valdas
Veteran
This summer we will travel to Japan. It’s my first trip to this country. Obviously, we will read as much as possible online about travel tips, recommendations (places to stay, visit, food to taste etc.). On this forum, however, I would appreciate some photography related tips. First - any particular places which are not mentioned in travel guides. Second - any analogue photography shops that worth paying the visit? We will fly to and from Tokyo, but then we will have two weeks for travel. Nothing is decided yet, we are just starting to plan. And finally - what are street photography rules - both written and unwritten that I need to follow? Thank you in advance!
Shostka
Member
Hi! Welcome to Japan! I don't know well about staying in Japan, but I think staying in ordinary hotel costs a lot. I would recommend staying at youth hostel or something like that, if you are to reduce cost. Anyway...
I also recommend "Kimuraya" at Ginza, they invented bread with red beans paste 150 yrs ago... Ginza has also many camera shops and interesting stores.
But you are allowed to take photos even near the military district like Yokosuka, or Kure, unless there is a sign.
About unwritten:
1. Never use flash when you shoot trains and buses, the driver might be surprised.
2. People in Japan usually dislike being taken their face in photo. If you want to shoot particular person, getting approval from them before shoot will help you. Also, I would not recommend taking photos in trains and buses.
3. Wide angle that many people would shot in single frame, or telephoto angle that those who are shot cannot realize they were shot, is basically approved(I think) in street snap.
I would like someone in this forum would filler my post...
Have fun in Japan!
Foods at local supermarket, or restaurants might be interesting. Small museums like camera museum at Hanzomon would also good for camera lovers.
I also recommend "Kimuraya" at Ginza, they invented bread with red beans paste 150 yrs ago... Ginza has also many camera shops and interesting stores.
There are many analogue photo shops even in central district of Tokyo. Shinjuku is worth visiting: 5 shops are located in very close area. Hayata-camera at Asakusa is also good option. Akihabara has several camera shop. There are many other shops and I will suggest particular shop depending on what and where(including outside of Tokyo) you are looking for!
About written: Never take photo at places signed at "No photography", or "撮影禁止". This is signed at some exhibits at museums, event at some halls, street exhibition etc...
But you are allowed to take photos even near the military district like Yokosuka, or Kure, unless there is a sign.
About unwritten:
1. Never use flash when you shoot trains and buses, the driver might be surprised.
2. People in Japan usually dislike being taken their face in photo. If you want to shoot particular person, getting approval from them before shoot will help you. Also, I would not recommend taking photos in trains and buses.
3. Wide angle that many people would shot in single frame, or telephoto angle that those who are shot cannot realize they were shot, is basically approved(I think) in street snap.
I would like someone in this forum would filler my post...
Have fun in Japan!
Last edited:
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I have been in Japan twice ... once in 1992 and then again in 2002. Both times, I was in Tokyo primarily, but the first time I was there for six weeks and traveled quite a bit.
Memory of the specific places and sights is dim now, but I remember spending a long weekend in Nara, visiting the old palace and a number of temples. I recall a temple complex high up a hill ... Trudging up the hill after a long day's meandering about, my legs tired and I was tired of the noise. I saw a little path between a couple of buildings that went off the main route, walked to it, and just a short ways down that path there was an overlook, looking west into the coming sunset, over the city below. Birds soared through the air and there was serene quiet. A superb moment.
I spent a lot of my time just wandering about the city long into the evenings on the Yamanote line. One evening, I'd been wandering around the Shin Juku district and stepped into the park going towards the old Mei palace grounds. It was getting late, I ducked into the museum there but only had 20 minutes or so to rush through. As I left, sunset was coming on over the mirror lakes and the birds were up, catching flying insects on the wing in the gathering twilight. I walked through the park, stopped a few moments at the Meiji Gingu to take a photo, and ran into a small group of young people. One person spoke perfect, uninflected English, and we talked as we walked towards Harajuku station. She'd been in the US for 8 years, with her grandparents, and then said "Cupertino..." LOL! She'd been living for 8 years essentially across the street from my apartment in Cupertino, CA! Dusk had fallen as we arrived at Harajuku station and the whole troupe of them melted into the crowds of young people there, disappearing. I walked there for a bit, had some dinner, and took the Yamanote line back to my residence in Shinagawa district around 10 pm.
I recall making a number of photographs on that first trip but I'll be darned if I can find any of the negatives at the moment. I had a Leica M6 at the time and probably shot about three dozen rolls of film ... all seemingly lost in space at present. On the 2002 trip, I had a Sony DSC-F707 and have a large collection of photos from that trip .. Street photos of people, mostly; there's a courteous protocol that gets you "into" their permission zone which I learned, over time. But that was thirty years ago, and such cultural things do change.
Good luck on your trip!
