springtime Storytelling on the nakasendo trail
with Jane Evelyn Atwood
Dates: April 9th - 18th, 2024
Telling a story with pictures is just like writing with words. Something is seen, thought of, or imagined. Appropriate images are made and put together, one after another, to coherently tell the story—be it abstract, conceptual, documentary, or journalistic.
- Jane Evelyn Atwood, 2021
According to her peers, Jane Evelyn Atwood is among the most respected photographers of this generation. After her acclaimed exhibition at Ginza CHANEL in Tokyo last spring, she returns to Japan to share her wisdom and experience on visual storytelling, in a small group format, with an all new tour and workshop on the ancient Nakasendo Trail.
The trail is a historic path that connects Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and passes through traditional post towns (shukuba 宿場), treacherous mountain passes, and lush forests. Of the 69 post towns on the route, a few are particularly well-preserved and offer a glimpse into life during the Edo period, with traditional houses, temples, and shops lining the streets. The surrounding area's natural beauty makes for a perfect backdrop in an ideal time: the start of spring. A blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage, the Nakasendo Trail offers a unique opportunity to delve into the heart of Japan and begin to understand its true essence.
After meeting in Tokyo, our journey will begin with some stops along some tiny, almost abandoned post towns located in Eastern Nagano. We will then spend four nights in the Kiso Valley, near the best-preserved portion of the Nakasendo Trail. Bordered by the Central Japanese Alps to the east and the volcanic Mount Ontake to the west, Kiso Valley stretches about 70 kilometers and has 11 post towns including Magome, Tsumago, and Narai, where we will concentrate our efforts. The presence of the volcano means that there are hot springs, and we will be staying at a hot spring hotel, to help us to relax our tired feet after days spent walking and image-making.
After a guided experience exploring these post towns together, participants will be free to choose between two towns to concentrate on their image-making. Throughout this expedition, Jane will help students to dive deeply into their subjects with poetic and poignant imagery and a sensitive and compassionate touch.
We will then travel by train across Nagano Prefecture on a picturesque journey to Karuizawa, home to Nobechi Creative headquarters. It is also the home to several more post towns including: Oiwake, Karuizawa, and Kutsukake. It is also flanked by the historic Usui Pass to the East, a treacherous pass dividing the area from the Kanto Plain, and the inspirational point for many a poet, pilgrim and warrior. Karuizawa is also a modern destination that combines Japanese culture with Western lifestyle and aesthetics and is known for its many modern art galleries and museums. Here participants will concentrate on editing their work and preparing it for presentation. At the same time, we will visit many beautiful sites in the area, such as volcanic lava flows, waterfalls, ponds and streams and the traditional post-town areas.
Participants from this small group workshop will come away with a truly authentic traditional Japanese experience and a portfolio of images, as well as priceless memories of springtime in rural Japan spent with Jane and fellow participants.
Class size:
limited to 7 participants
Class level:
Intermediate-to-advanced amateurs and professional photographers
Itinerary
April 9: Meet in Tokyo, stay in Tokyo (Start of the Nakasendo Trail)
April 10, 11: Southern Kiso Valley (Nakasendo Trail),
April 12, 13: Northern Kiso Valley (Nakasendo Trail)
April 14, 15, 16, 17: Karuizawa area (Nakasendo Trail)
April 18: Return to Tokyo
*Subject to final arrangements.
Included
One night at a 4-star art hotel in Tokyo near the starting point (mile marker 0) of the Nakasendo Trail
Two nights at a brand new, contemporary Japanese-design hotel in the southern Kiso Valley
Two nights at an exclusive, high-end Japanese inn in the northern Kiso Valley
Four nights in a luxury hotel in Karuizawa (9 hotel nights total)
All domestic travel in the itinerary: bullet train, local train, rental cars, and taxis.
All admissions to sites and museums
Classroom rental fee
Four breakfasts in Kiso
Eight lunches (1 lunch bento boxes/sandwiches on your own when on the train)
Nine dinners (every dinner together)
Personalized instruction from Jane
Logistical support from Nobechi Creative
Detailed itinerary and information package on Japan and the destinations
Not Included
International airfare
Travel insurance
Alcohol
Meals not in the itinerary, snacks and sundries, etc.
meet your teacher
About Jane Evelyn Atwood
Jane in Japan, Spring 2022
Jane Evelyn Atwood was born in New York and has been living in France since 1971. Her work reflects a deep involvement with her subjects over long periods of time. Fascinated by people and by the idea of exclusion, she has managed to penetrate worlds that most of us do not know, or choose to ignore.
In 1976, Atwood bought her first camera and began taking pictures of a group of street prostitutes in Paris. It was partly on the strength of these photographs that she received the first W . Eugene Smith Award, in 1980, for another story she had just started: blind children. Prior to this, she had never published a photo.