Some Photos from Japan

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 28 Oct 2006, 14:53

I'm not sure about the ISO speed but my digital camera (Sony DSCP 10) has four flash settings:

Automatic, Flash, Slow Shutter Speed with Flash, Slow Shutter Speed Without Flash.

At night, I generally go for the last two options. Sorry I'm no photography expert! Best ask Romero for a thorough answer. The white balance is usually set at automatic but you can adjust it depending on what type of ambience light is available (dark, sunny, florescent etc). Adjusting this can produce some stunning results.

Brad, please write down your itinerary - I'll recommend some stuff for you based on your plans.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 28 Oct 2006, 15:07

Will do a bit closer to the time, it's still months off.

Cheers

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 28 Oct 2006, 16:51

No worries but off the top of my head, make sure you don't miss (in Tokyo):

The Ghibli Museum (essential if you're a Ghibli fan - book early).
Harajuku (go on a weekend)
Senso-Ji Temple area
An outdoor Onsen/Hot Spa (great place to hang out nude)
The Tokyo Government Building (it's free and offers great views)
Akihabara Electric City

Around Tokyo there are numerous day trips to Hakone/Mr Fuji, Kamakura, Nikko....

In Kyoto, there are a wealth of temples and even better outdoor Onsens. But I urge you to make a day trip to Nara. The most beautiful town I've ever seen.

Get the Lonely Planet Tokyo guidebook and a Tokyo Street Atlas (both on Amazon and the latter is absolutely essential).

Also buy a Japan Rail Pass in advance - it's a tourist's best friend.

Will speak further closer to the time.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 29 Oct 2006, 11:37

Good set of photos; I already had plans to go to Japan, but I think that you might've managed to bring them forward slightly

Blaizeyboy · Post by **Blaizeyboy** » 02 Nov 2006, 12:16

when i went hk the 1st time (just after the sars outbreak) my hotel worked out at
roughly £18 for me and my dad, when i went back it went up to about £27
now its up to about £60

Japan is definently on my list of places to go

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Dec 2006, 11:24

As requested by Brad, here some of my pictures. Bisc went to most places I did, so I try to avoid posting pics of the exact same buildings ect. I lost almost all of my Tokyo pics when I accidentally formatted my memory card but hey, it's not the end of the world. I'll be going back to japan many more times and I should be able to spent 6-12 months there as an exhance student, so....

Lets get started

My hotel room in Tokyo, Grad Palace Hotel, 21st floor

Shinjuku around 9 pm. Pic taken a few minutes after I lost all my previous pics

This place is like a heaven on earth to me.

The japanese people passing by looked a bit surprised when I stopped to take a picture of this

Shinjuku Subway Station. I would've probably gotten lost, but an old businessman showed me the right direction, and even came to the train and made sure I get off at the right stop... And he didn't even speak english. Day saved, a deep bow and "arigatou gozaimasu" and back to hotel.

Next morning. I get up early and go take some pics because it's my last chance before leaving to Hakone and Kyoto.

Unfortunately it was cloudy that morning. Couldn't get a pic of the sun rising beyond the buildings

Where did I come from? This is where I first got lost. It's 7 a clock on the morning, our buss will leave to Mt. Fuji in 30 minutes (and we're not coming back to Tokyo anymore) and I have no idea in which direction my hotel is at. Then it starts to rain. I find my way back to the hotel and arrive 7 minutes before the buss leaves. I go get my stuff from my room, sign out, take a picture of the cute hotel worker who seem to be working 24/7, which I a good thing to me because that way I always got a chance to use her services

From Fuji. 2020 metres. We couldn't go any higher because of the snow storm

Hakone

Also from Hakone. These lakes on and between the mountains are really beautiful. I saw one like that (and even more beautiful) also in Nikko.

A shop in Hakone

Hakone Hotel Kowaki-en

Television entertainment

Everybody else is laughing and telling jokes. Kitano sits silently throughout the show.

Odawara Station

From bullet train, on my way to Kyoto

Finally the cloud moved...

Temple in Nara

Sorry for the red eye effect. It was my first time using a digital camera.

Moody pic, taken just outside Kyoto

Kyoto at night

Small alley in Kyoto. It's really save everywhere. I was there alone and not the least bit scared. No one is gonna attack you or rob you.

Kyoto, geisha district

"Shopping tunnel" (my own word) in Kyoto. This is basically a 1500 m long tunnel full of shops. 15 m to right there's another one just like this. You guys should've seen the action figure shop I went to. They had GitS stuff, Resident Evil 4 zombie, Final Fantasy action figures, Gogo and the Bride from Kill Bill, Jason from the 13th, nude anime girls + thousands of others

Early morning pic from Kyoto

Enough pics for one post. More coming later.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 14 Dec 2006, 11:57

Nice one - jealous you got to see Fuji-san. It was way too misty when I went. Ah the memories... would love to go back.

Although, I'm not sure if I should visit Japan again so soon or visit another Far Eastern Asian country (or some completely random country altogether). Decisions decisions....

Oh about Shinjuku Station - that place is nuts. So easy to get lost. I swear one night it took me a good hour to find the exit. Between 1 and 2 million people use that station every day. Even walking around the perimeter can take ages - again an hour if it's busy.

Didn't get to visit Hakone and Nikko (saw Nara though, did you feed the deer?).