G
Memory of the specific places and sights is dim now, but I remember spending a long weekend in Nara, visiting the old palace and a number of temples. I recall a temple complex high up a hill ... Trudging up the hill after a long day's meandering about, my legs tired and I was tired of the noise. I saw a little path between a couple of buildings that went off the main route, walked to it, and just a short ways down that path there was an overlook, looking west into the coming sunset, over the city below. Birds soared through the air and there was serene quiet. A superb moment.
I spent a lot of my time just wandering about the city long into the evenings on the Yamanote line. One evening, I'd been wandering around the Shin Juku district and stepped into the park going towards the old Mei palace grounds. It was getting late, I ducked into the museum there but only had 20 minutes or so to rush through. As I left, sunset was coming on over the mirror lakes and the birds were up, catching flying insects on the wing in the gathering twilight. I walked through the park, stopped a few moments at the Meiji Gingu to take a photo, and ran into a small group of young people. One person spoke perfect, uninflected English, and we talked as we walked towards Harajuku station. She'd been in the US for 8 years, with her grandparents, and then said "Cupertino..." LOL! She'd been living for 8 years essentially across the street from my apartment in Cupertino, CA! Dusk had fallen as we arrived at Harajuku station and the whole troupe of them melted into the crowds of young people there, disappearing. I walked there for a bit, had some dinner, and took the Yamanote line back to my residence in Shinagawa district around 10 pm.
I recall making a number of photographs on that first trip but I'll be darned if I can find any of the negatives at the moment. I had a Leica M6 at the time and probably shot about three dozen rolls of film ... all seemingly lost in space at present. On the 2002 trip, I had a Sony DSC-F707 and have a large collection of photos from that trip .. Street photos of people, mostly; there's a courteous protocol that gets you "into" their permission zone which I learned, over time. But that was thirty years ago, and such cultural things do change.
Good luck on your trip!
G
maddoc
... likes film again.
Late July, August, and the beginning of September are times, when staying in Japan is not a very pleasant experience, very hot and humid. Tokyo is still OK but places like Nagoya (where I live now) and especially Kyoto are not recommended to stay outside for extended periods of time. June and late September are fine if you plan to roam the streets during day time. About photography, bring plenty of film since it has become ridiculous expensive here in Japan. There are plenty of photo galleries in Tokyo to visit, Osaka also has a few places. About photography-related recommendations in Tokyo, best to check regularly what John Sypal (Tokyo Camera Style) reports on his Instagram account.
About street photography, people in Tokyo are still somewhat relaxed, and you can capture the one or other nice street scene, especially when there are events. Most events in summer are in August, though and you need to be prepared for the hot and humid weather during that time.
Since the weakening of the Japanese Yen, Japan has been flooded by tourists. Expect huge crowds in popular places and long waiting times at entrance gates. As a measure against over-crowded Shinkansen Trains, Japan Railways (JR) has now mandatory seat reservations on their fastest Shinkansen trains during peak times that is New Year, Golden Week (first week of May) and during obone season in the beginning-middle of August. You can reserve seats online but should be quick. It is also recommended to get one of the JR railway passes if yo plan to roam around in Japan, there are many choices.
About street photography, people in Tokyo are still somewhat relaxed, and you can capture the one or other nice street scene, especially when there are events. Most events in summer are in August, though and you need to be prepared for the hot and humid weather during that time.
Since the weakening of the Japanese Yen, Japan has been flooded by tourists. Expect huge crowds in popular places and long waiting times at entrance gates. As a measure against over-crowded Shinkansen Trains, Japan Railways (JR) has now mandatory seat reservations on their fastest Shinkansen trains during peak times that is New Year, Golden Week (first week of May) and during obone season in the beginning-middle of August. You can reserve seats online but should be quick. It is also recommended to get one of the JR railway passes if yo plan to roam around in Japan, there are many choices.
peterm1
Veteran
One thing I was planning to do on a tip to Japan (called off due to COVID lockdowns) was to explore some of the historic feudal 'highways" (actually foot trails more than highways) parts of which are still intact (i.e. not converted into actual highways). One of these - the "Nakasendo" - runs from Tokyo to Kyoto and parts of it are preserved in the style of feudal villages and other parts are sylvan and bucolic. Many people walk parts of the trail over several days but this is not necessary - day trips to key beauty spots / villages such as Tsumago juku are possible. Being in the hills above Nagoya I think it would be a little cooler. But possibly crowded at that time of year. One thing that puts me off Japan right now is that it presently has the reputation of being absolutely flooded with tourists. There are also other similar trails known as "Pilgrimage Trails" in Japan which may be worth investigating simply because some of them are located in beautiful parts and have access to remarkable temples.
