{"id":2213,"date":"2013-02-19T12:36:45","date_gmt":"2013-02-19T03:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-02-19\/2213"},"modified":"2013-02-19T12:36:45","modified_gmt":"2013-02-19T03:36:45","slug":"my-first-visit-to-kyotos-shugakuin-imperial-villa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2013-02-19\/2213","title":{"rendered":"My First Visit To Kyoto’s Shugakuin Imperial Villa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFormal Reception<\/span>\nImperial police officer waits for tour members to arrive at the\nentrance to the Shugakuin Imperial Villa (\u4fee\u5b66\u9662\u96e2\u5bae),<\/span> Kyoto Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

Last autumn I finally made my first visit to the sprawling mountainside\nShugakuin\nImperial Villa<\/a> in north-east Kyoto. It's one of<\/span> three imperial\n(connected with the Emperor of Japan) sites in Kyoto that you can visit via\nreservation<\/a>, but reservations can be difficult to come by. For example,\nother than a few<\/span> time slots next month, every online reservation slot is already full\nthrough the end of May.<\/p>\n\n

However, foreigners can stop by the Imperial Household Agency office (on\nthe grounds of the imperial-palace park, here<\/a>) to pick up a near<\/span>-term\nreservation if any have opened up. If you're lucky you get one on the same\nday or the next day, but you can try to reserve up to a month<\/span> in advance. You can make<\/span> a reservation<\/span> for yourself and three others, but at most only\none can be Japanese. You need details<\/span> on IDs (copy of a driver's<\/span> license,\npassport, residency card, etc.) for all members in order to register.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNear the Waiting Area<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 4500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWay Too Red<\/span>\nDamien<\/a>'s hat was deep red, but the leaves were much deeper still\n( and so their color overwhelmed the camera sensor<\/a>, washing them out :-()\n
Vertical Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\n1050×<\/span>1681<\/a>  ·  1200×<\/span>1921<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>2561<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTour Guide<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The tour moves at a pretty tight and brisk pace, stopping at various\nbuildings (mostly tea houses) for some discussion. The guides\/chaperons\n— all polite but unsmiling plain-clothed policemen — don't allow\nyou to dawdle. For someone<\/span> interested in photography, it's both exciting\nand frustrating, because you'll be exposed to scene after beautiful scenes,\neach of which you could spend hours at, but in most locations a pause<\/span> of 10\nseconds will earn you a reprimand<\/span> to keep up.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nJust Passing Through<\/span>\nwe were marched past this garden single-file, with nary a moment<\/span> to pause\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuick Snap<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/1.6, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStream<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1250 sec, f<\/span>\/1.6, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLonger Pause<\/span>\nwith much of the villa grounds before us\nShugakuin Imperial Villa (\u4fee\u5b66\u9662\u96e2\u5bae)<\/span>\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The sun was just popping up over the mountains and the light was crisp and raw, leaving the\nevergreen trees positively glowing in an otherworldly way. I thought<\/span> to try to overexpose a bit<\/span> to capture\nthe brilliance... not sure it really works, but here it is:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/9, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBrilliant<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 50mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/9, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nChoke Point<\/span>\npolice chaperon watches and waits while tour members enter a restricted<\/span> area\n<\/div>\n\n

In one of the tea houses (all of which you can see from the outside only), down a long<\/span> dark hallway you could see some notable old paintings\nof some of the huge wooden floats from the Gion Festival (such as this<\/a>\nand this<\/a>). It was very<\/span> dark, but at ISO 10,000 you can make something of nothing...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 10000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMassive Festival Float<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 10000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWooden Gutter<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSomething a bit<\/span> Different<\/span>\njust futzing around in Lightroom\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPath<\/span>\nthe line of evergreens flank a path we took\n
Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n1280×<\/span>800<\/a>  ·  1680×<\/span>1050<\/a>  ·  1920×<\/span>1200<\/a>  ·  2560×<\/span>1600<\/a>  ·  2880×<\/span>1800<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 110 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOn the Path<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The various private\/secure areas are separated by farmer's fields and paths...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFarmer's Path<\/span>\n
Vertical Desktop-Background Versions<\/b>\n\n\n1050×<\/span>1680<\/a>  ·  1200×<\/span>1920<\/a>  ·  1600×<\/span>2560<\/a><\/small><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEmperor's Path<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Continued here...<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last autumn I finally made my first visit to the sprawling mountainside Shugakuin Imperial Villa in north-east Kyoto. It's one of three imperial (connected with the Emperor of Japan) sites in Kyoto that you can visit via reservation, but reservations can be difficult to come by. For example, other than a few time slots next month, every online reservation slot is already full through the end of May.<\/p>

However, foreigners can stop by the Imperial Household Agency office (on the grounds of the imperial-palace park, here) to pick up a near-term reservation if any have opened up. If you're lucky [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,14,1,2,6,25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}