Where's my wallet?

It's fashionable in Japan to keep one's wallet in one's back pocket - something my father told me never to do under any circumstances. I suppose that's the difference between Japan (even in a massive city such as Tokyo), and the West - street crime is so low here. I notice open bags, wallets half out of jeans, and handbags used to reserve tables in coffee shops, on an almost daily occurrence.

A side effect of Japan being so safe is that Japanese tourists are extremely vulnerable when abroad. I recall seeing the sign "pickpockets operate in this area" in the Japan Store in London, back in 2010, and thinking "wow, this place must be a hotbed for crime!". Upon closer reading, the sign meant London itself, and to keep your bags zipped up and valuables out of sight - something which I do without thinking.

I suppose the fact I actually notice this, shows that I haven't lost this part of my upbringing.

Autumn descends on Tokyo

Finally, we had an entire weekend of near-perfect weather. Each morning this week we left for work with sunglasses on, praying that the weather would hold for the weekend. We were in luck. We visited Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in the centre of Tokyo, cameras at the ready.

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There were people picknicking and having lunch, but most people were walking around with either cameras or smartphones at the ready. We also took a lot of photos, but made an effort to appreciate the beautiful range of colours with our eyes and not vicariously through our LCD screens.

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Greens | RX1 | 1/80s f/13.0 ISO2000 35mm

The maples are a huge attraction, turning from bright green to a vibrant red, via a visceral yellow.

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Reds and Yellows | RX1 | 1/80s f/2.0 ISO100 35mm

But there were not just maples to behold...

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Yellow | RX1 | 1/640s f/2.0 ISO100 35mm

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Tunnel of yellow | RX1 | 1/80s f/5.6 ISO400 35mm

I'm heading to Okinawa this morning, for some repair work this week. There's a chance I'll be able to catch the final stages of fall upon my return to Tokyo - but if not, I'll still be happy with this year's fall photos.

Tocho

This building, the ‘Tocho’, was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Apparently, it was inspired by the Notre Dame in Paris. I liked this paragraph describing the area;

Compared with the sparer lines of most of the skyscrapers that surround it, the traditional grandeur of the cathedral is certainly apparent in its complexity of structure and surface, not to mention its equally grandiose sprawl. The complex also incorporates the 37-storey Tokyo Metropolitan Main Building No.2, and the eight-story Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Building. Taking up as much land as it does, the whole Tocho complex is like a town unto itself, and, walking around and through it, with its heights, depths and multiple levels, unless you take great care to ascertain your bearings, you are likely to get lost.

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Utilising the free access to the viewing platform is recommended. The view is quite spectacular, in a anthropogenically perverse way. At ground level, it's easy to forget you're stood in the world's largest metropolis. Going up the tower should remind you!

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There's lots to see and do in this area of Tokyo, though most of it's underground (in the B1F areas of these huge buildings). Restaurants, coffee shops, retail shops, barbers... you name it! It's easy to miss the underground complexes with such monstrous distractions looming overhead.

Long summer evenings

I fancied a change today. I blew the dust off my NEX-7 and took the excellent Cosina Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm F1.4 out for a spin. A change of focal length & camera is like changing your route to work; unfamiliar and rewarding.

Discovering new things because you're looking at the world differently, is what makes long summer evenings especially long when we're children. The life of an adult is full of responsibilities, such as going to work to pay the bills. Something as simple as changing the route to work every now and then, can make the entire experience more memorable. I've actually arrived in the office with no real recollection of my commute. It's automated by my subconscious to such a level that my conscious self only interjects when necessary. Living a conscious life is one thing (apparently) separating us from other animals, and zombies. 

Anyway, I took my "old"  camera out today, and wanted to get a few shots around Tokyo. I took quite a few, so I'll post my favourites over the next few days. Going back to my old camera was like putting on a pair of old shoes. After 5 minutes, I was back in the saddle, using the tri-navi controls to my advantage. 

Summer evenings in Japan never feel long, but this one did. 

Shinjuku

Shinjuku | NEX-7 & SEL18200LE |  97mm, 1/8s, f/10.0, ISO100, RAW [Lightroom edited] Shinjuku is the neo-Tokyo at the forefront of most people's minds. Come here on a rainy day, and you'll think you've stepped into Bladerunner. though we're still waiting for the flying cars. It's not rare to see the horizon, or further than 500 metres... it's nigh on impossible. Skyscraper central. Old and new. Shops going up 10 stories, restaurants going up 11. One can't walk around here as one does back home. One must look up. One must embrace neck ache.