JeffS7444
Well-known
Archiver
Veteran
The one and only time I went to Japan was in 2010, so I cannot offer any current knowledge. But it was a breeze to travel with a light setup like a M body and a few lenses, and a compact camera as backup. My preference for any kind of travel is to find the right ratio of image quality and portability - were I to do this again, I'd make a couple of changes to my gear, and might not even take a M body, but that is outside the scope of this question.
Places for film cameras:
Katsumido Camera and Lemon Camera in Ginza. Map Camera. For fun, go to any Yodobashi Camera and just wallow in the sheer goodness of it all. More tripods than War of the Worlds, hahaha.
GRD3 - GRD and GXR by Archiver, on Flickr
Places to shoot:
Street shooting is awesome in any of the major places in Tokyo and Osaka. Ginza, Shinjuku, Ueno, Tokyo Museum, try everything. Depending on how long you will be there, get a JR Rail Pass that allows you to just pass through the turnstile and get on any train you want, and do the Tokyo Loop Line, getting off at each station and exploring for a while.
M9 + CV35/1.4 - Shimbashi by Archiver, on Flickr
M9 - I Am Number Four by Archiver, on Flickr
Okay, I'll talk about gear since people are asking, and not because I'm obsessed with gear. Okay, okay, no one is asking and I'm obsessed with gear. But anyway, the original gear selection for Japan 2010 was the Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105 and 35L. Zoom for general things every day, and 35L for the night. The 5D was capable of very decent video, too. But I opted for the much lighter and smaller kit of:
I also took the Ricoh GRD III for general snapshots and the Canon S90 for pocket video. This was in 2010, when mobile phones had terrible video and similarly bad stills.
Now, I would take either my M9 with Zeiss 21/2.8 and Distagon 35, or Panasonic S5 with Sigma 28-70/2.8 plus Sigma 35/2 or 50/2. Secondary camera would be the Panasonic GX85 with PanaLeica 9mm and Olympus 17/1.8 or PanaLeica 15/1.7.
Rationale: the wide angle lenses provide a way to capture interiors, landscapes and streetscapes easily. The fast 35 is perfect for night shooting. The Panasonic S5 with a standard fast zoom gives a lot of flexibility and keeps the weight down, and allows for very high quality video capture. The GX85 as complementary camera would have either the 9mm or 17mm mounted depending on what is on the other camera.
Looking back at my trip to Japan, I love the images, but I'm disappointed that I didn't have more video, and a camera like the Panasonic S5, or GX85 in the very least, would provide decent video in an easy to capture manner. The easier it is to do something, the more likely that you'll do it.
Places for film cameras:
Katsumido Camera and Lemon Camera in Ginza. Map Camera. For fun, go to any Yodobashi Camera and just wallow in the sheer goodness of it all. More tripods than War of the Worlds, hahaha.
GRD3 - GRD and GXR by Archiver, on FlickrPlaces to shoot:
Street shooting is awesome in any of the major places in Tokyo and Osaka. Ginza, Shinjuku, Ueno, Tokyo Museum, try everything. Depending on how long you will be there, get a JR Rail Pass that allows you to just pass through the turnstile and get on any train you want, and do the Tokyo Loop Line, getting off at each station and exploring for a while.
M9 + CV35/1.4 - Shimbashi by Archiver, on FlickrM9 - I Am Number Four by Archiver, on FlickrOkay, I'll talk about gear since people are asking, and not because I'm obsessed with gear. Okay, okay, no one is asking and I'm obsessed with gear. But anyway, the original gear selection for Japan 2010 was the Canon 5D Mark II with 24-105 and 35L. Zoom for general things every day, and 35L for the night. The 5D was capable of very decent video, too. But I opted for the much lighter and smaller kit of:
- my new M9
- Zeiss 21/2.8
- CV 35/1.4
- Summicron 50 v5
- and CV 75/2.5
I also took the Ricoh GRD III for general snapshots and the Canon S90 for pocket video. This was in 2010, when mobile phones had terrible video and similarly bad stills.
Now, I would take either my M9 with Zeiss 21/2.8 and Distagon 35, or Panasonic S5 with Sigma 28-70/2.8 plus Sigma 35/2 or 50/2. Secondary camera would be the Panasonic GX85 with PanaLeica 9mm and Olympus 17/1.8 or PanaLeica 15/1.7.
Rationale: the wide angle lenses provide a way to capture interiors, landscapes and streetscapes easily. The fast 35 is perfect for night shooting. The Panasonic S5 with a standard fast zoom gives a lot of flexibility and keeps the weight down, and allows for very high quality video capture. The GX85 as complementary camera would have either the 9mm or 17mm mounted depending on what is on the other camera.
Looking back at my trip to Japan, I love the images, but I'm disappointed that I didn't have more video, and a camera like the Panasonic S5, or GX85 in the very least, would provide decent video in an easy to capture manner. The easier it is to do something, the more likely that you'll do it.
