Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) In Japan

Japan's Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) Season, Best Time To Visit/Experience The Beauty Of Japanese Nature!

Sakura in Japan is about as iconic as samurai, kimonos, and well, anything you can think of about Japan.  You'll see photos, illustrations, merchandise, and even food/drink featuring the famed Sakura of Japan.  It is so synonymous with Japan that even the Japanese Government shapes its fiscal years to end and begin at the traditional peak of the cherry blossoms in its capital region.

Near JR Yotsuya Station

Shinjuku Gyoen

For the casual traveler, taking in the Sakura is free, and much less costly to experience than a samurai armor photo shoot or an outing in kimono (if you're not factoring in a higher airfare to visit due to the popularity of the season).  The weather starts to get way more pleasant, as the cold of winter transitions into the pleasant spring temps.  And, most of the major, touristy parks feature a lot of cherry trees for you to admire and photograph at their best.

Odawara Castle, Kanagawa

Even at the US military bases, especially Camp Zama and Yokota Air Base, you'll find some large areas adorned with many cherry trees.  So if you happen to live and/or work at one of those military installations, you won't have to go very far to experience the magic of the Sakura.

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Sometimes you don't have to travel far to get the experience #sakura #kanagawa #japan

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Yokota Air Base

Still, if you're in Japan... why not go out and experience the season just as the locals do, outside?  Though the "hanami", which nowadays refers to the parties held at prime spots for cherry blossom viewing, might be a bit much for gaijin to take part in, even a leisurely stroll through such places as Yoyogi Park, Ueno Park, and Shinjuku Gyoen will give you more than enough of the experience to understand why these trees are so beloved.

Shinjuku Gyoen

Odawara Castle

Also, at Tokyo Midtown, there's a cherry tree lined street which is beautiful in itself, but when the sun sets... the trees are illuminated, giving a very different look/feel to the trees and the season.

For added photographic and cultural impact, why not don a kimono among the Sakura?  It certainly makes for an interesting, beautiful photo, and a traditionally Japanese way to experience the cherry blossom sights.

But to me, perhaps the best and most overlooked part of the Sakura is how it brings all of us together... maybe not all at one time or one place, but whether it's Hanami, an after-hours outing, or a planned trip to view the blossoms, it certainly brings you in touch with others.  And I believe that to truly be the best part of the season.

Enjoy the Sakura!

Photography In Japan (And Not All About The Landscapes)

The most photogenic city in the world... and not just the landscapes.  The people are great photographic subjects!

Japan is a very unique part of the world, compared to most.  Many other places, you could interchange with other, often neighboring countries, and could fool the casual eye.  But, Japan stands out with its culture, charm, and perhaps most of all, its people. 

So, does it not make sense that Japan is one of the biggest photography hubs in the world?  Of course it does, and not just for the tourists.  Even the most casual photographers native to Japan will have a decently capable SLR camera at his/her disposal, ready to snap at a moment's notice.

As you may have read from some of my other musings here, though, personally I can appreciate the beauty of many of the landmarks of Japan, but much more than that I can never get tired of taking pictures of people.  Landmarks, landscapes, buildings can look different from day to night, but people can be anything at any given moment.  And people are interesting to look at... hence people watching is a thing, but building/tower/landscape watching isn't, that I know of.

Also, on a deeper level, photographing another person represents a connection... that person is captured on your camera, an indelible memory.  Like, there is a bond between two people, even though it may be strong or very thin and passing, it is there... and you have a photographic item to remember it by.

Still, there are many passionate photographers who won't see eye to eye with me on the greater value of people photography.  I'd say most are like that.  But if you're like me, and are in the Tokyo area, you are blessed with seeming infinite possibilities on getting subjects for your photography.  Here's some of the hints I can offer to point you in the right direction(s):

- Events: not just of people, but displays, art, vehicles, all for the camera.  And, as you probably know, there are so many events in Tokyo, probably more than any other metro area in the world.  Perhaps at the top of the list of Tokyo-area events, no matter what your preference for subjects may be, is CP+.