Shinjuku houses the world's busiest train station, but more on that another time. I pass through, or under, Shinjuku each day. Sometimes I'll meet Charlie there for a bite to eat, sometimes I will go and look in electronics shops until 10pm... Shinjuku never sleeps. It's the town of neon. There are some temples, tucked away, in between car-parks and tall buildings, but for the most part, Shinjuku is a life-size Lego city. Stacked to ridiculous proportions, like some kind of Goliath game of Jenga.

It's easy to spot the twin-towered government building (Tocho), which gives generous views to the west. Here, it's in the top left. There's the cocoon:

Shinjuku is an absolute melting pot of activity. I don't think there's any chance that we could eat in every restaurant in Shinjuku in our lifetime... if we ate out for every single meal. There are thousands. Coffee served all through the night, too. Ah, I'll miss this place when I live somewhere without trains. Somewhere without 7-storey camera stores. It's far too easy for me to take it for granted. I guess that happens to all of us, as one point or another. Complacency, a dangerous thing!

P.S. The main shot was inspired by Holger Feroudj. Please check out his fantastic website.

Coffee at the Chelsea Café

Coffee at the Chelsea Café │ NEX-7 & Sigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN │ 30mm, ISO 100, f/4, 1/30, -0.3EV

Just got back from a 4k run (starting small) with Charlie, as we've been feeling a little lazy over the past... two years. Gym memberships are very expensive in Tokyo, and another main issue is a complete lack of time. Anyway, we thought we'd have a late lunch so that we didn't need much to eat tonight after our run.

We both opted for the House Club Sandwich at the Chelsea Café in the centre of Shinjuku. I had a black coffee, which could be refilled for a small charge, and Charlie went for the Royal Milk Tea. Honestly, sometimes, we forget we are thousands of miles from the UK.

Shinjuku Moon-rise

Shinjuku Moonrise │ NEX-7 & Voigtländer Nokton Classic F1.4 │ 35mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/60, RAW

It seems I'm a bit of a lunatic, this month ;)

Took this shot on Saturday at 5:30pm in Shinjuku, central Tokyo. I'd spent the day walking around the familiar back streets and was feeling quite uninspired, and cold. I felt I'd wasted the afternoon until the sun dropped at around five, and we were greeted with a majestic moon-rise over the city.

I quickly whipped out the camera, and took a few underexposed shots of the moon, knowing I could pull some details out of the NEX-7 raw if I shot with a low enough ISO. Sure enough, There's enough dynamic range here to make out the cars on the road, and people in the bottom left.

Winter Fuji

Winter Fuji │ NEX-7 & Canon NFD 50mm F1.4 │ 50mm, ISO 100, f/22, 1/20, -1.0EV

Didn't go to the office today, and have finally finished the paper I've been working on. Free from distractions (almost), I was able to just relax with some coffee and not be distracted. I got into the nitty gritty and am pleased with the results. Sometimes, going into an office to work stifles creativity, concentration, and is full of distractions (mostly in the form of new tasks). I had one task today, and now it's done, I can open Lightroom and have a look at the photos from this morning. (Click the above photo to see it in a larger size).

This morning the sunlight was shining through our blinds, and so rather than work from home, we decided to get some fresh air and work from a coffee-shop, as many people do. We have the essential Apple computers, so we are allowed into that club, at least!

The above photo is of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building [東京都庁舎], which has North and South viewing decks on the 45th floors on each tower. The views are nothing short of spectacular. One realises the size of Tokyo, when it doesn't disappear from view. The only thing stopping Tokyo in the West and North are the mountain ranges of the minami-alps, and the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. To the South, there is Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Sky tree, and Tokyo bay. The East spreads into Chiba and Narita Airport... you'll never see all the way out there! Massive.

It was so fresh and clear, with favourable winds. We rushed to the government building, scooted up to the 45th floor, and was in complete awe at the site of Mt. Fuji dominating the landscape. Most days, it's impossible to see. In the summer, heat-hase and the aerosol boundary layer (lit. smog) reduce visibility, even in a city as clean as Tokyo. In winter, the boundary layer is lower, so the light has less crud through which to pass (non-scientific term, there).

I always thought it was a myth, to be able to see Fuji so clearly from central Tokyo, but we've done it. Another one checked off the list.

Though the above vertical panorama shows significant reflections due to both my positioning and the thick double-glazing, I'm continually impressed with the NEX series of cameras.