Rangefinder Magazine
May 2006

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A Digital Journey to Japan by PAUL SLAUGHTER
A Top Pro Creates a Travelogue in the World’s Most Photogenic Country

Kyoto; Nanzen-Ji Temple compound.

Last summer, the Canadian Government invited my wife, Inée, to attend an Indigenous Language Symposium in the Canadian Pavilion at the Expo 2005 World Exposition in Japan.

The Expo took place near the city of Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture. August is not the best season to visit Japan; it’s hot and extremely humid. Spring and fall are preferable, but this was a great opportunity for me and our 15-year-old son, Alexander, to accompany Inée, who was raised in Japan and speaks Japanese. Needless to say I was excited. What a terrific destination to create photographs with my new Nikon Digital SLR D70s camera. This article will consist of a travelogue of our trip, photo destination tips, notes of my experience using the D70s, and a selection of photographs I created during our sojourn. Over the years I have been fortunate to travel on many continents and visit numerous countries, but this was the first trip on which I used only digital cameras.

It was a comfortable 101/2 hour flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo. We took a bus to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Roppongi Hills, where we were met by my good friend, John Kavelin, the director of design and production for Tokyo Disneyland. John has a spacious, comfortable, air-conditioned condominium where we stayed for our week in Tokyo.

During the trip I used only Nikon Digital SLR D70s cameras and Nikkor zoom lenses, the AF-S DX ED 18–70mm f/3.5–4.5 and the 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor. The lenses are designed exclusively for Nikon’s DX-format SLRs and provide superb versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations. I like the lightness of the lenses and D70s camera body, and they are still stable enough for handholding. It was wonderful not to have a sore shoulder at the end of the day from carrying a heavy bag of analog photo gear.

Subways are the best way to get around Tokyo since traffic can move at a snail’s pace. The city has one of the cleanest, most efficient subway systems in the world. Passnet, a prepaid travel card, is conveniently accepted on all subways and transfers. Cards are available at stations in 1000-, 3000-, or 5000-yen denominations. An average subway ride costs 170 yen. Vending machines at the stations sell an assortment of cold beverages, including espresso, unsweetened green and Oolong teas, and other thirst quenchers for hot weather.

On our first morning in Tokyo, we took a leisurely walk in the humid air through John’s quiet, modern neighborhood. I took some shots of apartment buildings with numerous bicycles parked outside.

Yes, people still ride bikes in Japan. At Tokyo Station we picked up our Japan Railways (JR) Shinkansen tickets. I had made our travel dates and seat reservations on the Internet a month before our U.S. departure. For travels to Nagoya, Kyoto, and return to Tokyo, we chose the Nozomi Express train, since it is new, fast, and stops only at major stations. I just presented my credit card at JR.

Kyoto, Kinaku-Ji Temple; tree and pond.

They gave us our tickets, and off we went to photograph the Otemon Gate of the Imperial Palace. For lunch we had a quick Italian meal, popular in Tokyo, in nearby Marunouchi, Tokyo’s financial center. Most Tokyo office complexes have restaurants and shops on their basement and lower floors. Not an inch of space is wasted in the city, which has some of the highest real estate values in the world. After lunch we took a 30-minute subway and train ride to Inée’s mother’s quiet neighborhood in a western suburb of Tokyo. En route, friendly Japanese families and individuals willingly posed for me. Mama lives in one of the last old style, ornate wooden houses of her neighborhood, now surrounded by modern homes.

On the narrow street to her house was a tofu shop with two pairs of white rubber boots placed neatly in front of the shop. We stopped at a small Buddhist Temple where Inée had played as a little girl. Again I got more good images of the temple and a Buddhist statue.

John arranged tickets for us to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney- Sea, a marvelous adjoining park that opened in 2001. DisneySea is inspired by the myths and legends of the sea and has seven Ports of Call, including an early American Waterfront, a Mediterranean Port, and a Port Discovery. Normally one does not tour both parks in one day but we did—or should I say, our son Alex did. His energy was boundless! At DisneySea, The Journey to the Center of the Earth ride in Mysterious Island is not to be missed. The evening water show, BraviSEAmo, was dramatic and outstanding and made for super pics, as did the Japanese families enjoying Disney.

Throughout the trip I used the Nikon D70s primarily in Program mode, with a combined RAW and JPEG Basic setting for image quality. The two image formats, RAW and JPEG, are recorded simultaneously with each image capture.

It was also simple and convenient to change film speeds on individual image captures. White Balance was set to automatic and the D70s performed well in all lighting conditions. If needed, I could adjust an image’s white balance and color in Photoshop’s CS2 Camera Raw. How expedient to be able to create photographs and not be concerned if they were shot in daylight, fluorescent or tungsten light.

