Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/20 sec, f/3.2, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Colorful Sensu (Folding Fans)
Ten bucks each

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 170 mm — ¹/6 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
20 bucks each

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 0.7 sec, f/9, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
25 bucks each

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/20 sec, f/3.2, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
75 bucks each
( I don't see the attraction )

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — 0.8 sec, f/13, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bamboo Veins, Bamboo Holder
Fabric Face

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/4 sec, f/9, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
These Were Probably Pretty Pricy
although I neglected to notice how much

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 180 mm — ¹/15 sec, f/5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos

I snapped these photos outside a shop near the entrance to the Kiyomizu Temple (the subject of yesterday's post) on one of the evenings I was out for the Kyoto Higashiyama “Hanatoro” Lightup Event in March. I had my tripod with me, and the crowds had thinned, so I set up outside the shop (and outside the path of customers) and started snapping.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 23 mm — ¹/5 sec, f/5.6, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Can You Guess What They Sell Here?

A few doors down, there was a cute toddler-sized kimono...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — ¹/20 sec, f/4.5, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Toddler Kimono

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/10 sec, f/4, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kid's Fancy Dress-Up Slippers

Of course, these are just toys... you can see kids in real kimono in this post and this post.

I wrote the other day about some hiking in the hills of eastern Kyoto, finishing up that story noting that a trail we took came out at the back of a “sorta' famous spot”, which if you looked at any of the map links, you realized was the Kiyomizu Temple.

This internationally-known cultural attraction is less than 1.2 miles from my house, but I've only been to it a few times, most recently just to photograph the front during one of Kyoto's evening light-up events (with the first photo on that post being the entrance area of Kiyomizu Temple). I also visited a year ago with my Aunt Jeannette and Anthony.

This time, since we were in hiking mode, we got to explore more of the rear regions of the temple complex than I'd ever explored before.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rear of the Main Temple Building

The marquee visual feature is the main temple building, which hangs out over a hillside, supported on a huge lattice of wooden beams. Most people probably won't find it very interesting from the rear (the photo above), but I really love the roof, which looks as if it's made of layer upon layer upon layer of thin wood strips.

Next to the far end of the main building is a long set of stairs heading down...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos

These stairs featured a bit on this post from last year, and the pagoda – visible in the far distance in the top-center of the photo above – on a post earlier this year.

We thought we'd hike over to the pagoda, and along the way got many nice views of the main temple building...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/10, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
( as I mentioned in the first post, it was really hazy )

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 38 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/8, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 28 mm — ¹/40 sec, f/7.1, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
View From The Far Pagoda
which feels much further away than the 190m it actually is

Anthony was a real trouper, so on the way back to the trailhead we stopped by for some refreshments....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/25 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Waiting For Our Treat

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mmmmm, Shaved Ice

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We didn't want to take our shoes off, so sat inside the restaurant, but across the way...
Some People Had Much Nicer Views

Next to the restaurant was some kind of water-spring thing, where you reach out with a long scoop and to get some special water. The sign in front says “Otowa spring is the spring for wishes fulfillment, healthy long-life” in English, although the Japanese uses “waterfall” rather than “spring”. It looked fun to Anthony, so we gave it a try. (It's free.)

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/90 sec, f/6.3, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
otowa no taki
Otowa Waterfall

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
it's at the base of the long stairs shown earlier

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 28 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Main Temple Building From Below

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/350 sec, f/4.5, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
Filling One's Cup

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Ready for the Climb

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 30 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Huge Main-Temple Supports

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Half Way Up
and it seems we've barely taken a dent out of it

Heading back up to Shogun-zuka was faster than the trip down. Walking downhill really hurts my knees, but they're fine when I climb. Also, in the dimming light of the approaching evening, I stopped for photos much less. In the end, it took about 15 minutes to get back to the car.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/1500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Atrium Wall Supports
( ultra-industrial version highly processed in Adobe Lightroom )

I posted earlier today about Kanazawa Station (Kanazawa, Japan) and how it does a wonderful job of mixing traditional Japanese with modern lines.

As I mentioned, the entire space is visually, geometrically rich, so I definitely had fun trying to capture interesting angles. The abstract results were sometimes enhanced (I perhaps fool myself by thinking) with some creative post-processing in Adobe Lightroom, to add a bit of an edge.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gate Underbelly

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11:15AM

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Atrium in B & W
( highly processed in Adobe Lightroom )

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Looking Straight Up
( highly processed in Adobe Lightroom )

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 45 mm — ¹/1600 sec, f/3.2, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Neon Water
( highly processed in Adobe Lightroom )

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Catwalk

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Mathematical Complexity
Top of one of the large gate's legs
( How'd you like to calculate the cuts required when building this thing? )

Clearly, this is not my area, photographically speaking, but (photographically speaking) it was quite fun. I just wish that I hadn't been so rushed for time.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 31 mm — ¹/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Kanazawa Station
the quintessential shot that everyone gets
( but it requires good timing, because you have to stand in the middle of a large intersection to do so )

Last March, Fumie and I traveled to the city of Kanazawa to see Kousuke Atari in concert, and while photography is not allowed during the concert, Japan always offers plenty to enjoy in that respect. I've already posted about Kanazawa's Kenrokuen Gardens, and some hotel-lobby wedding-party shots I took.

Today, I'll post about the geometrically-rich entrance atrium of Kanazawa's JR (Japan Railway) station, one scene from which was the lead photo of my embarrassment of riches post some time ago.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Modern Traditional

The main feature when viewed from the front is a strongly modern (postmodern?) interpretation of a traditional Shinto shrine gate. Compare to the gate at the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima (here, here, and here), or to the more recent (decidedly modern at only ~80 years old) gate at the Heian Shrine (here and here).

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Massive Leg

Reading now on Wikipedia, I see that this gate is referred to as the “Drum Gate”, since each leg looks like a kotsuzumi drum (one whose heads are bound with cords that can be squeezed to change the pitch as one plays, as can be seen in this recent post about Noh Theater).

Between the gate and the building proper is a huge glass-covered atrium (that's actually covered by some kind of plastic, if the wonky effect it had on my camera's polarizing filter is to be understood).

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/320 sec, f/9, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Atrium Enclosure
makes me want a wider angle lens

Within the atrium – called the “Hospitality Dome” in Japanese – is a little stream, benches, etc., all in a style that mixes “modern” and “comfortable” in a way I would not have thought possible. I don't care for “modern” architecture, and even less so for “modern art”, but this was a very enjoyable space, both visually and in general ambiance.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/3.2, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
these guys appear to be
Old Friends
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they all used to be station security guards together, and the guy sitting has retired but still comes to visit for hours on end.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100 — map & image data — nearby photos
“River”
I bet kids play in here a lot

The little “river” flows from just behind the gate, past a bunch of benches, under a walkway, then flows over a waterfall down to a pool two levels below ground.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/3.2, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Flow

In this respect – art and architecture meshing on multiple levels – Kanazawa Station is somewhat similar to Kyoto Station. Kyoto Station is much larger on every scale, and much more fun to explore, but I've got to say that the esthetic sense of Kanazawa Station – presenting “old” in a new but somehow familiar and unified way – was really nice.

In the first two shots of this post, you perhaps noticed that the clock smack center in the front of the station is the answer to the What Am I? quiz from last week. Here's a closer view...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/11, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Clock

The same display was on either side, so it also faced the atrium/station as well. Sometimes the time was replaced with the temperature or a message, so perhaps the answer to the quiz is really “message board”. I would have accepted “clock”, but no one even came close, so this week's bevy of fabulous prizes go unawarded.

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — ¹/5000 sec, f/1.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Welcome to Kanazawa”

Fumie is still miserably sick, so after school, I took Anthony over to play with three-year-old Gen (Zak's son, who has appeared on my blog plaing with Anthony here and here).

We went exploring in western Otsu where the city meets the mountain, with plenty to see and photograph, although I didn't quite get as many photos as yesterday. We got back late (after a delicious Zak-cooked meal... thanks!) and I haven't even looked through all the pics yet, but I wanted to post a few before heading to bed....

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/400 sec, f/6.3, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Bowl of Fun

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 55 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
Sun Hitting the Water
as Gen crosses the small stone bridge
( Gen's dad also snapped a shot at the exact same moment )

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/5, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Waiting for Gen
before having a riceball that Zak brought, then heading up the stairs

A couple of hours (and a couple of hundred pictures) later, lots of sliding down the sides of the big bowl...

Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
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