Hi, I’m Yoshi, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ll be your local photographer in Kyoto.
I was born in Osaka and began my photography journey after studying photography in New York at the age of 22. With more than 20 years of experience, my work has been shaped by extensive travels across Vietnam, Thailand, India, and Latin America. These journeys deeply influenced how I see people, culture, and everyday moments, and they continue to inspire my approach to photography today.
My style focuses on capturing natural expressions of fun, joy, and happiness. I aim to photograph you as you truly are, without stiff poses or forced moments. I always take the time to understand what you are looking for, and I’m happy to follow any specific requests you may have. My priority is simple: to make sure you enjoy the experience and feel genuinely happy with your photos.
Based in Kyoto, I love helping visitors experience the city in a relaxed and meaningful way. Whether you are a solo traveler, a couple, or a family, visiting for a vacation, a special celebration, or even a surprise proposal, I’m dedicated to preserving your moments in the most authentic and beautiful way possible.
I’m friendly, easygoing, and fluent in English, Spanish, and Japanese, which helps create a smooth and comfortable experience from start to finish. Beyond photography, I have a deep love for travel, Japanese food, and growing my own vegetables, which I enjoy cooking with whenever I can.
I can’t wait to meet you in Kyoto and help you create timeless memories you’ll carry with you long after your trip ends.
What clients are saying about Taka.
Taka was very accommodating and helped pick the best spot for the proposal. Was good at communicating and planning out exactly what I wanted and was able to take great pictures of the surprise proposal and during the photoshoot afterwards. He took lots of photos and ended up giving us around 80 editted photos at the end.
We couldn't have been happier with our engagement photoshoot with Taka! He was very professional, accommodating, and communicative in the time leading up to and throughout the photoshoot. He found the perfect scenery based on what our vision was – old urban Kyoto without crowds. Throughout the session, he helped us pose and always checked in to know how we felt about each idea. Plus, Taka also made pleasant conversation, which made us feel very relaxed and at ease. We got about 80 photos in an hour of time. Overall, we really enjoyed the experience! We will cherish these photos for years to come. Thank you Taka!
Pleasure working with Taka and stunning pictures.
Taka is INCREDIBLE, 10/10 absolutely recommend. We followed his guidance on location and in retrospect we could not be happier. The photos turned out amazing and he was so kind and personable throughout the entire process. If you are in the market for engagement or family photos in Kyoto then I would absolutely recommend Taka!
I can’t recommend Taka enough he was the best person for the job. Speaks he speaks fluent English and was a great conversationalist and responds timely. He knows what he is doing when it comes to poses and made us at ease during our shoot. I chose to surprise my now fiancé and he was there and ready to go when we arrived and I was able to surprise her with the professional shoot, and the candid photos of the proposal. If you are wanting to propose in Japan, Taka is your man!
10/10, Taka was wonderful!! I would recommend booking with him. He did a wonderful job with our engagement photos at Fushimi Inari and got us the photos back so quickly and they were perfect. He is the perfect person to book for your photoshoot in Kyoto! 🙂 can’t go wrong!
10/10 – Highly recommend! Honestly, he was an incredible photographer and an all-around great guy. He went out of his way to help me plan and pull off a surprise proposal in the beautiful bamboo forest, and I couldn’t have done it without him. He was super flexible with his schedule and even made time for us when he didn’t have much availability. The whole experience was fantastic. He took so many photos in different spots, giving us a ton of options to choose from, and as someone who’d never done a photo shoot before, I really appreciated how he guided us through each shot. He showed us exactly how to pose and made sure we felt comfortable the whole time. Plus, he speaks fluent English, which made everything easy for us as non-Japanese speakers. Can’t say enough good things about him – he’s talented, dedicated, and just a genuinely solid person. If you’re considering working with him, do it. You won’t regret it!
Taka was absolutely amazing. I loved shooting with him – since I am quite camera-shy, I really appreciated his patience, his gentle suggestions and encouragements! The photos came out beautiful, I definitely recommend you give it a try, it's worth it! As a bonus, throughout the shoot, Taka shared some stories about the areas we visited, making our time together even more special.
Unforgettable photoshoot session in Kyoto’s one of the most beautiful spots! Taka was efficient and helpful in guiding the composition of all the photos. His passion for his work, eye for detail and advice made for a fun and relaxed session. The photos were sent rapidly after, and the results were outstanding! Loved all the photos! Moreover, Taka is a very kind and nice person. Thank you for capturing amazing photos and memories of my time in Kyoto!
It was a great experience to browse the area with Taka-san in Kyoto. He is very easy going and professional photographer that shared his own story and explained the culture of Kyoto. He knows the area pretty well, and photo taking in a natural style which is perfect for a family with a three year old kid. We all had fun for a 1 hour journey. All my friends loved the photos shared on social media. He replied questions promptly and being very flexible, fluent in English as well is a big plus ( two thumbs up!) and I would recommend him to someone who wants to have a different experience in such a great city!
Taka is truly a professional, a joy to work with, and easy to talk to. His patience is his strong suit. He was kind enough to accommodate us even though we were very late (the reason why our session was understandably cut short). Despite that setback, he made us all feel relaxed and made sure we had fun during the shoot. Our photos are awesome!!! This experience is a must for all Fushimi visitors. Thank you, Taka!! Arigato gozaimasu!!
