| Date: 05.04.2012 10:03:01 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/6.4 | Shutter: 1/350 | ISO 200 |
There is a train crossing between my hostel and the train station. Once I had to wait until 6 trains had passed.
| Date: 05.04.2012 10:14:13 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 250 |
Trick to make the kids easy to spot, at Shinagawa station.
| Date: 05.04.2012 10:39:58 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/5 | Shutter: 1/320 | ISO 200 |
While waiting for the others I was approached by this man. He wanted me to sign a petition. I was a bit reluctant to sign, since I didn't understand what was written on the paper. He said it was about nukes and Fukushima, so I thought "what could possibly go wrong?" and signed it. In return he posed for this picture!
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:25:09 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @70 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/800 | ISO 100 |
Hanami in full bloom at Ueno park
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:27:58 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/400 | ISO 100 |
A man guarding his spot for the hanami. Most of the parks are covered with mats like these at this time.
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:31:02 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @55 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/1250 | ISO 100 |
Sakura as far as the eyes can see.
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:32:13 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @24 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/400 | ISO 100 |
Large scale garbage sorting. 8 kinds!
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:35:41 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @60 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/400 | ISO 100 |
People gathering everywhere in the parks to eat, drink, watch the sakura and have a good time.
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:38:03 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @85 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/500 | ISO 100 |
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:39:19 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @45 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 100 |
There were some food stalls in the park. We had some expensive yakitori, but I should have gotten these fish instead.
| Date: 05.04.2012 11:53:55 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @24 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/200 | ISO 100 |
Meet my friends Morten and Kristine, which arrived a few days before me.
| Date: 05.04.2012 12:43:21 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @45 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/200 | ISO 100 |
There is also a shrine in the park. These are emas, wooden plaques where you write your prayers to the shinto deities.
| Date: 05.04.2012 12:45:41 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @45 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/320 | ISO 100 |
The shrine itself is under renovation, but that doesn't stop people from paying their respect.
| Date: 05.04.2012 12:52:11 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @98 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 100 |
Going down to Shinobazu pond, which is supposed to have a nice shrine as well
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:02:06 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/50 | ISO 100 |
Unfortunately there were also some kind of food market there, so I forgot to take pictures of the shrine. I also wish I had tried one of these!
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:04:09 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @88 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 100 |
Yum, okonomiyaki. More of that later.
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:08:55 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/400 | ISO 100 |
Later in the year this pond is filled with green lotus leaves. Not too impressive at this time.
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:20:31 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/800 | ISO 100 |
You could rent boats. We didnt.
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:22:35 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/250 | ISO 100 |
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:23:59 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/250 | ISO 100 |
He was popular with the birds.
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:31:04 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @47 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/640 | ISO 100 |
The hanami lasts only a few weeks, where the day of full bloom is a major event. On the news there are forcasts for the different cities, I've also heard that journalists are camping around the trees that define when the bloom is full, just to be there for the breaking news.
| Date: 05.04.2012 13:31:21 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @32 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/800 | ISO 100 |
I timed my Japan trip to the hanami season, so I could experience it for myself. I also like spring.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:05:16 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/210 | ISO 200 |
Shirasu and chirimen, which are small fish. More about that later.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:05:54 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/4 | Shutter: 1/220 | ISO 200 |
Dried octopus! According to Pål, they smell pretty bad when your neighbour on the train decides to snack on them.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:11:29 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/6.4 | Shutter: 1/400 | ISO 200 |
Not sure what they are. Looks like fins, but I don't think they are shark fins. Too cheap for that. I hope.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:15:16 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/5 | Shutter: 1/300 | ISO 200 |
Chuutoro and ootoro, the most coveted parts of the tuna. Would be a bit sceptical to buy them here, though.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:21:24 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/6.4 | Shutter: 1/350 | ISO 200 |
Meet Pål's back. He just arrived in Japan and met us right away. He used to be a colleague, but since I went to a competitor, we're just friends. This is an Ueno street, towards Akihabara.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:39:05 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 800 |
We stopped for yakiniku, which is often refered to as Korean barbeque.
| Date: 05.04.2012 14:49:56 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 2000 |
You grill your stuff yourself on the grill in the middle of the table. Try it if you can, it's fun and delicious.
| Date: 05.04.2012 16:57:14 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/8 | Shutter: 1/450 | ISO 200 |
Akihabara! Yay!