- If you want to take more detailed shots and/or the opportunity to take shots of a celeb, there are photo shooting sessions held at various studios.  These are more pricey than the event options, but afford you time and space, and lighting equipment to meet any detailed requirement you may have.  Some of the options out there for this type of photo shoot which I have experienced are Modemaid and MIA café.  Some celebs collaborate with studios for photo shoots, but in order to get to those I'd recommend following their respective Twitter accounts for news/info on these.

 

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Cool experience photographing the mysterious @eri_kitami thank you! #erikitami #glasses #tokyo #japan #japanese #woman #asia #instagramhub

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- As you may have figured out by now, there's a café for almost anything/everything in Tokyo.  Even for photography of people, most notably at Gurado Bunkasai, even if it's slightly towards the adult realm.  This is kind of a happy medium between event shooting and studio shooting.

- If you're not so much into photo models but like taking photos of people, street photography style... parks, such as Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park, and shrines are great for candid shots.  Also great for the candid shots are the open street days, such as at Ginza and Akihabara.

Most of us "gaijin" types are not going to be in Japan forever.  Some longer than others, but not long enough to take it all for granted.  Take those photos, and keep those memories!

Full Of Life At (and near) Shibuya Crossing

If you like cities and people, Shibuya Crossing certainly should get your attention and a visit if you haven't been there already (and even for me, who's been there countless times.  Even the brand new visitors would know of this, the world famous intersection where people meet from seemingly all directions on their paths for a moment, until it clears and then vehicles traverse through.

One could spend some time observing the flow of life, and at night the show of lights, at the crossing.  At any given time of day you'll see tourists and locals alike recording the unique vibe and flow of the crossing on their phones or other recording devices.

Though it isn't the true center of Tokyo, it may very well be the gravitational center.  Everything seems to emanate outward from this quirky intersection in Tokyo.  Walk in any direction from the crossing and you'll find building of interest, start to encounter other well known districts/cities (Harajuku, Shinjuku and the like), and find restaurants, establishments, experiences (most notably in my memory the Samurai Studio), and all of that which makes Tokyo the place of interest it is.

The Hachioji statue, with its touching story of the themed Akita dog waiting for its owner at the station, lends significance to the immediate area on top of its status as a meeting place in Shibuya for many locals and tourists alike.  At any given moment, you’ll see lines of both waiting for their turn to snap a photo with the beloved, legendary dog’s statue.

Most recently, while celebrating my birthday (yay me) with my friends, we wandered a bit around the area and encountered a great place to look down and take photos of the crossing.  No, not the Starbucks (which seems pretty near impossible to get a window seat at), but much more easy and realistic is the Magnet Shibuya 109 Men's building, just a bit northeast of the crossing.  Inside of the building you'll find some interesting shops and restaurants, but the highlight is Shibuya Crossing View, found at the top of the building.  The view from the rooftop, which is free and accessible to everyone, is amazing.

And, for a modest fee of 500 yen, a camera from higher above can be controlled by your smart phone, and you can snap the ultimate selfies with the crossing, high up above everyone else!

After we had our fill of amazement and photos, we proceeded to that great American restaurant for adults... Hooters!  Which is just a short walk away from Shibuya Crossing, and that walk will no doubt provide some more scenery of interest, from various shops and restaurants, arcades, etc.

And once we had our adult drinks and quesadillas and wings, we moved on to dance the rest of the active night away at one of the clubs in the neighborhood, GasPanic.  Fun, relatively inexpensive (compared to the bigger clubs) but oh so crowded.  Like Shibuya in general.

Our impromptu itinerary on this occasion might not be to everyone's tastes, but hopefully it gives you a flavor of what's around there and hints at even more if you wander... Shibuya Crossing takes in so many people with a direction in mind, but sometimes just going with the flow brings you the best experience.

