirmation.

Personal Guidance, Room to Explore

Steve and Soichi bring different approaches to photography and a shared interest in helping you find your own. You’ll receive guidance in the field, lectures, assignments, editing discussions and constructive critiques. Soichi’s photography-driven district maps and suggested starting points will help you get oriented without prescribing the pictures you should make.

The schedule leaves room for independence. If a scene or neighborhood holds your attention, you’ll be encouraged to stay and work. We’ll balance shooting with time to rest, edit and consider what the photographs are beginning to say.

Before and After the Workshop

Before we travel, we’ll meet online as a group for a lecture and discussion of the workshop, photographic goals and practical preparation. Afterward, we’ll reconnect online to critique a refined sequence of your photographs. Having time to edit at home lets you take the work beyond the first selection.

Stay Longer in Tokyo

The optional two-day Tokyo extension is $1,600 USD. It includes the return journey from Kyoto, additional shooting time in curated neighborhoods, continued instruction, two private-room nights at Hotel Century Southern Tower on May 27 and 28, breakfast and one group dinner. It is separate from the main workshop tuition.

A sumo wrestler and onlookers outside the arena

A kimono-clad figure on a Kyoto street after dark

A photograph from the Japan workshop collection

The route

Where we'll photograph

Yokohama & Kanagawa — Waterfront Light

Planned base: 4 nights

We begin in Yokohama, using our waterfront base to settle into the workshop and reconnect with the way we see. Harbor neighborhoods, Chinatown and the bay after dark give us different kinds of light and activity.

Rather than moving quickly from one location to another, we’ll make time to observe, work a scene and return with ideas from critique. The contrast between quiet backstreets and busy public spaces gives us choices about how to frame daily life.

Our planned photography includes:

• Harbor-front neighborhoods and quiet backstreets

• Chinatown’s color, density and human exchanges

• Night cityscapes along the bay

A planned Kamakura and Hakone outing adds shrines, coastal scenes and a change of pace. Mt. Fuji may be visible if conditions align, but it is not promised. The detailed route remains flexible.

Tokyo — The Ritual & Rhythm of Sumo

Planned day visit

Our planned Tokyo visit falls during the May Grand Sumo Tournament. Tickets are being sought, but arena access is not guaranteed. The city’s streets remain part of the workshop whichever way the booking develops.

If we attend, we’ll photograph as spectators from our seats, looking at ceremony, waiting and the sudden movement of a bout. A zoom lens may be useful when we cannot move closer.

We’ll pay attention to:

• Rituals and the atmosphere around the tournament

• Gesture, anticipation and moments between the action

• Fans, wrestlers and daily life in surrounding neighborhoods

Steve and Soichi have photographed Tokyo together for more than fifteen years. Their knowledge gives us starting points, while strong photographs still depend on patience and attention. The optional extension adds structured Tokyo shooting after Kyoto.

Kyoto — Tradition & Everyday Encounters

Planned base: 4 nights

Kyoto anchors the second half of the workshop. Alongside its familiar streets, we’ll make room for quieter encounters, river life and places to work at our own pace.

Soichi’s local connections may give us portrait sessions with craftspeople and local characters, as well as access beyond the usual visitor routes. These arrangements are being developed and remain subject to confirmation.

Our planned exploration includes:

• Gion’s layered streets and twilight atmosphere

• Arashiyama’s temples and wooded paths

• A nearby day trip, with the destination still to be chosen

Nara, Shiga, Osaka and Kobe are possibilities for that excursion. We’ll also seek quieter areas around Kyoto rather than spend every session in the busiest districts. Through critique, we’ll develop these encounters into a cohesive sequence.

Day by day

Tentative Itinerary

The schedule will remain flexible so we can respond to weather, light, local events and unexpected photographic opportunities.

