Beautiful location for painting
 

Hi. I'm travelling to Japan in September / October 2016. I am an amateur painter/artist and would love to spend a week painting fantastic landscapes. Since I know nothing about the country I wonder if anyone - or many people - would suggest a good location. I don't want to travel far during that one week but am willing to go some distance to get to a good spot.. I'm happy to walk during the week between sites.. I'd like a quiet-ish place where I can sit and paint on site. I need an area that is very beautiful, has some variation in scenery, and where I can take a scene and fit it onto the canvas. A mixture of water and land is always good though beaches are often too big.. My picture needs to contain a whole feeling and site. I don't want massive wide sceneries because I can't get the essence of them into picture. Its hard to explain but its got to feel good, be interesting and beautiful.
Even if you don't get what I mean, please suggest great, beautiful places and let me know why you like them.
Thanks. Hope you can help.

Go to japan-guide.com and knock around there for ideas.

Saying you're going to Japan and you don't want to travel far during your week there WITHOUT saying where you will arrive in the country is really kind of useless.

Investigate the Fuji Five Lakes region.

And yes, Japan-Guide.com is the key website to get a feel for different regions and locations, and narrow down a shortlist.

Hakone is lovely with great vistas.

I'd also consider some temple gardens. Arashyama was our favorite.

But yes, it does depend on where you are flying in to Japan.

I am in Japan end of Sept, half of October this year. I haven't booked to fly in anywhere yet and I am able to go where I want. I am open to all suggestions of beautiful places so that I can cut down my research better. Japan-guide is fantstaic but it makes the country so much bigger! I need a year to go everywhere. I only have 3 weeks - only one focused on painting - and if you can give me your favourite beautiful spots, that will give me indications of extra special things that were personally meaningful or special. Let me give you an example of the info I'd like to receive: If you asked me about beautiful locations in Western Australia, I'd say "the south west, particularly Dunsborough because there is easy access to the coast and a variety of coastal landforms" and "Karajini national park because the rock colours and formations are fantastic and uncommon". Hope this clarifies what I'm after.

Of all the places I have been to in Japan, I found Amakusa Treasure Island (on Kyushu) to be the most beautiful. If I painted, that's where I would go. There is a rugged, beautiful coastline, and there are some small temples that could be in the foreground. Here is the website:

http://www.t-island.jp/en/

My second choice would be the Himonisaki coastline on Honshu. The coastline there is also gorgeous, and there is a historic lighthouse, and an old town there as well. All will make for a beautiful picture.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into them.