Location:

AnimeJapan: Mandatory For Fans!

AnimeJapan is an awesome event for fans of any anime!

I recently wrote/blogged about Tokyo Motorcycle Show, which occurs at the same time and place as AnimeJapan, so it made sense for me to follow that up quickly with this post.

As alluded to in the title of the post, AnimeJapan is great for fans of almost any form of anime to attend.  From the newest, currently running shows, to even the older, more historic/iconic titles... AnimeJapan will have you covered to some degree at least.  You can find displays and goods of the older titles, but the newer titles will have more investment from the companies here, and represent them with displays, merchandise, and yes, in many cases cosplay of the anime characters:

Speaking of cosplay, like similar events such as Comiket and Wonder Festival, many fans come here to dress up and pose for photos.  As for me though, I tended to stick with taking in the exhibits and the presentations from the anime industry here, because they are that impressive.

Additionally, there are a lot of photo opportunities on "sets", where one could get onto and take a pretty cool/interesting photo of themselves.  Just ask one of the attending staff to take the photo of you.  Here's some of my examples:

AnimeJapan is simply an awesome event for anyone who has, or has had in the past, a love for anything anime.  Even for the casual fan, this event has a lot to see and perhaps the potential to bring you in even deeper into the fandom.


Recommendations:
- Recommend attending the event on Saturday, as it is the less crowded of the two public days for this event.
- Some food options are available, but crowds/lines might not make it the best experience.  If possible, have lunch elsewhere.
- "Fast tickets", which give your priority entry and access to the event 30 minutes before opening, are available online about three weeks before the event, on the event website.

Specifics:
AnimeJapan
Held Annually in March, at Tokyo Big Sight, open to the public from Saturday to Sunday

Trip/Tour for AnimeJapan Available through Camp Zama Outdoor Recreation

Location:

Tokyo Motorcycle Show: Two Wheels, But An Easy (And Fun) Ride!

As you may have figured out already, either from this part of the internets or outside of it, motor shows in Japan are a big deal.  One of the biggest drawbacks to being a big deal, though, are the usual big crowds that come with it.  Tokyo Motor Show and Tokyo Auto Salon have recently ballooned massively in popularity and crowd quantity over the past few years, making it more difficult and intimidating for a newbie to visit these types of events.  So, I am happy to recommend a motor event that is relatively less crowded, yet packs a formidable amount of quality in its display of machinery, as well as complementary race queens: Tokyo Motorcycle Show.

A weekend event at Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Motorcycle Show is sized to a smaller scale than its four-wheeled sister events in the area, as it takes up "only" the west portion of Tokyo Big Sight.  And, because the types of vehicles are kind of a niche (most of the licensed driving population doesn't know how to drive a motorcycle), the crowds tend to be smaller in number, making the event a relatively pleasant breath of fresh air and easy to walk around in without bumping into everyone else there.

You'll get a feel for this from the videos below, which illustrate the sights and sounds you'll see at this great event!

One of the perks of the motorcycle, compared to cars, is their small size.  So naturally they require less space for their displays.  You can also get up closer to them, and in many cases sit on the bikes for a pic if you want, as well!

Or if you want to just take photos of the bikes and/or the race queens... Tokyo Motorcycle Show still won't disappoint.

Take a relatively pleasant ride into the motor show world, at Tokyo Motorcycle Show!


Recommendations:

- If you had a choice of the three days to attend, definitely attend on Friday since the crowds will be smallest on that day.  If Friday isn't an option, go on Saturday.
- Some food options are available onsite and in Tokyo Big Sight, but if at all possible I'd recommend having lunch before getting here to avoid crowds/lines at lunch time.
- Every year I've attended this event, the Anime Japan event has been held at the same venue, Tokyo Big Sight.  So, despite the less-crowded nature of this event in general, the site will still be pretty packed with people (unless you go on Friday).

Specifics:
Tokyo Motorcycle Show
Held annually, in March, from Friday-Sunday
Location: