Alright all you photographers, this might be your chance to take a historical, never-before seen shot of Mt. Fuji taken 261km (162mi) away in Kyoto.  Although it was calculated to be possible by a geography teacher at Tsukuba University High School, Hiroshi Tashiro, it’s certain to be easier said than done.

Dr. Tashiro claims to have taken all geological and geomatic factors into account such as curvature of the Earth, mountain locations and shapes, and atmospheric refraction.  As a result he believes that with the right conditions such as a clear sky and no interfering foliage, you could successfully take a photo of Mt. Fuji from Kyoto.

To do this you must first find the Shirakura Mountain group which is located in Shiga.  Then if you head down to the Southwest tip of the Southern Mountain you will have technically entered Kyoto.

From here you just have to find that sweet spot that threads a line of sight between Mt Aragamine, Mt. Jatoge, Mt. Nitta, and Mt. Tekari, and is just to the North of the Suzuka Mountain Range.

If you do pull it off, before you go bragging, you’ll have to remember that this wouldn’t be the farthest west photo taken of Mount Fuji. That honor is held by a place in Wakayama Prefecture where you can snap Mt. Fuji from across the water at a distance of 322km (200mi).

According to Mr. Tashiro, the significance is that this shot “would be nearly due west of Mt. Fuji.” It would also be the first photo of Japan’s most iconic mountain from arguably Japan’s most iconic region.

Keep that in mind. Because if you actually can see Mt. Fuji from there, it likely won’t be as majestic as you might hope.  According to Mr. Tashiro’s computer simulation done on Kashmir 3D,you will probably just barely see the summit peaking over other mountains.

So while it probably won’t be a glamor shot, if you’re into camping, hiking and photography, it could be a fun quest to take the first ever photo of Fuji from Kyoto.

Source: Dr. Tashiro’s Homepage via Kyoto Shinbun (Japanese)
*Dr. Tashiro’s Homepage is available in English but is translated by computer and may be hard to read.

▼ A topographic map of the area.

▼ Some simulated views at the likely spot. One obstructed.

▼ One with transparent mountains.

▼ And one with high contrast.

▼ Dr. Tashiro’s coordinates on Google Maps (the relevant mountains aren’t labeled).


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