May 19 — Arrival in Yokohama
Arrive in Yokohama and check in at InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8, our planned waterfront base. This is the first day of the main workshop. Final arrival and group-meeting guidance will be shared before travel.
May 20 — Yokohama & Its Neighborhoods
Photograph Yokohama and surrounding neighborhoods, with time to work along the harbor, in quiet backstreets and in Chinatown. The day’s route will respond to light, activity and the photographs we are developing.
May 21 — Kamakura & Hakone
Our tentative itinerary includes an outing to Kamakura and Hakone for shrines, coastal scenes and a different setting from the city. Mt. Fuji is a possibility only if the weather and visibility allow. Final routing will be confirmed.
May 22 — Yokohama & the Planned Sumo Visit
The tentative plan combines our Yokohama base with a Tokyo sumo visit during the May Grand Tournament. Tickets are being sought; attendance inside the arena is not guaranteed.
If we cannot attend, we’ll photograph in surrounding neighborhoods and around the venue, responding to available scenes rather than promising particular encounters. If we do attend, photography will be from our spectator seats.
May 23 — Bullet Train to Kyoto
Travel by bullet train to Kyoto and settle into our planned riverfront base at Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier, or a comparable hotel. The change of city brings a different pace and new situations to work with.
May 24 — Gion & Surrounding Streets
Photograph Gion and nearby areas, working with everyday life, the relationships between people and place, and the changing atmosphere toward twilight. Special portrait sessions or local access will be included only if arrangements are confirmed.
May 25 — Arashiyama
Explore Arashiyama’s temples and wooded paths, with time to observe and work beyond the first recognizable view. Our detailed route and shooting sessions will remain responsive to conditions.
May 26 — A Nearby Day Trip
A day trip from Kyoto is planned, with Nara, Shiga, Osaka or Kobe under consideration. The destination will be confirmed as the itinerary develops. We’ll look for a different expression of daily life and bring that work back into our editing and critique.
May 27 — Main Workshop Check-Out
Check out and conclude the main workshop. Participants may depart from Kansai Airport or return to Tokyo. Those joining the optional extension have the return journey from Kyoto included in the separate $1,600 fee.
Extension participants return to Tokyo after check-out, with two private-room hotel nights on May 27 and 28, breakfast and shooting days on May 28 and 29. The extension’s hotel nights are separate from the main workshop’s eight nights. Final transfer timings will be shared before the trip.

In the field and in class

What You’ll Learn

Street Philosophies

Steve and Soichi will share their street-shooting approaches, shaped by years of wandering urban places with a camera. This intensive workshop will help you find your own vision and street style through assignments that move you past photographic fears and clichés toward lyrical, poetic and decisive moments.

Mostly, you’ll be photographing the theatre that is the street, sometimes together and often on your own. Photographers at all levels can benefit, with personal guidance that responds to where you are in your work.

We’ll explore the “rhythm of place” and discuss the laws and ethics of street photography, approaching strangers respectfully and dealing with difficult situations that might arise. You’ll work on overcoming shyness, framing, juxtaposition, layering your compositions and knowing when to move or let an image come to you.

We’ll also consider whether color or black and white best suits your vision. And we’ll make room for the pleasure of being out there with a camera.

Street Tech

Steve and Soichi will share their minimalist views on gear and a simplified shooting process designed to improve your response time. Both work with Nikon cameras and a carefully chosen selection of lenses, but they can help you get more from a wide range of equipment.

Mirrorless, compact, rangefinder and DSLR cameras, or a camera phone, can all be used for compelling street photographs. We’ll talk about lenses, autofocus, zone focusing, shooting from the hip, live view and flash, with practical help for the system you bring.

These lessons will benefit other kinds of image-making as well. The aim is to become comfortable enough with your tools to give your attention to what is happening in front of you.

Editing, Workflow & Archiving

Photography doesn’t end when you press the shutter. In some ways, that is where another part of the work begins. A consistent way of organizing and reviewing your photographs helps you learn from what you’ve made and find the strongest images.

Steve and Soichi will walk you through their approaches to organizing, editing, processing and archiving large image libraries. You’ll learn how they use tools such as Lightroom Classic to cull a shoot, and discuss the process from memory cards through storage on drives and in the cloud.

Class Lectures & Critiques

In class, we’ll look at a selection of your best work from the previous day. Honest, insightful critiques are central to the workshop, giving us a supportive place to share ideas and constructive criticism as we look through one another’s photographs.

You’ll be encouraged to work toward a cohesive sequence rather than a collection of isolated good shots. Assignments, classroom discussion and the post-workshop online critique will help you recognize recurring interests and refine what belongs together.

