two boats in Tohoku, Japan

Michael Yamashita

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Icons
Shangri La
Marco Polo
The Great Wall
Zheng He
Japan: the Soul of a Nation
Mekong
Video
Fine Art
Biography

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This windswept dune was known as the Sands That Sing to travellers like Marco Polo: “… when one of them chances to lag behind […] when he tries to gain his company again he will hear spirits talking and will suppose them to be his comrades, […] and thus shall a traveller oft times be led astray so that he never finds his party. And in this way, many have perished.” The Travels of Marco Polo, Vol 1 Bk 1, Ch 39 Taklimakan Desert, Gansu, China
Sunset illuminates the 12th century Jame (Friday) Mosque, known for its striking blue Persian tile work. Yzad, Iran
aerial view of a geothermic pond in Yellowstone Park
A bridge leading to a mist-veiled Castle in Matsumoto, one of the best preserved fortress from the samurai's reign.
woman with black and red masks
Sadhu holy man with yellow turban and white beard in Jujarat, India
Music lesson for Labrang's monks using the traditional 13-foot horns.
high peaks of mountains with ice
Crystal pools glisten among drifts of mist and legend.
The Great Wall of China.
Children peer from intricately decorated windows, framed by traditional Tibetan architecture
peaks of the Wulingyuan National Forest park in China
woman in snow with a cuddle of yak
people celebrating for the moon festival at Ganden Dhundupling Monastery
two boats in Tohoku, Japan
rainbow over stupas
Temple spires silhouetted in Bagan
Horses in snow in Hokkaido by Michael Yamashita
A haphazard flourish of hardy plants caps a broken tree trunk submerged in Panda Lake. Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, China.
Tianzi Mountain area in rain and dense fog
meander of a river around a mountain
three policemen in a yellow car of police
camouflaged south korean soldier
South Korean soldier scanning for infiltrators from North Korea
children playing in the murky waters of the Mekong
A snow storm in a street, near Kashgar
tibetan modern monks at the monastery
A Beijing Opera actress powders up before applying her make-up
Tajik children review tattered class notes before school
men and a child praying in a mosque
in a blizzard monks await the start of morning prayers in Labrang Monastery, Tibet.
Daichi-ji
carps in a garden pond in japan
autumn leaves next to the great wall of Badaling
man walking on golden dunes of the desert
Meili Snow Moutains, Kawagebo
prayers colored flags for the new moon festival at Ganden Dhundupling Monastery
yellow spruces in Tibet
trees in snow in Trangdalen, Norway

Shangri La

Yamashita Shangrila Book Cover
Tibetan girls decked in festival finery, turquoise, coral, and silver.
monk preparing yak butter tea with a big cauldron
pickers of tea leaves in shangri la
man walking on the street with his sow and family
tea leaves in baskets drying outside of an old factory while a children plays
men working for puher tea
Children from intricately decorated windows, framed by traditional Tibetan architecture
an old woman pouring yak butter tea to an old man in a bar in Tibet
Nuns study scriptures on handmade books at a nunnery in Gandze
Shechen monks record an event with cameras and videocameras
two men in costumes fighting each other
prayer colored flags near a building on a hill
monks and a woman chatting near a long row of motorcycles
A mani prayer stone sits on the shore of Lhamo Latso lake
young monks soaking in the Rombatsa Hot
Lhasa's Potala Palace hovering above the marsh in the foreground.
Yi wome prepare a meal at the fireplace in their village
The city of Lhasa at dusk
view of the terrace rice fields and misted peaks through a tibetan window
women picking up barley by hand
old chinese woman laughing
chinese men sitting on a bench chatting
Tibetan prayer flags on the lake near the Songzanlin Monastery
Buddhist monks of the yellow hat sect
A villager walks past bronze prayer wheels lining a wall while snowing
Guests at the Songtsam Tacheng lodge dining
A white yak follows its owner along a street in Shangri-La
village in a valley of the Yunnan province and a blossom cherry tree
yunnan mountains with a long road
woman picking by hand tea leaves
tea leaves in baskets drying outside of an old factory while a children plays
Workers at a tea factory in Yiwu
A Tibetan Buddhist monk heading to Litang monastery
man pouring tea to an old lady in a tibetan monastery
tibetan nomad and his horse
Members of a nomad family weather a sudden storm outside their yak-wool tent
A young boy drinks yak milk near to his elder sister
yak herds in may snow in Tibet
a nomad pushing her cart
At Shechen monastery in Sichuan Province, monks mix tea into tsampa, roasted barley flour, to make a meal
monks cooking in tibetan monastery
an actor portrays the legendary Tibetan warrior King Gesar at a festival at Shechen monastery
monks wash in a hot spring.
tibetan narrow street across the snow mountains
motorcycle in a tibetan street
men weighting the worm grass in the street
horse race in Tibet
buddhist pilgrims prostate themselves on their way to Lhasa
A waitress pouring tea
The Potala Palace in Tibet

