Commercial Photography & Photo Production in Tokyo, Japan
We work with Japan's best photographers, as well as providing production services for international photographers and agencies coming into Japan to shoot.
Alphabet Productions is a bilingual photography production company based in Tokyo. We produce commercial photography projects across Japan for international brands, agencies and magazines. We produce advertising shoots for automotive products, hotels, sports, beauty, corporate, and editorial clients.
We provide crew, casting, locations, permits, studios, equipment and retouching services. Having worked overseas for many years in the UK, as well as shooting across the United States, around Europe, and around the world, we understand and bring the highest of international standards to our shoots.
Clients include CooperVision, Mizuno, Shiseido, Audi, BMW Japan, Citroën, Red Bull, Databricks, Komatsu, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Seasons Niseko, Oakwood and Kamo Residences Kyoto, with editorial work for Harper's Bazaar and Qantas magazine.
Planning a shoot? Email info@alphabetproductions.co.jp or call +81 90 6744 4286.
Selected commercial photography in Japan
Mizuno — Running Campaign Photography, Japan
Sports · Japan. Running shoe campaign with elite Japanese and Kenyan runners, for London agency Motus.
CooperVision MyDay — Advertising Photography, Tokyo
Advertising · Tokyo. Campaign key visuals for CooperVision MyDay across Asia Pacific, for Dentsu Creative Singapore.
Twenty Hall - Luxury Property Photography, Sydney
Property · Bondi, Sydney. A lifestyle campaign for brochures, outdoor advertising, the website and display suite.
Oakwood Azabu - Serviced Apartment Photography, Tokyo
Hospitality · Tokyo. Lifestyle stills for Oakwood's serviced apartments in Azabu, shot alongside the brand film.
Yuzen - Beauty Brand Launch Photography, Shonan
Beauty · Shonan. Launch photography at a scouted seaside house studio on the Shonan coast, near Tokyo.
Kamo Residences — Luxury Property Photography, Kyoto
Property · Kyoto. Lifestyle and architecture photography, shot at the peak of cherry blossom.
Audi R8 - Car Photography, Tokyo
Automotive · Tokyo. Social media photography of the Audi R8 on location in Tokyo at cherry blossom.
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto - Wedding Venue Photography
Hotel · Kyoto. Wedding venue photography for international wedding planner Madeline Hecht.
Seasons Niseko - Resort Photography, Hokkaido
Resort · Niseko. Winter, summer and autumn photography for a private luxury property.
BMW Japan - Night Car Photography, Tokyo
Automotive · Tokyo & Kawasaki. A one-night car photography and social film shoot for BMW Japan.
Shiseido EFFECTIM - Beauty Still Life Photography, Tokyo
Beauty · Tokyo. Still life and hand-model photography for the launch of Shiseido's EFFECTIM.
Citroën - Car Photography on City Streets
Automotive. A blue hatchback on city streets, under an elevated highway and on a waterfront road at sunset.
Red Bull - Big-Wave Surf Photography, Australia
Sport · Australia. Athlete portraits of Red Bull's big-wave surfers, shot on location.
Harper's Bazaar - Beauty Editorial Photography
Beauty editorial · Studio. Close-up beauty portraits on dark and white backdrops for Harper's Bazaar.
Takeshi Inoue - Boxing Promotion Photography, Tokyo
Sport · Tokyo. Fight promotion portraits of the boxer ahead of his bout with Australia's Tim Tszyu.
Databricks Japan - Corporate Portrait Photography, Tokyo
Corporate · Tokyo. Workplace portraits for the website and recruitment — a global brand look, localised for Tokyo.
Celine - Musician Portrait Photography
Portrait · Recording studio. Portraits of the musician Celine with her acoustic guitar and at the mixing desk.
NUTRILITE PHYTO CAFE - Food & Drink Photography, Yokohama
Food & drink · Yokohama. Food and drink photography for the café, for agency Mozmene.
Sumo - Stable Photo Story for Qantas Magazine
Editorial · Japan. A photo story inside a sumo stable, shot during morning practice, for Qantas magazine.