Working the Locations

Soichi is an accomplished Japanese photographer whose approach differs from Steve’s, giving us complementary ways of thinking about an image. Together, we’ve chosen districts for their photographic potential while leaving room to respond to what we find.

Soichi will share district maps, local knowledge and suggested shooting positions. These are starting points, not instructions to make the same photographs. If a place catches your interest, you’ll be encouraged to stay with it and explore.

The bay at night, Tokyo’s street life and Gion’s twilight atmosphere offer different lighting challenges. We’ll work with those conditions as they arise, using the technical and compositional discussions to make more deliberate choices.

Travel & logistics

The main workshop runs May 19–27, 2027. The tentative plan begins with arrival in Yokohama on May 19, followed by four nights based there before taking the bullet train to Kyoto on May 23. We finish with check-out on May 27.

Participants arrange their international flights and transportation to our first hotel. At the end of the main workshop, you may depart from Kansai Airport or return to Tokyo. Please wait for final guidance before booking transport that depends on a particular activity or meeting time.

The optional Tokyo extension includes the return journey from Kyoto after our May 27 check-out, two private-room nights at Hotel Century Southern Tower on May 27 and 28, breakfast, continued instruction and one group dinner in its $1,600 fee. The two shooting days are May 28 and 29.

Scheduled local transportation and the bullet train to Kyoto are included in the $8,000 main-workshop tuition. Final routes and timings will be shared as the itinerary is confirmed. The planned sumo visit depends on ticket availability; portrait sessions and special Kyoto access are also being arranged rather than guaranteed.

We’ll work on foot and move between districts, with a camera setup you are comfortable carrying. Allow time to stay with a scene, rest and edit. If you would like to arrive early or continue traveling after the workshop, contact us for help planning those arrangements.

InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 waterfront hotel

Accommodation & Food

Your main workshop tuition includes eight nights of private accommodation, all breakfasts, three special dinners, scheduled local transportation and the bullet train to Kyoto. Having your own room gives you a place to rest, review photographs and prepare for the next day. Final hotel arrangements will be shared as the itinerary is confirmed.

Yokohama — InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8

Our planned waterfront base is InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8. Its generous rooms, harbor setting and comfortable lounge areas give us somewhere to settle into the workshop, meet and edit between shoots.

The surrounding Minato Mirai district offers modern architecture, walkable waterfront areas and changing evening light. We can head out with a camera close to the hotel, then return to the quiet of our base when it’s time to look at the work.

Kyoto — Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier, or Similar

Our planned Kyoto hotel sits along the Kamo River, where walkers, cyclists and everyday encounters give us photographs close to home. Its comfortable rooms and quieter setting offer room to breathe between intensive days in the city.

Gion is within reach, and the surrounding neighborhood has small shops and restaurants to explore. We’re also close to Soichi’s favorite Kenninji Temple, with its garden and interiors. The hotel remains subject to final confirmation, with a comparable alternative possible.

Food Between Shoots

All breakfasts and three special dinners are included in the main workshop. Other lunches and dinners are at your own expense unless specifically included. There will be time to discover places independently or share a table with fellow photographers.

Tokyo — Optional Extension

The separate $1,600 Tokyo extension includes two private-room nights at Hotel Century Southern Tower on May 27 and 28, breakfast and one group dinner. Just steps from Shinjuku Station, this familiar base gives us easy access to Tokyo’s neighborhoods and views across the city.

Shinjuku’s neon, evening street life and new and used camera shops give us plenty to explore nearby. An included breakfast buffet gives us a good start before heading out with our cameras.

InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8, our planned Yokohama base

Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Kyoto Premier, our proposed Kyoto hotel

Our planned bases in Yokohama and Kyoto. Final hotel arrangements remain subject to confirmation.

Who you'll work with

Your instructors

Steve Simon

Steve Simon is an award-winning documentary photographer and the author of five critically acclaimed books, including The Passionate Photographer, selected as one of Amazon’s “Top Ten Art and Photography Books.” He has photographed in over 40 countries on assignment, with work appearing in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Time, Mother Jones, Le Monde, Colors, Life, Harpers, Macleans, and The Walrus.

