After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the country clung (and/or was forced) to the idea of peace. Memorials are found all over Japan, especially in places like Hiroshima. The red torii gate, which appears to be floating on the water, at Hakone Shrine is a more subtle monument to the Treaty of Peace with Japan.

Torii of Peace 「heiwa-no-torii, 平和の鳥居」

NIKON D5200 (18mm, f/8, 1/20 sec, ISO100)
Hakone Shrine: Torii Gate on Lake Ashi (HDR Photo)

The official name for what is generally called “the torii in the water” is heiwa-no-torii, Torii of Peace.

The torii was built in 1952, one year after the peace treaty was signed. Hakone Shrine has a much longer history, being established in the mid 700s AD.

HDR Photography at Hakone Shrine

For the past few years I’ve been getting more and more into High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. While you can read and research a lot about the topic, the only real way to learn is to go out and take photos.

I spent about an hour at this spot, trying different angles, framing, exposure and aperture. I knew I got “the shot”, but it wasn’t until I processed the photos on my computer did I realise that I’d just taken my best HDR photo so far.

This photo is a combination of 13 photos, taken within my Nikon D5200 with its kit 18-55mm lens, at 18mm focal length and an aperture of f8. I always shoot HDR photos on a sturdy tripod (it’s worth lugging it around Japan) and used a wireless remote to take this set. The bracket of 13 photos are spaced 1EV apart.

14 HDR Photos of Hakone Shrine

If you’re interested in visiting the shrine, check out my Hakone Shrine Travel Guide.

The exact location of this photo is shown below.

View this location on Google Maps.