DownUnder
Nikon Nomad
A little history. I did Japan, those parts of it I had time for and could afford on a low budget for my six months in SE.Asia, in October 1974. Correct, fifty years ago. Half a century. Much of it ancient history, but I hope a few things will be relevant.
Anyway, in that time passed I expect a few things in Japan have changed.
In the 1970s Japan had a reputation as being hyper expesive for foreign tourists. I was travelling in SE Asia on a n amazingly tight budget, so I had to plan with utmost care.
I was in Malaysia, and at the last minute an affordable airfare came up, from a travel agent I was friendly with in Kuala Lumpur. On very short notice off I went to Tokyo for ten days of fast-track wandering around the country.
With only a little money and four months more in Asia to budget for, I had to maximise all my options. After much reading of brochures and intense conversations with Malaysian friends who'd been, I made careful plans for two days in Tokyo on arrival - my familiarisation time - and then on by train, in those days affordable, now not so cheap as then but likely faster.
Customs and immigration in Tokyo were painless. At the airport I handed the customs officer on duty my plastic bag of boxed 120 roll films and this gentleman, having expressed a positive comment about my Rolleiflex TLR, kindly handed me all my films, saying, "thank you sir, welcome to Japan." Now even in our digital age with a little planning and a good attitude, you analog photographers will breeze through without any films being heavily scrutinised.
Now I was in Tokyo. A casual talk with a Japanese businessman on my flight led me to a small but entirely adequate US$20 a night hotel in the city centre, sadly now demolished.
My itinerary was Days 1-2 Tokyo, Day 3 Tokyo - Nagoya (340 km) and overnight there, Day 4 Nagoya - Kyoto (135 km) for two nights, Day 6 Kyoto - Osaka (55 km) for one night, Day 7 Osaka - Kobe (100 km), my last onward stop. Then Day 8 for my return from Kobe to Tokyo with two more nights there to meet up with local friends I'd made, see the urban sights and fill myself to the ears with legendary fast food.
I planned an early departure from the Tokyo central rail station so as to see Mount Fuji along the way, sadly the day was overcast with heavy rain along the way - as my train raced past the Fuji view point I was keenly disappointed to see the entire landscape clouded over and a huge downpour wetting down everything.
Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe were pleasant enough but essentially nondescript. I now look at my Kodachrome slides and see little difference between the three cities. Now in our internet-everything age so much more information is available and my visits to these places would surely be vastly different.
Kyoto I fell in love with the minute I arrived at the rail station. A small taxi with a charming driver who spoke basic but entirely correct English took me (at his suggestion) to a small ryokan on a narrow side street a little out of the way but entirely walkable to all the glorious temples and parks. I was totally enchanted by everything I saw, and I walked miles and wore out my legs to take in as many of the temples as I could locate on my city map - there was at that time a kiosk for tourists at the station with one English-speaking staff person who loaded me up with good brochures on the city, admittedly most in Japanese but with detailed maps and the main street names in English. Which saved my skin.
Ultimately in Kobe, at the last minute and after my time of such intense cultural immersion in Kyoto, I decided to do an extra day-night stop there, and on Day 9 a fast rail trip to Tokyo. Which I did.
Looking back at my archived images now I see I used up about half my stock of 120 Ektachrome in those ten days in Japan. Fujicolor negative film was available in many local shops but Kodak films were expensive and beyond my already stretched budget. Alas, I did buy and use a lot of color negative film and all my negs have faded, altho' most can be saved with archival scanning.
My own impressions now. Fifty years is most of a lifetime and much in Japan has changed. I try to avoid sepia-tinted memories viewed with rosy-coloured spectacles, and write about 'now' things, with the help of my friends who've been to Japan recently.
Back then few Japanese spoke English. Now many do, mostly the young and of course students. Some will come to you to introduce themselves and have a pleasant chat about general things. Do indulge. Ten or twenty minutes of pleasant conversation will give you a chance to ask about local things of interest.
Japanese are polite but they can be exceedingly formal. In my time I had several odd experiences of asking people on the street for directions, only to have them look horrified and scuttle away at a rapid clip, like mice running across a floor. Now it seems this is no longer so. Being me, if I were lost or needing assistance anywhere in Japan I would now go to a police station or to any policeman on the street, and ask. There seems a Japanese code of behaviour to help someone who asks, and this is a good thing.
Accommodation can be found everywhere. Hotels are easily booked online. Ryokans, well - I stayed in only one, in Kyoto, a unique and unforgettable experience in late autumn with a garden of European trees fast changing colors to reds, yellows and golds. A ryokan I will happily and even eagerly do again if and when I return to Japan (a two week trip later his year is planned), but at what cost, I no longer know. Expensive, likely. And worth one or two nights. If food is included in the ryokan rate you will be well fed with sometimes even sake - usually heated to blood-warm temperature and a soothing drink on a cold night - included.