Komatsu HM460 - Industrial Photography, Oita
Industrial · Oita. Komatsu's HM460 articulated dump truck, photographed at its test site.
Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay - Restaurant & Chef Photography
Hotel dining · Tokyo Bay. Chef portraits and food photography for Sushi Ema and Teppanyaki Fukitei.
Japan's best photographers for your brief
Japan has extraordinary photographic talent, and much of it is hard to find from overseas. We know these photographers and their work, and we know who suits a beauty campaign, a car, an athlete or a hotel.
For each project we put forward a shortlist of photographers with their portfolios, and you choose. For CooperVision's MyDay campaign we presented several of Japan's leading advertising photographers to Dentsu Creative in Singapore. The client chose Satoshi Minakawa, and we produced the shoot in a Tokyo studio. Read the CooperVision MyDay case study.
Some of the photographers we work with speak English as well as Japanese. For those who don't, our bilingual producers handle every conversation, before the shoot and on set, so language is never a barrier.
Photography production in Japan for visiting photographers
Many of the world's best photographers come to Japan to shoot, and they need a production partner who knows how things work here. We support photographers, their agents and their producers from the first enquiry to the final files.
We provide bilingual producers and coordinators, photo assistants, digital operators working in Capture One, lighting, stylists, hair and make-up artists, set designers and retouchers. We cast with Japan's leading model agencies, for both Japanese and international models, and negotiate usage on your behalf. We scout and permit locations, book studios and location houses, rent equipment, and arrange transport and accommodation across the country.
If your client or agency cannot travel, we set up a live Capture One feed and a video call, so approvals happen as the pictures are made. For the full list of what we handle on the ground, see our production services and support in Japan.
Advertising and commercial photography we produce
Advertising and campaign photography
Key visuals and campaign images for brands and their agencies. For CooperVision and Dentsu Creative Singapore we produced the MyDay key visuals that ran across Asia Pacific. For Mizuno and London agency Motus we produced running campaign photography with elite Japanese and Kenyan athletes. For beauty brand Yuzen we scouted a seaside house on the Shonan coast for its launch images.
Automotive photography
Cars on location in Japan, by day and at night. We have photographed the Audi R8 under cherry blossom in Tokyo for Audi Japan, a BMW roadster after dark across Tokyo and Kawasaki for BMW Japan, and Citroën on city streets.
Beauty and product photography
Still life, hand-model and beauty work in the studio. For the launch of Shiseido's EFFECTIM we produced a two-day still life shoot in Tokyo: see the Shiseido EFFECTIM case study. Our beauty editorial work includes a story for Harper's Bazaar.
Hotel, resort and food photography
Interiors, architecture, lifestyle and food for hotels and hospitality brands: Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Seasons Niseko in Hokkaido, Kamo Residences Kyoto, Oakwood in Azabu, Tokyo, and NUTRILITE PHYTO CAFE in Yokohama. Overseas, we shot the lifestyle campaign for Twenty Hall, a luxury apartment development in Bondi, Sydney. There is more on our hotel video production and hotel photography in Japan page, and in the Seasons Niseko resort photography case study.
Corporate and industrial photography
Workplace portraits, executive portraits and industrial subjects. For Databricks' global brand team we photographed the Japan team in its Tokyo office. For Komatsu we photographed the HM460 dump truck at its test site in Oita: see the Komatsu case study. For more, see corporate video production and corporate photography in Tokyo.
Editorial photography
Magazine stories and portraits, including a photo story inside a sumo stable for Qantas magazine and beauty editorial for Harper's Bazaar.
Sport and portrait photography
Athletes and personalities, in the studio and where they train. Work includes Mizuno's runners trackside, boxer Takeshi Inoue at his Tokyo gym for promoter No Limit Boxing, Red Bull's big-wave surfers in Australia, and a studio portrait session with the musician Celine.
