Shashinjutsu Japan

Hi Folks;
We're about to set out on a trip of a lifetime, taking my family for 10 days in Japan. Our itinerary includes Tokyo, Hokone (Mount Fuji), Kyoto and Osaka. I would appreciate any suggestions for photographic opportunities along in any of these locales. I'll be leaving my medium format hardware at home and shooting mainly with my trusty Nikon N80. (with some really nice Kodachrome 25 film rescued on their way to a dumpster... don't ask. :rolleyes: )

Thanks, (domo)

The cable car between the mountains at Hakone is beautiful. The cable car at Mitaka is also nice and you can see Fuji from there. I took a picture of Mitaka from Fuji and one from Fuji of Mitaka. I may get around to posting them someday.

See the Daibutsu at Kamakura by all means and try to get a tour through the Imperial Palace.

Enjoy the trip.

PE

Michael Kenna and Rolfe Horn have extensive portfolios of photographs they've made in Japan. Take a look...some of those subjects and places may be available during your stay.

Don't spend all your money browsing at BIC and Yodobashi on the first day

DO visit the photo museum in Ebisu Tokyo, and try to hit the little bookstore/gallery operated in Shinjuku (opposite direction from the station from the camera stores... hmmmm....) called Place-M. While there you can also hit the Nikon Salon & 21bis galleries -- you may be surprised to find that despite their location within Nikon HQ they are not at all digi-centric

I am planning a trip to Kyoto some day soon. If you get a chance, get to see some of the very many temples and traditional Japanese gardens. Most of these temples are standing since the 16th century but there are some, somewhat south of Kyoto that have been built in the 6th century and may be the oldest wooden structures standing in the world. Any of the Japanese gardens should keep you busy for a while and you will not find equivalent anywhere else. It's growing art.

In Kyoto, if you're interested in geisha cultures, you might want to check out this little walking tour by a Canadian guy who's been married to a (former) geisha girl:

http://www.kyotosightsandnights.com/walking.html

I took the tour once with my friends from the U.S. when we met up in Kyoto, and that was fun.


Anyway, in general, the following website seems to have a fair amount of infomation that you can use:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

Within where it says, "Eastern Kyoto", which includes Gion district for the geisha tour I mentioned above as well, there are plenty of places to visit by casual walk. Chionin is pretty cool, and so is Kiyomizudera.

And if you have time to go a bit outside of Kyoto (to the south) by subway or local train, which only takes 15 mimutes or so, there's Fushimi-Inari:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html

It's a shrine built on top of a small mountain and is pretty neat with the tonnels of bright-orange-color gates. To get to the very top, it's about a 2hr walk, but it's not that bad.

Meanwhile, if you go to the north by train, there's Kurama and Kubune:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3933.html

Again it's a couple of hours of walk in the small mountains, but it's kind of cool.

For shopping, check out the area called "shinkyo(u)goku:

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/theme/amusement/downtown/st_shinkyogoku/

To get there from, let's say, Gion, just go on Shijo (4th Ave./Street) to west, cross the Kamo River, and walk less than a couple of blocks. And you see the entrance on your right.

Those are some of the places I have visited and still go to on occasions.

One thing I have to remind you is that it's kind of hard to get film or any photo stuff in Kyoto, so bring enough before you get there.

And most importantly, in Kyoto, bring enough cash with you and do not expect the most of the ATMs to take foreign ATM cards there.

Not included in your trip plan, but if you have a chance, check out Nara also, which is 1hr train ride from Kyoto and you don't have to spend a whole day there:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2165.html

Todaiji is pretty much all you need to see and it's worth it.

Thanks for the tips so far, folks. We have a week yet before we depart, so I'm hoping to find some good opportunities to spend some time (and yen) while we're in Japan.

Keep 'em coming.
Cheers,

I guess the following is the best (official) source for the information about visiting Kyoto:

http://kaiwai.city.kyoto.jp/raku/modules/english/

Thanks for the helpful links. Nara is already a planned side trip. Unfortunately, we won't be able to get to some of the more remote coasts. (a shame too, but I guess you can only fit so many activities into a family vacation.)

Cheers,

Just for a fun reading:

Loving and Loathing Japan's concrete coasts, where tetrapods reign

Stephen Hesse

http://www.japanfocus.org/products/details/2481

Check out this brand-new post from Dirk-san about Japan's "phototown":

http://www.unicircuits.com/?p=456

http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

The idea that is sung in “town declaration of the photograph” it will be made the town which is full in the encounter with the photograph.
Every year summer from 1985 actualization of this idea, and as a festival model for starting whose are new to compilation into one book and next year of one year “of town of photograph”, “the Higashikawa Cho international photograph festival (term of endearment: Higashikawa Cho [huotohuesuta])” it has held.
Higashikawa Cho [huotohuesuta] designates entire session as approximately 1 months, many people visit in various events.
And, in the main session which is set to 7 ends of the month, Higashikawa prize awarding ceremony focusing on prize-winning writer art gallery and the garden party which encounters with symposium and the photographer, the photograph independence spreading/displaying which even the Noboru dragon gate of the new member photographer can be said, the street photo gallery by the photograph love house university student, also the event where such as photograph the photograph encounters with the culture of strange field and collaboration of music is done large number.
In addition, on front and back of main session, various photograph spreading/displaying and the photograph workshop, from the photograph the natural observation lecture by the photograph, via, the whole session such as photograph classroom and the townspeople photograph spreading/displaying which deal with the townspeople and the beginner, as an art to relation with the popular photograph, in the people and the townspeople whom it visits charm of photograph culture is conveyed in the wide program.
This way the place where the person and the person can encounter via the photograph, that is the Higashikawa Cho international photograph festival....