Lovers of Japanese food, even fast food, will be in Seventh Heaven. Even the supermarkets sell it, all freshly made and in seemingly endless varieties. In the GODs any leftover sashimi, sushi and even cooked packets were sold at half price in the late afternoons, but this may no longer be so. Small cafes and restaurants are good places to eat in more comfort, most post their dishes and prices in their windows. Check prices carefully and do your calculation. Friends who visited in 2023 said out of Tokyo many small eating-places still want payment in cash and not by card.
Most alcohol in Japan is expensive. A notable exception is sake, which not everyone has a fancy for. As a sake lover during all my evenings out of Tokyo I was never heavily drunk but I have to say I rarely drew a sober breath. Foreign tourists can take in three bottles duty free. Be careful to not exceed this limit, the over the limit tax is stiff.
Rail is the way to travel in Japan. In the '70s booking trains was more complicated and tedious, with visits to rail stations and standing in line in polite but long queues. Now rail tickets are easily booked online. back then I used off-peak rail discounts, but nobody I know confirmed if these are still offered. Maybe ask at a rail station out of Tokyo where usually the line-ups are shorter (I hope).
I would go in May or mid October - early November, to avoid the huge summer tourist crowds and (maybe) get the advantage of some discounted hotels and travel.
In the '70s and '80s I travelled with cash and AmEx TCs. Now it's a credit card, a debit card and for emergencies $500 in AUD $50s. I used money changers in Tokyo and Kyoto, but now I've no idea how these work or what they charge as commissions. Most tourists nowadays use debit cards and ATMs, but watch the fees. If someone reading this knows, please advise.
Security throughout the country is excellent. Most hotels rooms have lockable safe deposit boxes, large enough to hold cash, cameras and laptops.
So much for time past and what it was like. My recent information is from six friends who did Japan post-Covid, so it's surely quite accurate. I've tried to keep everything general, as others here have posted in detail far more (and better) than I ever could.
Cameras? In 1974, a Rolleiflex and 20 rolls of film. Now a Nikon DSLR or Fuji mirrorless and at most two or three lenses. Less gear is best. Film camera users need have no fear, there are ample film supplies in the cities at prices similar to Australia.
In my time there, Kyoto first and foremost and also Tokyo won my heart - the first for the incredible culture, the beautiful gardens and the memorable temples, the second for the sights, the food, the people, and the zip of urban life. I hope to return to Japan this year while I still can and renew if not relive my old adventures, with some nostalgia and with eyes open to see - and capture in pixels - all the beauty, the exotic, the unforgettable, the everyday of a cultured and most unique Asian country.
(Too lengthy as usual, apologies for that. not to be overlooked are the so many good online threads and the memorable books written about Japan, that say it all far better than I can.)
Anyway, in that time passed I expect a few things in Japan have changed.
In the 1970s Japan had a reputation as being hyper expesive for foreign tourists. I was travelling in SE Asia on a n amazingly tight budget, so I had to plan with utmost care.
I was in Malaysia, and at the last minute an affordable airfare came up, from a travel agent I was friendly with in Kuala Lumpur. On very short notice off I went to Tokyo for ten days of fast-track wandering around the country.
With only a little money and four months more in Asia to budget for, I had to maximise all my options. After much reading of brochures and intense conversations with Malaysian friends who'd been, I made careful plans for two days in Tokyo on arrival - my familiarisation time - and then on by train, in those days affordable, now not so cheap as then but likely faster.
Customs and immigration in Tokyo were painless. At the airport I handed the customs officer on duty my plastic bag of boxed 120 roll films and this gentleman, having expressed a positive comment about my Rolleiflex TLR, kindly handed me all my films, saying, "thank you sir, welcome to Japan." Now even in our digital age with a little planning and a good attitude, you analog photographers will breeze through without any films being heavily scrutinised.
Now I was in Tokyo. A casual talk with a Japanese businessman on my flight led me to a small but entirely adequate US$20 a night hotel in the city centre, sadly now demolished.
My itinerary was Days 1-2 Tokyo, Day 3 Tokyo - Nagoya (340 km) and overnight there, Day 4 Nagoya - Kyoto (135 km) for two nights, Day 6 Kyoto - Osaka (55 km) for one night, Day 7 Osaka - Kobe (100 km), my last onward stop. Then Day 8 for my return from Kobe to Tokyo with two more nights there to meet up with local friends I'd made, see the urban sights and fill myself to the ears with legendary fast food.
