Kaiganji (海岸寺)

To find a place like this, and dwell there for an hour or so without seeing another soul, not far from the center of Tokyo, with 13+ million people within an hour of your location, is utter bliss.

Posted on February 15th, 2014 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, koganei, pine, thatch roof, Tokyo. Comments Off on Kaiganji

Best experienced in full screen mode, with the volume cranked, while mildly intoxicated…

Posted on January 17th, 2014 under Japan. Tags: shinjuku, Tokyo, video. Comments Off on Stainless – Shinjuku

More Shibuya scenes here.

Posted on January 14th, 2014 under Japan. Tags: night photography, shibuya, Tokyo. Comments Off on Shibuya after dark

Kitasenju Station
Tokyo, Japan

Posted on January 3rd, 2014 under Japan. Tags: Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, Tokyo, trains. Comments Off on Reflections in Kitasenju Station (北千住駅)

Ryochoin (亮朝院) on New Year’s Eve

Most temples and shrines in Japan will have some sort of relatively low-key event planned for this evening. Unlike summer festivals, New Year’s Eve in Japan is usually celebrated by watching TV at home (maybe in part due to the temperature outside). However, most people will head out for Hatsumode (初詣) tomorrow or soon thereafter rather than participate in the ritual just after the stroke of midnight.

Today’s photo comes from the afternoon of New Year’s Eve 2009. We didn’t stick around our neighborhood Ryochoin to see what happened there. Instead, we went to the balloon release on the other side of Tokyo, an event that no longer happens. Ryochoin is decorated in New Year’s garb in today’s photo. For what it normally looks like, click here.

Posted on December 31st, 2013 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, nishi-waseda, shogatsu, temples, Tokyo. Comments Off on Tokyo temples on New Year’s Eve