Heading to Tokyo

[tritiated]

I totally recommend the Japan Rail Pass (order before you go), it makes life so easy hopping on and off trains whenever you like.
Just look for the manned barrier and flash the pass! Also it would cover Shinkansen rides (except the Nozomi) - Kyoto return tickets bought separately might be half the price of the JR pass if I remember correctly. You have to use it to reserve seats in this case, but again dead easy.

In Tokyo the Yamanote line is excellent, you can see all the main districts with ease on this line. It's a piece of cake getting around with the JR pass, and in 10 days you can cover lots of ground.

Take lots of cash, it's hit and miss with cards. Most people don't worry about carrying a fair wad.

You could pick up a P+S there if you really want.

Damn I wish I was going..

 

[flip]

I totally recommend the Japan Rail Pass (order before you go), it makes life so easy hopping on and off trains whenever you like.
You could pick up a P+S there if you really want.

I foolishly bought a canon DSLR before coming. You can get better stuff out of vending machines here. J/K 😛 I always recommend that JR rail pass, although its utility varies depending on the city. Not so great for Kyoto IMHO. Another option to consider if time is more an issue than money, is to check the Skymark prices from Tokyo to Osaka or Kobe. Should be under US$100 and save several hours of travel time.



Re: Yokohama - I suppose it was pretty hot. I get spoiled by the mountains and sea being within minutes either way. When I told folks in Himeji I was moving here, every one of them said the same thing: 神戸いいな〜 🙄

 

[urban_alchemist]

You could pick up a P+S there if you really want.

... which would be an excuse to visit Bic Camera in Ginza - a total head-f£$k if ever there was one (in a wonderful way). Make sure to visit the home-rodeos on the second floor, and good luck getting the jingle out of your head for a month afterwards 😀😀😀

"Biiiiiiiici Bici Bici Bic Cam-e-ra!"

 

[Superdan138]

All these responses are great....I went last October and I was only there for about 6 days. I REALLY REALLY wanted to go to Kyoto and was going to do it....but everyone told me DONT go there unless you can spend 2 full days and 1 night there. They said you wont be able to really enjoy everything in 2/3 of a day, since the train there and back is at least 2 hours each way.....so I did the Nikko trip and that was really really cool.....they have this red bridge which is awesome (see below) and many other nice things to photograph. I stayed very close to Shibuya and the camera shops were great. Have a wonderful time and be sure to do some B&W stuff on the Tokyo Tower.......These pics were taken with my Leica M6 and Summi 35mm lens...

 

[specpro]

best used camera store in tokyo imho

best used camera store in tokyo imho

got my M7 and 35mm pre asph lux here. great service and more importantly they speak decent english

http://www.lemonsha.com/english/

 

[morgan]

I'm actually excited to do some clothes shopping japan. I'm shorter/smaller and US mens stuff is generally enormous. I've been to the uniqlo shop in NYC and l like their stuff.

I'm less concerned about the heat and more the rain, which can be a drag. But hey, this is when we can go so we're gonna go and make the best of it. I'm totally psyched for the trip. Also, a friend of ours who's living in Seoul right now is going to come met us, which will be fun as well. I'm trying to get my wife do a night in Kyoto, but since we already paid for Tokyo she's reluctant to sort of double up. She said she'd rather come back and spend the whole time in Kyoto. Working on her though.

Cameras - good advice about sealed bags and silica gel. And the non-leather bag thing (which my main "bag" is right now, just a leather messenger). I think I should find something else more protective. But I live in Boston now and we haven't seen the sun in like two weeks, I'm used to umbrellas and hoods.

 

[urban_alchemist]

I'm actually excited to do some clothes shopping japan. I'm shorter/smaller and US mens stuff is generally enormous. I've been to the uniqlo shop in NYC and l like their stuff.

Don't get your hopes up. I'm an S/XS in most Euro-US stores, yet in Japan I'm huge. My girlfriend (a size 8 UK) turns every T-shirt into a skin-tight dress. Clothes-shopping in Japan for a non-Asian is a very depressing experience... (but if you do go - head to IOIO - "Marui" - in Shibuya: very cool selection of clothes)...

 

[historicist]

Yeah it's true about clothes - my ex got me a couple of cardigans in uniqlo a few years back. Size XL and they're still tight, even though I'm about as skinny as Europeans come.

 

[morgan]

Hey everyone,
I'm back from my trip and just wanted to say thanks for the tips. Tokyo was incredible, unlike any place I've ever been and we had a great time. It was super hot and humid (my j-8 fogged incessantly), but we such a wonderful time and experience. We ended up not going to Kyoto (we did go to Kamakura), but are saving that for a separate trip perhaps next year.

I thought I did ok photo-wise. I shot a lot with the cv 15mm on the R-D1 (using the 15mm viewfinder, which was tough) and the rest with the cv 35 1.2. I didn't put any up on RFF yet, but here's a slideshow I made for my friends if anybody's interested. I shot about 600, whittled it down to 250 or so.
http://www.shuttertothinkphotography.com/morgan_tokyo_slideshow/tokyo_morgan/