Photography and film from one shoot
Many clients need stills and video together. Because we are a film and video production company as well, one team can plan both, share the lighting, the cast and the locations, and deliver images and films that belong to the same campaign. We did this for CooperVision, Kamo Residences Kyoto, Seasons Niseko, Oakwood and BMW Japan. See our brand films, commercials and social content in Tokyo and Japan.
Photo shoots across Japan
We are based in Tokyo and produce photography throughout the country: studios and streets in Tokyo, temples and gardens in Kyoto, the Shonan coast and Yokohama, the ski resorts of Niseko in Hokkaido, and industrial sites in Kyushu. Our producers and location scouts know where to go, who to ask and how long permission takes.
Planning a shoot? Email info@alphabetproductions.co.jp or call +81 90 6744 4286. You can also read what our clients say.
Photography production in Japan: questions we are asked
Can you recommend a photographer in Japan for our campaign?
Yes. Tell us about the brief and we will send a shortlist of photographers based in Japan, with portfolios and availability. We work with Japan's best photographers across advertising, automotive, beauty, sport, hotels and editorial, and you make the final choice.
We are bringing our own photographer. What can you provide?
Everything around them. We provide the producer, photo assistants, a digital operator, lighting and equipment, stylists, hair and make-up, casting, locations, permits, studios, transport and accommodation. Your photographer arrives and shoots, and we run the production.
Do you support fashion and editorial shoots, including styling and casting?
Yes. We work with leading stylists, hair and make-up artists and models in Japan, many with experience in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris. We provide art direction, casting, wardrobe and styling for international clients shooting in Japan.
Can you provide bilingual, English-speaking crew and producers for photo shoots?
Yes. Our producers and coordinators are bilingual in English and Japanese, and many of the crew we suggest have worked internationally. Where a crew member is more comfortable in Japanese, our producers translate, so communication on set is smooth.
Do you handle casting and model usage rights?
Yes. We cast through Japan's leading model agencies, for Japanese and international models. We present options, negotiate usage terms and fees with the agencies, and make sure the rights match where and how long the images will run.
Can you help with location scouting and studio rental in Japan?
Yes. We keep a library of scouted locations and add to it constantly, and for most jobs we send a scout to find the right place for the brief. We also book studios, houses and private locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and across Japan. See our production services and support page.
Do we need permission to shoot photographs on location in Japan?
Often, yes. Streets, parks, stations, temples and private property each have their own rules and their own lead times. We advise on what each location needs, make the applications in Japanese and attend the shoot with the paperwork.
What is the typical crew size for a photo shoot in Tokyo?
There isn't one. Crews run from two people to fifty, depending on the scale of the production. We tailor the crew to the brief and the budget, and we often run lean teams, which suits Japan's compact locations.
How much does a photo shoot in Japan cost?
It depends on the photographer, the number of shoot days, the cast and their usage, the locations and the amount of retouching. Send us the brief and we will reply with a clear estimate, line by line. We can invoice in JPY, USD, EUR, AUD and SGD.
Can you manage photography and video on the same shoot?
Yes. We are a film and video production company as well as a photography production company, so one team plans both. Stills and video share the cast, the locations and the lighting, and the results look like one campaign.
Can clients view and approve the shoot remotely?
Yes. We set up a live Capture One feed so clients and agencies can see each image as it is shot, with a Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call for feedback in real time. Live translation is available if needed.
Do you handle retouching and post-production for photography?
Yes. On set, our digital operator captures in Capture One, applies a working grade and exports low-resolution files for selection. We then work with leading retouchers in Japan and overseas to finish the images for social, digital, print and out-of-home.
Can you shoot behind-the-scenes or social content during the shoot?
Yes. We can add a dedicated behind-the-scenes shooter to capture material for press, social media or internal use.
Do you provide production support only, without a photographer?
Yes. We provide full production support for stills shoots in Tokyo and throughout Japan: casting, crew, location scouting, permits, transport and accommodation. See our production services and support page.
How far in advance should we book a photo shoot in Japan?
A month or more is ideal when a specific location matters, because access and permission take time in Japan. Studios and popular location houses also book up early. We can produce shoots much faster than that, and often do, but the choice of locations narrows.