Best known for his humanistic approach, Steve’s photography explores the complexity and beauty of the human condition—capturing authentic, unscripted moments in real time. His images have been exhibited in solo shows in New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Buenos Aires, and three times at Visa Pour L’Image in Perpignan, France. An excerpt from Empty Sky, his photographic tribute to the aftermath of 9/11, was published by Life Books. The 9/11 Memorial Museum later acquired the complete set of prints for its permanent collection—recognizing the work as both witness and memorial.

A passionate educator, Steve has taught at the International Center of Photography (ICP) and the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, and continues to lead workshops around the world. He is currently working on two new books—one on the art of photographic critique, and another exploring the American political convention.

Soichi Hayashi

Born in 1973, Soichi Hayashi is a freelance photographer and director based in Tokyo. After serving as a creative director for the ad agency, he became independent in photography business. For many years he has been privileged to work alongside the world’s finest photographers with their diverse backgrounds and genres, infusing him with the ability to capture evocative imagery from both a creative and technical perspective.

His photographic interest began early, influenced and nurtured by his father and grandfather – both professional photographers. His skills allow him to shoot nearly any subject whether on location or in the studio but his longstanding passion lies in natural landscape. He travels the world and is available for assignments.

Pricing

Your $8,000 USD main-workshop tuition covers nine days and eight nights, including private accommodation, all breakfasts, three special dinners, instruction with Steve Simon and Soichi Hayashi, group outings and scheduled workshop activities. Pre- and post-workshop online group sessions are included.

A $500 USD deposit secures your place. The remaining balance is due February 18, 2027, 90 days before the workshop begins. The optional two-day Tokyo extension is separate: $1,600 USD, including the return journey from Kyoto.

Tuition

$8,000.00 USD

Deposit: $500.00 USD secures your place
Balance due: February 18, 2027
Group size: Limited to 8 photographers

The remaining balance may be paid by bank transfer, wire, ACH, or credit card (3% processing fee applies to credit card payments).

What's included

Eight nights of private accommodation during the main workshop
All breakfasts during the main workshop
Three special dinners during the main workshop
Scheduled local transportation during the main workshop
Bullet train journey to Kyoto
Photographic instruction with Steve Simon and Soichi Hayashi
Group outings and scheduled workshop activities
Lectures, assignments, editing and constructive critiques
Photography-driven district maps and local guidance from Soichi
Pre-workshop online group meeting and lecture
Post-workshop online critique of a refined sequence of your photographs
On-the-ground support throughout the workshop

Our goal is to provide a seamless, supportive experience so you can stay focused on making your strongest work.

Final main-workshop hotel and transportation arrangements will be shared as the itinerary is confirmed. Sumo arena tickets and special Kyoto portrait/access arrangements are not yet guaranteed.

Hotel Century Southern Tower for the optional Tokyo extension

Optional Two-Day Tokyo Extension · $1,600

Shooting: May 28–29, 2027 • Hotel nights: May 27 & 28

Continue in Tokyo with two days of structured street photography, curated neighborhoods and instruction with Steve and Soichi. We’ll work with the city’s complex, layered scenes and give you more time to refine your photographs.

The $1,600 USD fee includes the return journey from Kyoto, two private-room nights at Hotel Century Southern Tower on May 27 and 28, breakfast and one group dinner. The extension is not included in the $8,000 main-workshop tuition.

We return from Kyoto after the main workshop’s May 27 check-out, with two shooting days in Tokyo on May 28 and 29. Final transfer timings will be shared before the trip. Contact us if you would like to join the extension.

Ask about the Tokyo extension

Not included

International flights; Transportation from the airport to our first hotel; Meals other than the main-workshop breakfasts and three special dinners; Travel and medical insurance (strongly recommended); Camera equipment and personal expenses; The optional Tokyo extension, available separately for $1,600 USD.

Before you reserve

Deposit & Cancellation Policy

A $500 USD non-refundable deposit secures your place. The remaining balance is due February 18, 2027, 90 days before the workshop begins.

If PhotoEducate or The Passionate Photographer Inc. cancels the workshop, all payments, including the deposit, will be refunded.