I planned an early departure from the Tokyo central rail station so as to see Mount Fuji along the way, sadly the day was overcast with heavy rain along the way - as my train raced past the Fuji view point I was keenly disappointed to see the entire landscape clouded over and a huge downpour wetting down everything.
Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe were pleasant enough but essentially nondescript. I now look at my Kodachrome slides and see little difference between the three cities. Now in our internet-everything age so much more information is available and my visits to these places would surely be vastly different.
Kyoto I fell in love with the minute I arrived at the rail station. A small taxi with a charming driver who spoke basic but entirely correct English took me (at his suggestion) to a small ryokan on a narrow side street a little out of the way but entirely walkable to all the glorious temples and parks. I was totally enchanted by everything I saw, and I walked miles and wore out my legs to take in as many of the temples as I could locate on my city map - there was at that time a kiosk for tourists at the station with one English-speaking staff person who loaded me up with good brochures on the city, admittedly most in Japanese but with detailed maps and the main street names in English. Which saved my skin.
Ultimately in Kobe, at the last minute and after my time of such intense cultural immersion in Kyoto, I decided to do an extra day-night stop there, and on Day 9 a fast rail trip to Tokyo. Which I did.
Looking back at my archived images now I see I used up about half my stock of 120 Ektachrome in those ten days in Japan. Fujicolor negative film was available in many local shops but Kodak films were expensive and beyond my already stretched budget. Alas, I did buy and use a lot of color negative film and all my negs have faded, altho' most can be saved with archival scanning.
My own impressions now. Fifty years is most of a lifetime and much in Japan has changed. I try to avoid sepia-tinted memories viewed with rosy-coloured spectacles, and write about 'now' things, with the help of my friends who've been to Japan recently.
Back then few Japanese spoke English. Now many do, mostly the young and of course students. Some will come to you to introduce themselves and have a pleasant chat about general things. Do indulge. Ten or twenty minutes of pleasant conversation will give you a chance to ask about local things of interest.
Japanese are polite but they can be exceedingly formal. In my time I had several odd experiences of asking people on the street for directions, only to have them look horrified and scuttle away at a rapid clip, like mice running across a floor. Now it seems this is no longer so. Being me, if I were lost or needing assistance anywhere in Japan I would now go to a police station or to any policeman on the street, and ask. There seems a Japanese code of behaviour to help someone who asks, and this is a good thing.
Accommodation can be found everywhere. Hotels are easily booked online. Ryokans, well - I stayed in only one, in Kyoto, a unique and unforgettable experience in late autumn with a garden of European trees fast changing colors to reds, yellows and golds. A ryokan I will happily and even eagerly do again if and when I return to Japan (a two week trip later his year is planned), but at what cost, I no longer know. Expensive, likely. And worth one or two nights. If food is included in the ryokan rate you will be well fed with sometimes even sake - usually heated to blood-warm temperature and a soothing drink on a cold night - included.
Lovers of Japanese food, even fast food, will be in Seventh Heaven. Even the supermarkets sell it, all freshly made and in seemingly endless varieties. In the GODs any leftover sashimi, sushi and even cooked packets were sold at half price in the late afternoons, but this may no longer be so. Small cafes and restaurants are good places to eat in more comfort, most post their dishes and prices in their windows. Check prices carefully and do your calculation. Friends who visited in 2023 said out of Tokyo many small eating-places still want payment in cash and not by card.
Most alcohol in Japan is expensive. A notable exception is sake, which not everyone has a fancy for. As a sake lover during all my evenings out of Tokyo I was never heavily drunk but I have to say I rarely drew a sober breath. Foreign tourists can take in three bottles duty free. Be careful to not exceed this limit, the over the limit tax is stiff.
Rail is the way to travel in Japan. In the '70s booking trains was more complicated and tedious, with visits to rail stations and standing in line in polite but long queues. Now rail tickets are easily booked online. back then I used off-peak rail discounts, but nobody I know confirmed if these are still offered. Maybe ask at a rail station out of Tokyo where usually the line-ups are shorter (I hope).
I would go in May or mid October - early November, to avoid the huge summer tourist crowds and (maybe) get the advantage of some discounted hotels and travel.
In the '70s and '80s I travelled with cash and AmEx TCs. Now it's a credit card, a debit card and for emergencies $500 in AUD $50s. I used money changers in Tokyo and Kyoto, but now I've no idea how these work or what they charge as commissions. Most tourists nowadays use debit cards and ATMs, but watch the fees. If someone reading this knows, please advise.
Security throughout the country is excellent. Most hotels rooms have lockable safe deposit boxes, large enough to hold cash, cameras and laptops.
So much for time past and what it was like. My recent information is from six friends who did Japan post-Covid, so it's surely quite accurate. I've tried to keep everything general, as others here have posted in detail far more (and better) than I ever could.
