I Asked Permission to Photograph a Stranger in Japan
Kamakura, Japan
Before I left for Japan, I wondered if it was rude to take photos of strangers in Japan. In fact, I wondered if it was rude to even ask permission. Our family now has a shared folder of 2,216 photos from our Japan trip. We definitely caught some photos of strangers. Ultimately, I asked for permission from only one of them. He was an American.
We were on the train to Kamakura, headed for the temple Kotoku-in and the Kamakura Daibutsu (the Great Buddha). A cute, blonde toddler was beside me on the seat, and his dad was pointing out things around them. I wasn’t sure if they were American, but they clearly were not Japanese. Watching them made me miss my granchildren.
The son of a Navy pilot on the train to Kamakura.
“Hello! Do you like the train?” He just looked at me.
I told his dad I thought he might want to hear some English. He said the baby doesn’t talk much yet. Dad “Skip” had been stationed at a Naval Air Station in Japan for two years. They would be returning to the States soon. He told me they’d really enjoyed their time in Japan. Before long, his wife Katie joined the conversation and I heard the story of how Skip had been deployed when she went into labor. She drove herself to the hospital in the middle of the night and it was the one and only time she made a turn into the wrong lane. Fortunately, there had been no other cars on the road.
Skip, Katie, and Harry (I hope I remember their names correctly!) They’ve been stationed in Japan for two years and are probably back in the States for their next assignment by now.
We chatted most of the way to our stop in Kamakura, and I enjoyed seeing little Harry get excited about the beach and the boats we could see flying by our train window. I asked if I could take their photo and told them about my blog. As always, I was happy when they said yes. I wouldn’t know at that point that it would be the only time I asked for permission in Japan. The rest of the time I limited my photos to people in crowded public spaces, shots from a distance, or images where faces weren’t captured. In my most recent post, I blurred the faces of two young girls on the train.
It was very tempting to capture photos of some of the stunning styles we saw on young men and women on the trains, or to take photos of adorable children. A few times I pictured myself walking up to a family and saying “Could I please take a photo of your beautiful family,” but it always felt too intrusive and I didn’t.
I loved the general style in Japan – simple, clean, tailored. I would have loved to take photos of commuters on the train, but didn’t. Besides the backgrounds we captured when we took photos of each other, we snapped people in traditional dress at tourist areas. My understanding is that Japanese tourists dress up for visits to the temples or they are celebrating an event in the family, such as a special birthday.
It is not illegal to take photos in public spaces in Japan. The Japan Society for Digital Archives provides these guidelines:
When focusing on a specific subject, avoid taking photos from the front with their face completely visible.
Avoid photos that might show the subject in a negative context.
Street photography is usually not a problem when photographing a large crowd without a specific focus on any individual.
It is also usually okay to take photos/film performances in public places.
The overall rule, that should apply everywhere in the world, is to be respectful and considerate. Here are the photos of people our group took in busy public spaces that we felt comfortable taking (with children’s faces blurred).
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More Information on Photography and Kimonos
This site has a comprehensive set of guidelines for photography in Japan.
This site says to be prepared to show your photos to police if asked. I’m relieved we didn’t run into that issue.
The kimono is worn on special occasions. This article has some great info on when and why they wear them in Japan.