If you withdraw more than 90 days before the workshop begins, tuition paid beyond the deposit will be refunded once we receive your cancellation in writing.

If you withdraw less than 90 days before the workshop, a refund is possible only if we can fill your place. If the place is filled, tuition paid beyond the deposit will be returned. If your place cannot be filled, tuition cannot be refunded or credited.

PhotoEducate and The Passionate Photographer Inc. cannot offer refunds or credits for medical emergencies, travel delays, family emergencies, weather, transportation disruptions, political events, illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

A Note on Travel & Medical Insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that includes international medical coverage, trip cancellation protection for the workshop fee, travel delays, lost luggage, emergency evacuation, and coverage for pre-existing medical conditions when available. We also recommend coverage for your camera equipment.

Participants are responsible for understanding their policy’s terms, exclusions and limits. Many policies require particular coverage to be purchased within a set period after your initial trip payment. Your coverage should reflect the full prepaid workshop cost.

We recommend www.squaremouth.com as one resource for comparing travel and medical insurance policies. Review the terms carefully before purchasing.

Videos

The bullet-train journey to Kyoto. Mt. Fuji visibility depends on weather and conditions.

A look at photography in Japan from a previous trip.

Testimonials

From Steve’s Previous Workshops

“What a fabulous experience. I learned more about photography in one week than I had in 5 years. Steve is very knowledgable about the technical side as well as composition. He is very patient, gives excellent feedback and will work one on one with you on any photography subject you want. I asked him for help on night photography and at 10 PM he was out on the streets of Havana with me with step by step instructions on how to take the shot. 5 star plus rating!!”
Gary Niederpruem, Chicago

“Best workshop I’ve ever taken! Steve is not only a great photographer, he is also a terrific teacher. He is patient and very hands- on. In some workshops the instructor sends students out to shoot after a short lecture–Steve goes out with his students, coaching them throughout the process. His course is well organized and covers diverse topics. He is funny and engaging and generous with his time and knowledge. I had SO MUCH fun and am ready to sign up for the next one. Highly recommended!”
Anna Blanco, New York City

“My week in Steve’s Street Shooting workshop challenged me tremendously. There’s nothing like taking your work apart and putting it back together with new vision to make you a better photographer. If you take this workshop, I guarantee you will see the world differently at the end.”
Anne Dunford, Ithaca, New York

“Steve’s passion for photography is contagious and his teaching abilities and knowledge extraordinary! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in photography.”
Paul Lavergne, San Juan, PR

“Participating in the NYC Street Photography Workshop was an enriching and exhilarating experience. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to improve my skills. Steve’s curriculum and hands on approach offered me an opportunity to learn new techniques, add some creativity and visualize subject matter from another perspective. Each day presented abundant photo opportunities, resulting with the capture of some amazing images, exceeding my greatest expectations.”
Chapman Solomon, Mountain View, CA

“Not only is Steve a great photographer, he is also a caring, compassionate person as well. He is constantly trying to help participants achieve their photographic goals in a gentle, caring, and sincere manner. The critiques of my work were very helpful. Steve was right-on in terms of his suggestions to better my work. The totality of the workshop was terrific, primarily because the parts were all excellent as well. Choice of shooting locations, image reviews, suggestions, videos shown, and galleries visited were all great. Steve also promoted wonderful interactions among the participants. The venue was perfect for the workshop. We could spread out, leave your things there, use the facilities, and eat the goodies provided. You know you’re in good hands with Steve! An outstanding workshop!!”
Stephen Sholl, New York City

“This is an outstanding workshop, led by a world-class photographer. It is impossible to spend time in a room with Steve Simon and not be inspired to get out there and make great images …I had high expectations and you exceeded them…Steve is very personable, articulate and passionate about photography, very welcoming with a warm, engaging personality. Steve’s style is outstanding. I knew of Steve from the TWiP podcast and would have attended if he was talking about how to watch paint dry…”
Steve Lavelle, London

“I just spent the last three days with Steve Simon, What a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, every presentation not only had spectacular photography but also the perfect music to enhance the mood, a roller coaster of emotions. He cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless; his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days.”
Oscar Piñeyro, Dallas