Cameras? In 1974, a Rolleiflex and 20 rolls of film. Now a Nikon DSLR or Fuji mirrorless and at most two or three lenses. Less gear is best. Film camera users need have no fear, there are ample film supplies in the cities at prices similar to Australia.
In my time there, Kyoto first and foremost and also Tokyo won my heart - the first for the incredible culture, the beautiful gardens and the memorable temples, the second for the sights, the food, the people, and the zip of urban life. I hope to return to Japan this year while I still can and renew if not relive my old adventures, with some nostalgia and with eyes open to see - and capture in pixels - all the beauty, the exotic, the unforgettable, the everyday of a cultured and most unique Asian country.
(Too lengthy as usual, apologies for that. not to be overlooked are the so many good online threads and the memorable books written about Japan, that say it all far better than I can.)
Last edited:
Shostka
Member
This can be very interesting. Many railways and national route in Japan go along with former "historic highway". Also sometimes there is still actual pathway that people used to go through. Koshu-kaido is now became referred as Route #20, and you can see the former one nearby in Tokyo. Nakasendo has now became Route #18. I recommend visiting Karuizawa and Yokokawa in Nagano and Gunma pref., it's rather cooler in summer because of their height. I love railway ruins and old town located there...
And I must note about film in Japan.
1. If you plan to fly to and from Japan via Korea, your film will exposed to X-ray inspection. Security staff in Korean airport basically don't accept hand check, so please be careful about that. It might be safer buying film in Japan and develop it before you leave.
2. CN film prices are about $10 for Fujicolor100 and $12 for Kodak GOLD, CN developing costs from $4, depending on stores. I can tell you which store to buy and develop film in Tokyo, so just contact me if you need help!
3. Developing positives can take at least 3 days at particular lab in Tokyo and more for other shop. BW dev at store usually takes around 1 week, but I can help you developing at my univ. or my house if you need.
maddoc
... likes film again.
I have walked the Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago, it is a little cooler there in summer as compared to Nagoya indeed. However, I walked the part during the peak of the COVID-19 times together with a friend so we could enjoy the nature and staying in a ryokan for a considerable low price, JPY15,000 instead of 40,000, which was last year's price per person for one night. Again, with the steeply increasing number of visitors in Japan, especially last year, also this part of Japan has become very crowded and as everything here tourism related very expensive.
A friend of mine has walked parts of the Tokaido, Nakasendo and some other "classic" travel routes in a three month journey that took him 2,000km (yes, walking) from Tokyo to Beppu (Kyushu) and back. He has published a very nice phonebook about his adventure "Just Walking （歩く旅)" by Stefan SPEIDEL, published by Shashabook in Japan (unfortunately out of stock but Amazon might still have some copies).
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Regards asking people for directions, I found a protocol that worked nicely on my visit there in 1992. I'd be pleasantly lost somewhere in Tokyo and realized I needed to find somewhere (like the train station or a restaurant, etc). I'd wait for a young couple and a 7 to 10 year old child to be walking along. I bowed to the parents, and turned to the child, asking in English if he/she knew where whatever it was happened to be. The child would turn to the parents and tell them what I was looking for in Japanese, they would tell him/her, and he would relay it to me in English. I would smile and thank the child profusely, then bow to the parents and compliment them on the intelligence and good looks of their child. They would bow back to me, thanking me for the compliments. Sometimes, they and the child would pose with me for a photograph too.
You see, I knew that by 1992 most Japanese adults spoke *some* English, but no adults would insult me by speaking my language poorly. There are no such constraints on children, however, and the kids are all learning English in school. It was an amazing little protocol that worked, time after time, and everyone seemed to be quite happy with the interaction.
G
—
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Godfrey
somewhat colored
It's listed as 'in stock' here: Just Walking 歩く旅 — Stefan Speidel Photography
Might have to buy a copy ...
G
yes!
When I visited Japan a couple of times in the early 2000s, my host told me "just approach a young person if you get lost or need directions. They'll understand English and will enjoy helping you." This advice was absolutely correct. Not to say that older citizens weren't helpful, they certainly tried, but the language barrier was a bit too great. Wonderful people.
As for where to go, don't miss Mt. Fuji. 🏔️
When I visited Japan a couple of times in the early 2000s, my host told me "just approach a young person if you get lost or need directions. They'll understand English and will enjoy helping you." This advice was absolutely correct. Not to say that older citizens weren't helpful, they certainly tried, but the language barrier was a bit too great. Wonderful people.
As for where to go, don't miss Mt. Fuji. 🏔️
JeffS7444
Well-known
If you want to really blow your mind about Japan's lesser-known regions, go to Google Maps and zoom in on some of the tiny but inhabited islands which make up the Japanese archipelago, which extends from around Sakhalin in the north, down to nearly Taiwan in the south. One of those islands, Aogashima, is considered part of Tokyo!
valdas
Veteran
Thank you all so far, please keep on sharing, it’s really super interesting, especially some cultural tips.
