johnloumiles Posted April 27, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 27, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi All, I'm leaving to go to Japan soon. Hopefully to help out any way we can as well as see the beauty the country has to offer. I was thinking I could get some thoughts from people who have been/lived there as to special places we can visit that might not be in your everyday guidebook. I'm unsure as to the sensitivity that will be encountered in regards to the earthquake so I definitely do not want to come across as an inconsiderate tourist. With that in mind I hope to capture just a few special moments rather then walking around with the camera glued to my face. I'll be bringing my X1 and M8 with a couple lenses. Your words are appreciated. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 27, 2011 Posted April 27, 2011 Hi johnloumiles, Take a look here Shooting in Japan. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted April 27, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 27, 2011 I have a colleague who has recently returned from Tokyo. It is very quiet, when compared to previous visits, but it does mean that if you want to take the tourist busses out to, say Mount Fuji, you might well find yourself in a much smaller party than you might have expected. I am sure that this will not be the case for much longer, as tourists start to return. If you are not going into the tsunami affected areas, I am sure that you will be made more than welcome wherever you travel. From what I understand, Japan is that kind of place. My daughter is heading that way next month - I wish I was going with her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted April 27, 2011 Share #3 Posted April 27, 2011 A few questions to get some idea of what you're looking for : 1) When exactly will you be coming? Be aware that we're just about to head into Golden Week, which is essentially a week off for most people and it means that hotels and popular tourist attractions are packed to the rafters. If you're coming more than a week from now, though, you should be OK on that front. 2) Where are you going to be based? Or will you be traveling around? 3) Do you have anything in particular you want to see? For instance, the traditional side with the temples and so on, or the modern side, or the seedy side (it does exist), or a bit of everything? In terms of the camera, you should be fine clicking away. Japan is a camera-crazy place. Unless you do something outrageously tactless in public, there is little chance of getting into any kind of trouble for taking pictures, and even if you are asked not to (by security or police) it will almost certainly be in a nicer manner than it would elsewhere. The worst you'll get is someone crossing his arms in front of you, which is Japanese body language for "not allowed". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan States Posted April 28, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 28, 2011 Hi All, I'm leaving to go to Japan soon. Hopefully to help out any way we can as well as see the beauty the country has to offer. I was thinking I could get some thoughts from people who have been/lived there as to special places we can visit that might not be in your everyday guidebook. I'm unsure as to the sensitivity that will be encountered in regards to the earthquake so I definitely do not want to come across as an inconsiderate tourist. With that in mind I hope to capture just a few special moments rather then walking around with the camera glued to my face. I'll be bringing my X1 and M8 with a couple lenses. Your words are appreciated. John If you will be able to travel a bit I highly recommend Nagano Prefecture...Some "Hidden Japan" spots include Kozenji (spelled differently from Zenkoji), in Komagane, Nagano. If you want to experience rural life in the "real" Japan you can't beat the numerous little towns that run along the Chuo expressway. Misunami, Miada, Komagane, Iijima and many more. The people are exceedingly polite but be prepared to speak some rudimentary Japanese because unlike the big cities, most people don't speak much english. If you let me know what areas you will be in I may have some more ideas....By the way, if you are going to be with a japanese speaker you can arrange a tour of the Cosina Lens plant. It's well worth the effort! Best wishes and enjoy your trip! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnloumiles Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted April 28, 2011 Thank you for your responses! W-A-L , I will be there for two weeks starting May 17th, so I will miss Golden week by a few days. Right now the plan is to travel between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. We want to see everything you have stated, even the seedy side as we plan on staying multiple nights in different "Love Hotels". In Kyoto we will trek to see temples and to check out a famous tattoo shop that is there. Do you consider any one or two temples a must see while staying there? I have no idea about Osaka yet so any recommendations would be used gladly. Dan, your suggestion of Chu Expressway and the towns that line it is interesting and I want to look into that as its in the direction we will be heading. Unfortunately Nagano