I've found that looking back at old photos that feature me, my friends, or some interesting unique person, bring back way more powerful memories of the event.

I've found that looking back at old photos that feature me, my friends, or some interesting unique person, bring back way more powerful memories of the event. For example seeing a random picture of Tokyo Tower that I took with no one recognizable in it, invokes about the same connection as a random Google Image search for Tokyo Tower. However the picture of me standing in front of it, seeing my clothes, my umbrella, and all the other details puts me right back into that day. I remember more vividly the details before the picture and after the picture as well. It took me quite a few trips to realize this, but its pretty apparent now when I find myself skipping over random scenery pictures in my albums. Sometimes it can't be helped that no one is included, but I make an effort to minimize these pictures.