I am currently scouting in the Japan backcountry highlands for my 2022 October 18-29, The Essence of Autumn Cross Country Journey - Japan Photography Exploration with me Blain in Japan and JapanDreamscapes.

Unfortunately, I had to postpone this Japan photography workshop in 2021 due to social distancing/c-19. But this opportunity has given me the chance to double and triple check a few back roads. With over two decades of experience exploring Japan, my recommendation is if you are thinking about participating in a photography tour/expedition anywhere in the world that your workshop leader has spent at least two to five years scouting the region you wish to visit and is a competent leader. I think back to 2011 and the Fukushima fiasco; thankfully, I was not with clients in Fukushima at the time, but I was on assignment in the region, and it got extended for several weeks. I recall one evening enjoying dinner at a local Japanese Ryokan after enjoying the healing properties of the local hot springs. And for some reason, in the dining hall, a TV was on. You could have blown me over with a feather when they announced hundreds of thousands of visitors to Japan, including international employees, English teachers, and even some locals, were panic evacuating from Tokyo Haneda international and domestic Airport, and Chiba Narita International and domestic Airport. Wow, I thought this is serious! I finished my dinner with a generous helping of Sake, and I doubled my dose of potassium iodide and returned to the Onsen. A week later, I returned to my home just outside of Tokyo, where I fed my family potassium iodide for two years, then relocated my main residence to Niigata.