will have to wait for another trip, but skiing in Japan is definitely on my list for the future. I'm brushing up on my Japanese as we speak but I may try and look up some friend of friends while I'm there to help out. I'd love to see the Cosina factory especially since all my lenses are Voightlander. Thanks for the heads up Andy, I wouldn't mind less people but I'd rather people go to Japan and spend money so as to help with recovery. I hope your daughter has an amazing trip as well and I promise I'll try to get these posts in the right section in the future. Thanks Again Guys! John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdb Posted April 28, 2011 Share #6 Posted April 28, 2011 John, It's a WONDERFUL country. Years ago, I spent one whole year there as a resident surgeon, and it certainly was one of the best times of my life. Let me give you a few hints. First of all, Japanese are very worthy people. They always welcome you with their smile. But do not take this for innocence. As another member wrote, they express "not allowed" by putting their hands on their face. It would be quite rude to insist. A Japanese never says "No" if you ask for something he or she does not or cannot give. He may say with a smile "It's just a little difficult". But the real meaning is "NO WAY, end of discussion". Also, do not expect to be invited at a Japanese's home. Except for intimates or family, they do not entertain at home even among themselves, in case their home would not be as good as yours. On the contrary, do not expect curtesy in the Tokyo subway. The crowd is so tight that they always run and push to get seated. And the elderly people are not the less active. It's very funny to notice. Photography-wise, it is true that you can shoot almost everywhere. Don't miss a visit to some photo stores on Ginza while in Tokyo. You will never see as many gear as in those shops. Everything is worth seeing there. Nagano prefecture is only one of them. In Tokyo, besides Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ginza areas, don't miss Asakusa temple, Ueno Park and old buildings. Try to spend an hour or so at the Kabuki-Za Theater near Ginza (you can probably take pictures without flash unless laws has changed). Take the time to go to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha in open air, and spend some time in Kyoto and Nara area. There are lots of temples and shrines to visit, some of them very old (Horyiu-Ji for example, but also Byodo-In in Uji). In Nara there is another Great Buddha, even taller than the one in Kamakura, but still in its shrine, which is said to be the tallest all-wood building in the world. Feeding the deers there is very funny. You only are allowed to feed them with a specific food you buy on the spot, but beware, if you put a pack of food in your pocket, the deer comes swiftly behind you and steals the whole pack right in your pocket ! Go to the Fuji Yama. May is not the most beautiful time to see the mountain, but it is spectacular every day. If the weather is clear, you might even see it from Tokyo from a high rise building in the west of the city. Osaka is not very interesting except for the old castle, but Himeji-Jo castle is more interesting, especially by night. Try to go to the Inland Sea and visit the old city of Kurashiki, where many traditional films and TV series are shot. See Hiroshima on your way to Miyajima Island (also called Itsukushima) and see this amazing shrine and its "torii" in the water. And I did not mention the Nikko area, among other beauties... Take as much memory cards as you can... And enjoy ! I wish you a very nice time. Cheers Gérard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted April 28, 2011 Share #7 Posted April 28, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thank you for your responses! W-A-L , I will be there for two weeks starting May 17th, so I will miss Golden week by a few days. Right now the plan is to travel between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. We want to see everything you have stated, even the seedy side as we plan on staying multiple nights in different "Love Hotels". In Kyoto we will trek to see temples and to check out a famous tattoo shop that is there. Do you consider any one or two temples a must see while staying there? I have no idea about Osaka yet so any recommendations would be used gladly. John Kyoto has a number of "must-see" temples; it's generally the place which is recommended when people want to see the traditional side of the country. The big attractions are Kinkakuji (also known as the Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizudera, Ginkakuji (The Silver Pavilion) and Ryoanji (which is actually mainly famous for the rock garden). They're all great, but personally I like Ginkakuji and Kiyomizudera the most, both in terms of photography and in terms of atmosphere. There is also a long-ish walk you can do which is called "The Philosopher's Walk" and which goes through some very nice scenery. If you're going to Kyoto, I would seriously suggest an extra short train trip down to Nara, for one reason alone : it's a Japanese garden called Isuien, and it is absolutely stunning. It's not the easiest place to find without a guide book, but it is absolutely worth the effort. Nara also has a famous park where deer roam freely and you can feed them with "deer biscuits" which are on sale all over the park. As for the capital, Tokyo has so many things to see that you could walk all over the place for a week and still not get it all. If you want traditional, you can go see Meiji Shrine - which is, if memory serves, at the end of Harajuku, which is where you'll see the most outrageous fashion in Japan. It's basically the fashion mecca of the country. There's Asakusa as well, which has the famous Kaminarimon gate, but to be honest it's usually so full of people that it's a pain in the ass to get through. If you want the "seedier" side, I am told that the places to check out are Roppongi and Kabuki-cho, both at night. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was dangerous to go there (Japan is by and large an incredibly safe place), but that's where the less savoury aspects of society get played out. If you want to get great views of the city, the government building in Shinjuku has a free observation platform from which you can get excellent views (it is said that you can see Mt Fuji on a clear day, but I've never seen it and I've been up there probably about ten times). I'd suggest going once at night and once during the day (it's free). For general street photography, if that's your thing, take a walk down Ginza on a Sunday afternoon and go see Shibuya at night. Tokyo is a total assault on the senses in the best possible way and you won't be able to shoot everything you want unless you move very fast:D I'm not that familiar with Osaka. From the handful of times I've been there, it doesn't have Kyoto's history or Tokyo's glitz, although it certainly has character. I think it's like Nagoya (where I live) in that it's better to live in than to visit. If the main purpose of your trip is photography, I wouldn't allocate too much time to it, but if you want to get a feel for Japan as a whole then by all means check it out. A previous poster mentioned Himeji castle, but be aware that it's currently in the middle of a restoration project which is going to run until 2014. You can go and see it, but it won't be in "full castle mode", so to speak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberti Posted April 29, 2011 Share #8 Posted April 29, 2011 Hi All, I'm leaving to go to Japan soon. Hopefully to help out any way we can as well as see the beauty the country has to offer. I was thinking I could get some thoughts from people who have been/lived there as to special places we can visit that might not be in your everyday guidebook. I'm unsure as to the sensitivity that will be encountered in regards to the earthquake so I definitely do not want to come across as an inconsiderate tourist. With that in mind I hope to capture just a few special moments rather then walking around with the camera glued to my face. I'll be bringing my X1 and M8 with a couple lenses. Your words are appreciated. John Hi John, Just some comforting remarks: having an M8 already puts you in another category than an inconsiderate tourist.. Such a tourist will have a DSLR. (No offense meant of course) On the contrary, the M8 will allow you to be part of the scene pretty closely. You can communicate with two eyes. Like a monk once said to me (Kenninji temple, Kyoto): 'Ah a Leica. Nice'. That is comforting isn’t it. Allow yourself to just blend in. Well I’ve stayed quite a long time (1 month) in Kyoto, very worthwhile if you take the time to unwind. And sometime back we were also more than a week in Tokyo. It is not the city of skyscrapers. Around those high-rise areas there are big quarters with 2 floor traditional buildings, although not of wood, but still they give a special atmosphere. And the squares with their special hangout places is really something special. A marvelous place to be and observe. [ATTACH]255335[/ATTACH] Again, a DSLR does not as quickly bring up those two fingers, a RF with a red smiley on it does. albert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sortapundit Posted April 30, 2011 Share #9 Posted April 30, 2011 As others have already said, John, you'll rarely have problems shooting in Japan. I spent a month in Tokyo late last year and found it to be, by a country mile, the most camera-friendly country I've ever visited. The Japanese are so comfortable around cameras that in most situations you'll barely be noticed. I'd suggest, however, that you should make an extra effort be sensitive around the people you're shooting, simply because Japanese culture and tradition proscribes direct confrontation. A local will rarely make it obvious that they're unhappy with what you're doing, so keep a sharp eye for subtle signs of discomfort and respectfully lower the camera when you spot them. The Japanese are devilishly difficult to read, but you'll eventually begin to notice the almost imperceptible shifts in behaviour that indicate discomfort. Also, because of the cultural forces involved you should take a polite request to stop shooting as a firm order. The act of risking disharmony by politely requesting that you lower the camera is a big thing, and not worth ignoring. Above all enjoy yourself, and don't disturb the wa Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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