Marco Polo

Yamashita Marco Polo Book Cover
Piazza San Marco in Venice with the shadow of the grand princess appearing
A deserted St. Mark's Square
A wedding in Jundian: flakes of shaving foam rain down on the newlyweds.
The double dome in Baghdad
men sitting in a traditional communal house built from lake reeds north of Basra
Sunset inflames the crescent symbol atop the dome of the Jame Masjid.
Bam's walls
woman and her daughter near a creek in a desert area
Traditional fishing in the Strait of Hormuz
Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir, leads his officers in evening prayer.
Completely veiled by her burkha, a woman takes her children
men eparating the seed from the chaff
A child sleeps in a hammock
horses near a river with snow mountain on the background
man on a donkey followed by camel in a snowy weather
Tajik children wait for their lessons to start.
Tajik Children out of an elementary school
a cart with horse in a street in China
two chinese men bargain
a woman spinning silk using an old, large spinning wheel
A chinese falconer with his falcon
Sandstorm in Gansu, China.
Reclining Buddha in Mogao Caves
men breaking a colt grabbing his tail in desert
Sunset in Suzhou on the Grand Canal alight
a woman posing in front of a giant statue of a Buddha
Woman and girl harvesting pekoe, the tender tea leaves, in Yunnan
two old chinese women with binded feet
Bai women transplant rice for one of the annual harvests
woman with a basket on her back
a girl who is sifting rice
monks on the stairs of a monastery
monks using the traditional 13-foot horns
tibetan pilgrim
Groups of fishing boats dot the placid waters of Halong Bay
A smiling fisherman in Da Nang on the Vietnamese coast.
Squid are prepared for drying,
fisherman on stilts in the sea
a boat in a crystalline beach of Philippines
woman picking by hand tea leaves in Sri Lanka
Indian men pull in fishing nets
men cleaning nets
Traditional Indian fishing boat on a wave
offerings to sacred bull Nandi
man with a red veil smoking
Freshly-dyed cotton is laid out to dry in a field in Gujarat
Palazzo San Giorgio in Genoa

The Great Wall

Yamashita Great Wall book cover
a man starts work on a Great Wall billboard in the desert near Dunhuang
A Bactrian camel takes a break from plowing beside remains of the Han Wall, built to protect the trade corridor
Fisherman slips into a wet suit
Two sections of Ming Wall
A marathon runner taking breath on the great wall
woman with his dogs at the Huaibei International ski resort in the Jiugukou natural scenic area
the great wall at sunset
The Jinshanling Wall
man with a red flag at the Simitai wall
chinese singers in an opera troupe wait to perform
smokestacks power station in inner Mongolia
a cowboy rounds up horses Sitting tall in a Mongolian saddle
a woman spread out to dry in the sunnewly harvested red chili peppers
children play follow the leader
chinese bride and groom on wedding day
The remains of the gates to the walled city of Deshengbu
chinese men plowing a field
chinese man and women in front of their house
a farmer unrolls insulation mats on the roof of a hothouse
The shell of a Han Wall beacon tower stands in relief against the sand dunes
children jumping on the fire at the end of new years celebration
sheep crossing a wall in the desert
man working with hammers
workers make bricks

Zheng He

Yamashita Zheng He book cover
Sanjeeda, one of the last great sailing dhows, sails into the sunset off the Swahili coast.
The Sanjeeda makes landfall at Lamu Island, Kenya.
the terraced rice paddies of the landlocked province of Yunnan
Rice planters working
A worker trims a gian pot.
Sunset reflected in oyster beds off Xiamen
fish market in asia
the forbidden city in Beijin covered in snow
boy fixing nets on the beach
Marigolds
Water buffalo surfing, Mekong Delta.
Floating fish farmers anchor along the shores of the great lake Tonle Sap
Dawn over the Grand Mosque. Brunei.
Women worshipers, in snow-white tudong
men and a child praying in a mosque
sail ship in south Asia
woman with red dresses dancing for wedding celebrations
steam of sulfur from a volcano
miner with baskets on his shoulder full of sulfur
cock battle
procession of penitents with skin punctured with fishhooks
man on his hands and knees with spike though his cheeks
Fishermen and their boats on Negombo Beach in Sri Lanka
actor of Kathakali drama of Kerala
faded mural of Zheng He
fishermen clean their nets on Somatheeram Beach
Sailors clean the hull of a dhow in Sur.
boats
landscape of Sana'a
veiled women in Yemen
cost of Pate Island with palm trees
Young muslim girl in the traditional buibui
Young muslim girl in the traditional buibui
skyline of Lamu from the sea
crumbling building in Zanzibar with paintings leaning against his walls
fishing boat in the northeast cost of Zanzibar

Japan: the Soul of a Nation

Yamashita Japan Soul of a Nation Book Cover
Night view of the giant vermillion
Three geisha in exquisite kimono dance at a party
a japanese bride wearing the elaborate kimono and headpiece for the Shinto ceremony
Noh mask
man cleaning a room in a japanese inn with garden outside
man watering a japanese garden
A Japanese family meet a robot
a japanese family posing in space suits
old woman walking on a snowy street with a cane
fisher and oyster beds in the Amakusa islands
Colorful Japanese paper umbrellas of Kyoto
man taking care of a bonsai
A young woman practices the tea ceremony at Yabunouchi Tea School in Kyoto
a japanese garden with rocks and sand
man working on gravel in a Japanese garden
Wooden geta, or slippers, lined up outside the Tawaraya Inn in Kyoto
a woman bows to greet guests at a japanese inn
people bathing at Takaragawa Onsen
colored carps in a pond of a japanese garden
Yabusame or horseback archery
Draft Horse Racing
Inside Osaka International Airport
building in shape of King Kong in Japan
Japanese Shinto ceremony
hothouse of rice in Japan
japanese woman in kimono holding a fan dancing in a park with people having a picnic

Mekong

Yamashita Mekong Book cover
tibetan plateau with a lobe
A Tibetan family in front of their yak-skin tent house while raining
Woman milking a yak
tibetan woman making tea
children smiling on the book in a classroom
green rice terraces near Mekong river
silhouette of man crossing gorge
woman in traditional clothes
Man dives off a pier
Cormorant fishermen on Erhai Lake
boys on a paddle playing polluted waters
man smokes opium
Young monks share a communal breakfast
girls prospecting for gold along the banks of the Mekong
fisherman at Khone Falls laos cambodia
A man walks in the flood-swollen Mekong to fill his irrigation buckets
men working on a scaffolding in Angkor Wat
buddha statues in Angkor Wat
men competing in a pirogue races on Mekong River
Barrage nets strung across the Tonle Sap Lake
men with amputated legs playing cards
train overloaded with people on the top
aerial view of the canals of the Mekong Delta at the floating market
fish farming in the home
man with heated cups on his back
women selling and buying flowers in Vietnam
children on a monkey bridge in Vietnam
In the dawn haze, two women go to market in Camau, southern Vietnam.

Video

Fine Art

This windswept dune was known as the Sands That Sing to travellers like Marco Polo: “… when one of them chances to lag behind […] when he tries to gain his company again he will hear spirits talking and will suppose them to be his comrades, […] and thus shall a traveller oft times be led astray so that he never finds his party. And in this way, many have perished.” The Travels of Marco Polo, Vol 1 Bk 1, Ch 39 Taklimakan Desert, Gansu, China
Sunset illuminates the 12th century Jame (Friday) Mosque, known for its striking blue Persian tile work. Yzad, Iran
aerial view of a geothermic pond in Yellowstone Park
A bridge leading to a mist-veiled Castle in Matsumoto, one of the best preserved fortress from the samurai's reign.
woman with black and red masks
Sadhu holy man with yellow turban and white beard in Jujarat, India
Music lesson for Labrang's monks using the traditional 13-foot horns.
high peaks of mountains with ice
Crystal pools glisten among drifts of mist and legend.
The Great Wall of China.
Children peer from intricately decorated windows, framed by traditional Tibetan architecture
peaks of the Wulingyuan National Forest park in China
woman in snow with a cuddle of yak
people celebrating for the moon festival at Ganden Dhundupling Monastery
two boats in Tohoku, Japan
rainbow over stupas
Temple spires silhouetted in Bagan
Horses in snow in Hokkaido by Michael Yamashita
A haphazard flourish of hardy plants caps a broken tree trunk submerged in Panda Lake. Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, China.
Tianzi Mountain area in rain and dense fog
meander of a river around a mountain
three policemen in a yellow car of police
camouflaged south korean soldier
South Korean soldier scanning for infiltrators from North Korea
children playing in the murky waters of the Mekong
A snow storm in a street, near Kashgar
tibetan modern monks at the monastery
A Beijing Opera actress powders up before applying her make-up
Tajik children review tattered class notes before school
men and a child praying in a mosque
in a blizzard monks await the start of morning prayers in Labrang Monastery, Tibet.
Daichi-ji
carps in a garden pond in japan
autumn leaves next to the great wall of Badaling
man walking on golden dunes of the desert
Meili Snow Moutains, Kawagebo
prayers colored flags for the new moon festival at Ganden Dhundupling Monastery
yellow spruces in Tibet
trees in snow in Trangdalen, Norway

Are you interested in a collaboration with Michael Yamashita? Contact us.

Biography

Photographer Michael Yamashita has been shooting for the National Geographic magazine for over 30 years, combining his dual passions of photography and travel. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in Asian studies, he spent seven years in Asia, which became his photographic area of specialty. Upon returning to the US, Yamashita began shooting for the National Geographic as well as other American and international magazines and clients.

In addition to Yamashita’s focus on Asia, his work has taken him to six continents. As a third-generation Japanese-American, he is fluent in Japanese, and has covered the length of Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Yamashita’s particular specialty is in retracing the paths of famous travelers, resulting in stories on Marco Polo, the Japanese poet Basho, and the Chinese explorer Zheng He.

His feature documentary, The Ghost Fleet, inspired by his National Geographic story about the 15th-century Admiral, won the Best Historical Documentary prize at the New York International Independent Film Festival and his National Geographic Channel documentary, Marco Polo: The China Mystery Revealed, based on his three-part magazine story, received two Asian Television and Film Awards. It was also included in the top twenty most popular NG Channel documentaries of the decade.

A frequent keynote speaker for corporations and foundations, as well as a lecturer and teacher at schools and workshops around the world, Yamashita has received numerous industry awards, including those from the Pictures of the Year, Photo District News, the New York Art Directors Club, and the Asian-American Journalists Association.

Major exhibits of his work have opened throughout Asia, in Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Taipei and Singapore, as well as in Rome, Venice, Frankfurt, and Perpignan, France. His work has been exhibited at galleries in Los Angeles and at the National Gallery in Washington, DC.

Yamashita has published eleven books (most inspired by his 30 National Geographic stories): The Silk Road Journey; 88 - The China Collection; Shangri-La: Along the Tea Road to Lhasa; The Great Wall From Beginning to End; New York: Flying High, an aerial portrait of Manhattan; Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China’s Greatest Explorer; Japan: The Soul of a Nation; Marco Polo, A Photographer’s Journey; Mekong: A Journey on the Mother of Waters; In the Japanese Garden; A Pictorial Tribute to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; Lakes, Peaks and Prairies: Discovering the U.S. Canadian Border.

While not traveling, Michael Yamashita lives with his family in rural New Jersey, where he maintains a studio and is an active volunteer fireman.