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Dec 2006, 14:40

A river close to Kyoto Handicraft Center

More nice clothes

An ambitious looking building

Somewhere in Kyoto, forgot where. There was a lot of school girls, that I do remember

Kiyomizu Temple area perhaps? I visited so many shrines and temples I lost count what was called what

The same area

Suntory time. Tommy Lee goes lost in translation.

A Jazz bad playing near a subway station in Kyoto. I don't know the name of the place but maybe Bisc recognizes it. It's on the shopping street, just after the big bridge, and the geisha distict is at the end of the street...

Bullet Train

On my way to Hiroshima

Next time, Hiroshima.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Dec 2006, 14:46

BiscLimpkit wrote:
Oh about Shinjuku Station - that place is nuts. So easy to get lost. I swear one night it took me a good hour to find the exit. Between 1 and 2 million people use that station every day. Even walking around the perimeter can take ages - again an hour if it's busy.

I know what you mean. I almost had ask help to find my way out.

BiscLimpkit wrote: Didn't get to visit Hakone and Nikko (saw Nara though, did you feed the deer?).

No, I didn't feed them. I heard they're paper eaters. Passports, tickets and paper money is their favourite food.

There were wild monkeys at Nikko. Our bus had to stop for a moment because there was a money on the street. I heard they sometimes steal stuff from tourists...

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 14 Dec 2006, 16:51

Didn't see this topic before, cool pics. I was there recently (September-November) and have been there on many other occasions but I don't even have a camera! It's quite a place, not only is the country beautiful but it's amazing how quickly Japan advanced. It's just a real shame that there's a lot of cultural backwardsness. Think I'll be back out there sometime in January, Tokyo probably.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 15 Dec 2006, 00:43

HungFist, you're a bastard, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I can't believe I've still not managed to get out there. Circumstances just haven't come together, what with my friends who have an interest in the country getting knocked up or knocking people up and doing the whole family thing; it's getting to be a right royal pain. Although it still gives me time to learn more Japanese. (To be honest, if I'd kept the learning up consistently from when I first wanted to go 'til now, I'd be able to speak the language far better than most of the inhabitants of the country

)

Lourdes, what do you mean by the cultural backwards-ness? Do you have an example of it?

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 15 Dec 2006, 09:04

Well they don't cook their food.....

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 24 Dec 2006, 10:11

Watched Lost in Tranlation again yesterday and noticed a few things. Check this out:

Lost in Translation screencaps

Picture I took on my way to Kyoto

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 24 Dec 2006, 10:15

hey,

hmmph....really not a concious decision there, Hung?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 24 Dec 2006, 10:25

It was a pure coincidence. I took maybe 10 pictures on my way from Hakone to Kyoto and that was one of them. The bullet train was moving at the speed of 260 km / hour I think, so it's pretty unbeliebable that I happened take a picture of that exact building. I didn't realize it was also in the film until yesterday while watching the movie.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 24 Dec 2006, 10:35

hey,

freaky.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 24 Dec 2006, 10:41

Yeah, and this too

Lost in Translation screencap (when Scarlett arrives Kyoto)

Picture I took at Kyoto station

Randypan · Post by **Randypan** » 24 Dec 2006, 11:08

This thread is great.
I'd love to visit Japan one day (not any time soon,i'm totally skint) but these photos just make me wanna go even more!
Great job on all these fantastic pics!

I have a question for Hung re:

'I go get my stuff from my room, sign out, take a picture of the cute hotel worker who seem to be working 24/7, which I a good thing to me because that way I always got a chance to use her services'

So where's the pic?!

C'mon,share it with us heheheh!!

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 24 Dec 2006, 11:09

Where did the gates go in the movie?

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 24 Dec 2006, 11:34

Yi-Long wrote:Where did the gates go in the movie?

Well, the movie was shot in 2003...

I don't know if that's even the same track. But it's the same station and there's the "13".

Randypan wrote: So where's the pic?! C'mon,share it with us heheheh!!

Sorry, I don't post pics of any specific persons without their permission. Especially after I've told where they work (there's people like Mark here, if you know what I mean

). I wouldn't like to find my own pics floating around the net. Just go to Tokyo and you find more cute girls than you've ever seen before in your life

But I give you guys a consolation pic. Real school girls

Randypan · Post by **Randypan** » 24 Dec 2006, 11:57

Yeah,good point. Good consolation pic tho!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 24 Dec 2006, 13:25

Great pics there Hung, sorry I've just noticed them.

When I go early next year I'll be uploading every photo I take and if there is as many cute girls as you say well my site will be full of them 8). If someone wants their photo removed I'll do just that, no one has minded thus far.

Real school girls

Instead of fake school girls?

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 24 Dec 2006, 13:42

HungFist wrote:Real school girls

Yataaaaaaa!!

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 24 Dec 2006, 13:49

HungFist wrote:
Small alley in Kyoto. It's really save everywhere. I was there alone and not the least bit scared. No one is gonna attack you or rob you.

He he! Sorry, Hung, but you obviously have not seen any Miike movies.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 24 Dec 2006, 13:57

thelostdragon wrote:
HungFist wrote:
Small alley in Kyoto. It's really save everywhere. I was there alone and not the least bit scared. No one is gonna attack you or rob you.
He he! Sorry, Hung, but you obviously have not seen any Miike movies.

Actually I have. 21 so far

Also, I wouldn't really recommend Takashi Miike films if you want to get a realistic image of Japan