On another day of photography we began on the 40th floor of the World Trade Center (Hamamatsucho Subway Station) that has a fabulous 360° view of the city and Tokyo Bay. If you are lucky you might get a clear day. Afterwards we walked to the nearby Shiodome Subway Station and took the driverless Yurikamone monorail to Odaiba, an area with photogenic futuristic buildings, shops and restaurants built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay. Returning by the public Water Bus, we took sunset shots of the Rainbow Bridge with the city in the background. Waiting at the dock for the Water Bus was a good spot for people pictures. The dock is in front of Decks Mall in Odaiba, known for its huge Joypolis Game Center.

Ginza, in the heart of Tokyo, is packed with shops, restaurants and department stores. Ginza Dori (street) is closed to auto traffic at noon on weekends. I checked my e-mail at the Apple Store.

Above: Tokyo, Harajuku; girl in makeup. Top right: Actors rehearsing in foyer of the Kabuki Theater in Tokyo. Bottom right: Kyoto, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shinto Shrine; detail.

The Sony building displayed their latest technology and games on eight floors of “discovery.” A few blocks away we photographed the ornate Kabuki Theater. Not wanting to miss a photograph of actors rehearsing in the theater’s foyer wearing patterned yukatas (Japanese robes) and obis, I had to shoot through a glass door at a slow shutter speed (see upper right, this page). The shot made an interesting movement image. For all types of camera gear, go to the extremely well stocked BIC Camera and Electronics, a national chain. I purchased a couple of plastic protectors for the LCD screen of the D70s to replace the one on my camera that broke when I accidentally knocked it against a table.

On a Sunday afternoon, we visited Harajuku’s emblematic shopping street, a narrow pedestrian thoroughfare of small shops and crepe stands, frequented primarily by youth and tourists. But the main reason to go to Harajuku is to photograph the teenagers in their creative costumes and colorful makeup (above), ranging from cool to bizarre. The youth hang out each Sunday on the bridge in front of the entrance to the Meiji Shrine. They pose willingly.

I discovered unique graphic, architectural, and garden images in a modern complex of buildings located around the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Roppongi Hills. In the complex is Mori Towers, which houses an observation deck on the 52nd floor and a world-class art museum. Subway Station: Roppongi Hills.

Our “Bullet Train,” the Nozomi, was scheduled to depart from Tokyo for Nagoya at 12:13 p.m. We arrived at the station early to take photographs of the aerodynamic Shinkansen trains departing and arriving (opposite page). We purchased our lunches, for later on the train, from one of the many shops selling Bento boxes (compact, portable rice meals, an important part of Japan’s culinary tradition).

Alex located our train’s departure track and the coach number on the platform. At 12:10 p.m. our train arrived. Passengers scurried aboard through the door of their designated coach. At exactly 12:13 p.m. the train departed. The ride was extremely smooth and comfortable, traveling at an average speed of 300km per hour. In the almost 40 years since it opened, the Shinkansen network has carried over 6 billion passengers without a single serious accident.

Kyoto; Shinkansen train, Photoshop zoom-blur effect.

To take photographs from the fast moving train I set the camera ISO to 400 and speed to 1000 and shot through the window at an angle. (Another tip: It is advisable to travel with a moderately sized piece of luggage with wheels as there is no porter or baggage service in the large stations or on the trains.)

Our hotel in Nagoya was the 52-floor Marriott Hotel, conveniently located directly above the city’s Central Railway Station. The 46th floor room had great views of the modern city. In the twin towers complex, there is a Takashimaya Department store and two floors of small restaurants, located side-by-side. We selected the type of meal we wanted from the colorful, almost lifelike, plastic food displays in their windows.

Expo 2005 Japan, located 30 minutes from Nagoya, with its theme, “Nature’s Wisdom,” emphasized the close links binding humanity to nature in the 21st century. The park was separated into Global Commons: Africa, Asia, Europe, The Americas, and Oceania-Southeast Asia, each with numerous nations participating. A 2.6 km-long wooden walkway circled above the park, with stairs and elevator access to the pavilions below.

Modern modes of transportation such as gondola cars, low-pollution natural gas operated buses, and a battery-driven tram whisked us to and fro. Expo 2005 was packed with tourists, mainly Japanese, some waiting hours to see the most popular pavilion shows. Two corporate zones featured environmentally friendly cutting-edge technology presented in entertaining exhibitions and shows.

The simple graphics of train signage are very appealing.

The Toyota Pavilion show, our favorite, featured futuristic single-passenger concept vehicles and an enjoyable performance by a robot band playing “When The Saints Go Marching In.” At the Canadian Pavilion we got to hear Inée’s excellent presentation and meet attendees of the Symposium: Ainus of Japan, Australian Aboriginals, Native Americans, Polynesians, Africans, etc. Inée is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Language Institute, a nonprofit organization located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, working with Native American Nations, assisting them with methods to preserve and teach their respective languages.