| Date: 05.04.2012 17:34:03 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2.2 | Shutter: 1/140 | ISO 200 |
Time for a hot coffee drink.
| Date: 05.04.2012 17:37:14 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2.8 | Shutter: 1/150 | ISO 200 |
Which I could have gotten from this vending machine. The ones with a blue label are cold, while the ones with a red label are warm.
| Date: 05.04.2012 17:39:00 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2.8 | Shutter: 1/160 | ISO 200 |
An example of what Akihabara has to offer.
| Date: 05.04.2012 19:20:32 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1250 |
Kristine, Morten, Pål and me went to this nice Izakaya that Pål knew about. Pål previously lived in Tokyo for 6 years, and will take us to many nice places in the days to come.
| Date: 05.04.2012 19:21:02 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 320 |
Our first, but definitely not last encounter of edamame, which are warm, salty beans. A very good beer snack, which we always ordered from this day forward.
| Date: 05.04.2012 19:55:54 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/125 | ISO 800 |
Plenty of salarymen here today. A good atmosphere.
| Date: 05.04.2012 19:56:19 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/160 | ISO 800 |
That’s what she said!
| Date: 05.04.2012 20:04:00 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.6 | Shutter: 1/50 | ISO 400 |
Still playing with our cameras. Morten is a camera buff as well. Kristine and Pål are very patient.
| Date: 05.04.2012 20:09:49 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1000 |
After 6 years in Japan Pål had gone tired with the usual, boring stuff, like filet and such. This is nankotsu, or chicken cartilage. After he ordered this, he went to fetch a friend, and left us to figure these out ourselves. We chewed off the stuff around and left the cartilage itself in a nice pile. It tasted good, but it felt a bit of wasted effort. Not much to chew off. It turns out that you're supposed to eat the cartilage bit as well. It was a strange sensation.
| Date: 05.04.2012 20:11:46 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 640 |
Yummy, yummy, delicious chicken wings! Best I've had until then.
| Date: 05.04.2012 20:35:35 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/110 | ISO 200 |
We got a lot of other stuff as well, like Korean pancake on the left, guyoza in the lower right corner and negitoro maki in the middle.
| Date: 05.04.2012 21:02:53 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 500 |
Tuna sashimi, very nicely presented.
| Date: 05.04.2012 21:03:01 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/80 | ISO 3200 |
My portrait curse is still in effect…
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:29:55 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 640 |
Our first trip to an Izakaya had left us happy and satisfied. What's next?
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:41:27 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1000 |
Karaoke, of course! We went to a karaoke chain called Big Echo and rented a room for an hour. The building had many floors with many private karaoke rooms on each floor. The room has a direct phone line down to the bar for ordering of drinks.
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:43:58 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1250 |
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:44:02 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1000 |
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:45:17 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 2500 |
The menu. Most in Japanese, but there is a very good English selection as well.
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:45:21 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1250 |
The song selection device. We had two.
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:46:05 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 1000 |
1st up – No Limit! Pål chose it, but both he and Morten refused to sing, so Kristine did it. I did What's Up as the next song.
| Date: 05.04.2012 22:56:00 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 3200 |
No half-assed effort here.
| Date: 05.04.2012 23:13:48 | Camera: FinePix X100 | Lens: @23 mm | Aperture: f/2 | Shutter: 1/100 | ISO 400 |
Kristine would regret she chose this one. I closed with a song from K-On , which is a very popular anime. I was very happy when I found it in the Japanese section, and belted out the words I knew and could read fast enough. I think the others were a bit impressed.
| Date: 06.04.2012 00:11:08 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/125 | ISO 1600 |
I took the last train back to Shinagawa, while the others went back to their hotels. This is the crosisng at night.
| Date: 06.04.2012 00:11:22 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/125 | ISO 1600 |
This essentially says "STOP! with sugar on top"
| Date: 06.04.2012 00:11:43 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/200 | ISO 1600 |
Did I say I like Japanese train crossings?
| Date: 06.04.2012 00:16:52 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/2500 | ISO 1600 |
Manga readers in the local Family Mart.
| Date: 06.04.2012 00:17:12 | Camera: Canon EOS 5D | Lens: EF35mm f/1.4L USM @35 mm | Aperture: f/1.4 | Shutter: 1/80 | ISO 1600 |
Pochi!
Good night, see you all tomorrow.
Some more pictures at my Google+.