JeffS7444
Well-known
If you embark on any longer-distance train trips, consider trying ekiben.
Beemermark
Veteran
It's super easy to get lost in Tokyo. Get a business card from your hotel. If you get really lost on a walk you can hail a cab and give them the business card. I don't think anyone has mentioned it but the food is either really good or really bad. Eating out on my own always had me wondering was I eating meat, vegetables, or mineral. Really ugh to the western palette. When my Japanese business associates would order the food it was fantastic. Eating on your own is an epic adventure.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Hmm. I never had any difficulties with food in Japan, but then I was used to the Japanese palette long before I went to Japan.
What was surprising in some instances was the Japanese interpretation of the Western palette ... I recall interesting oddities in one place or another where a "hamburger" might have bean paste or other unusual oddities included in it that you'd never see in the USA or Europe. And the native Japanese notion of breakfast is truly unlike what passes for breakfast in the West.
But none of these things struck me as difficulties. Just different tastes from a different cultural background.
I do remember a fantastic, fun adventure trying to find the ingredients to make American-style pancakes in a Japanese grocery store ...
G
What was surprising in some instances was the Japanese interpretation of the Western palette ... I recall interesting oddities in one place or another where a "hamburger" might have bean paste or other unusual oddities included in it that you'd never see in the USA or Europe. And the native Japanese notion of breakfast is truly unlike what passes for breakfast in the West.
But none of these things struck me as difficulties. Just different tastes from a different cultural background.
I do remember a fantastic, fun adventure trying to find the ingredients to make American-style pancakes in a Japanese grocery store ...
G
Yokosuka Mike
Abstract Clarity
Tokyo - my personal opinion
Imagine a jigsaw puzzle the size of a small universe; a jigsaw puzzle consisting of over a million pieces and each piece is capable of being another universe in itself. Welcome to Tokyo.
Tokyo is huge! A person can live in Tokyo for 30 years and still be scratching the surface of the totality of the city. The cultural and historical depth of Tokyo is near impossible to measure.
It’s a clean city, it’s a dirty city, it’s sin city, it's a historical museum, it's a modern day futuristic phenomenon, it's a culinary mecca, it’s a drinkers paradise, it’s cheap, it’s expensive, it’s a photographer's dream come true... It can be exhausting.
I live 2 hours away from Tokyo by train. I never visit Tokyo just for wandering around. I always have a plan, a destination, and a purpose when I visit. I tell people that are planning on visiting Tokyo that research and planning are critical to a successful visit. Without an itinerary or plan of some sort (no matter how vague), a person can walk around for hours and see nothing of interest.
To anyone visiting Tokyo I wish you the best. Pretty much everything everyone has said in this thread is true (IMO). Especially the advice not to visit in August!
All the best,
Mike
Imagine a jigsaw puzzle the size of a small universe; a jigsaw puzzle consisting of over a million pieces and each piece is capable of being another universe in itself. Welcome to Tokyo.
Tokyo is huge! A person can live in Tokyo for 30 years and still be scratching the surface of the totality of the city. The cultural and historical depth of Tokyo is near impossible to measure.
It’s a clean city, it’s a dirty city, it’s sin city, it's a historical museum, it's a modern day futuristic phenomenon, it's a culinary mecca, it’s a drinkers paradise, it’s cheap, it’s expensive, it’s a photographer's dream come true... It can be exhausting.
I live 2 hours away from Tokyo by train. I never visit Tokyo just for wandering around. I always have a plan, a destination, and a purpose when I visit. I tell people that are planning on visiting Tokyo that research and planning are critical to a successful visit. Without an itinerary or plan of some sort (no matter how vague), a person can walk around for hours and see nothing of interest.
To anyone visiting Tokyo I wish you the best. Pretty much everything everyone has said in this thread is true (IMO). Especially the advice not to visit in August!
All the best,
Mike
Shostka
Member
Wandering around Tokyo can be both very boring and interesting. I often wander around Tokyo to hunt rare cameras, visit book stores and museums, but I would never go out without any purposes. Even Akihabara, my favorite district in Tokyo, can easily bore me when I have no goods looking for. People walking in Japan, especially in Tokyo have their own "purposes" I think...
images: Almaz103. MC Volna 50mmF1.8, Fujicolor100
About film: I like to shoot Tokyo with Fujicolor100, the best film(I believe) for shooting daylights, green plants, cloudy days, indoors, and people in Japan, made by Fujifilm. If you are usually using Kodak or B/W, try Fujicolor100 in Japan!
images: Almaz103. MC Volna 50mmF1.8, Fujicolor100
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