By the time you read this the Expo 2005 buildings will be gone and the entire area will have been returned to its previous natural state of forest and greenery. I captured good images at Expo but my best photographs were portraits of the children and families visiting from all parts of Japan.

Kyoto, oh Kyoto! We saved the best for our last few days in Japan. Serene, undeveloped mountains surround Kyoto, the ancient capital and spiritual center of Japan. In the city and foothills of the mountains are numerous Buddhist temples, shrines and gardens. A photogenic location is the Ryoan-ji Temple, just northwest of the city center, with its peaceful rock garden. In a teahouse on the grounds we enjoyed a lunch of tofu and vegetables simmering in a very tasty broth in a large iron pot, sitting Japanese style on tatami mats, overlooking a peaceful view of a quiet pond and well tended garden. A light rain began to fall on the pond. I feel I got one of my best photographs of the trip—raindrops making gentle, graduating circles in the still pond.

Other photographic locations are Nijo Castle in the center of Kyoto, the large Fushimi Inari Taisha, a Shinto Shrine compound in the southern part of Kyoto, the colorful Nishiki food market in central Kyoto, and tranquil Philosopher’s Walk along a small canal in the Higashiyama district. Kyoto is simple to navigate. Take a walking tour in the Gion district, Kyoto’s most famous geisha quarter.

You might even spot a Geisha. In Gion there are many treasures to discover: quaint wooden houses by a small river with wading cranes, craft and antique shops, tea houses, and small traditional inns called ryokans. On my first visit to Kyoto in 1988, I stayed at a quaint ryokan, sleeping on a futon. The inn is now a private residence. One of the oldest ryokans in Kyoto is the Tawaraya in the central but quiet Nakagyo-ku section of the city. Many internationally famous celebrities have stayed at this inn. At ryokans the charge is per person per room, not just a room rate.

Kyoto roof tiles.

Kyoto is a popular destination with world travelers as well as with the Japanese. Book a hotel room well in advance. We wanted to be comfortable in the humid weather so we made room reservations on the Internet at the Westin Miyako, conveniently located at the foot of the eastern Kyoto mountains. Upon arrival we happily found our room had been upgraded to a top floor suite with a terrific view of Kyoto. At the end of the hallway was a library sitting room overlooking the Nanzen-ji Temple compound and the northeast mountains.

I spent my early mornings there photographing the tranquil, peaceful view of ever- changing light, mist and clouds rolling gently over the mountains. I thought to myself, “How lucky can I be?” On our last evening at the hotel we decided to stay in and have room service. A funny thing happened. The door bell rang. Three housekeeping staff were at the door. One of them asked me if we required turndown service. I said, “Everything is O.K.” They misunderstood me.

“O.K.” must have meant “yes, please.” The smiling ladies charged in, rushing around, turning down the bed linen, changing the towels, and leaving chocolates on the pillows. Before I knew it there was a chorus of “kon ban wa” (“good evening”) as they departed the room. It was like a humorous Max Sennet comedy; it happened so quickly. As soon as they were gone we couldn’t stop laughing.

Subways and buses are the most convenient way to travel in the city. City transportation route maps are available at hotels. We had some great food during our sojourn but especially enjoyed the small Soba (noodle) shops and Sushi bars in Kyoto. I even found Montaroh Sushi in the Gion district where I had eaten in 1988. Norio Yamashita, the sushi chef, said he remembered me.

Kyoto; Kiyomizu Pagoda and red umbrella

Instead of requiring a couple dozen 1GB CompactFlash cards to record images, I used the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer with a 40GB hard disk capacity. It is well designed and works like a charm. Simply drop a card of images in a slot of the P-2000 and in a few minutes you have a folder of the day’s take to preview on its bright 3.8- inch LCD screen. The Epson P-2000 accepts both SD and Compact- Flash cards. Alex photographed with a Nikon Coolpix 7600 Digital camera. He has a good eye for design and found some amazing images.

At the end of the day whoever got to the storage viewer first uploaded their images. The one upgrade I would like to see with the Epson unit is that the I.D. name you give a folder of images, such as Tokyo-Day 1, does not change after uploading the folder from the Epson P-2000 to a computer. I had to identify images in each folder to again name the folder as I preferred. Upon arriving home we viewed our photographs on television directly from the Epson P-2000, and uploaded them to our Macs. On a 1GB CompactFlash card I could record 158 image captures. I came home with over 16 gigabytes of photographs.

In closing I would say I am more than satisfied with the performance of the Nikon D70s Digital SLR Camera. I have edited my take, tweaked a few images, and printed some 13x19 inch photographs on the Epson Stylus Photo 2200 using Entrada’s Moab paper and Epson’s Velvet Fine Art paper. My analog cameras will be gathering dust I’m afraid. Shall I say “Sayonara?” Japan travel information: www.japan -guide.com. Japan Railway information: www.japanrail.com.