JAPAN SPRING 2007
March 28, 2007 by Jan Shim
Japanese model in traditional kimono © Jan Shim Photography
Japan, a nation synonymous with traditional values and culture, merged with modernisation and high tech developments brings visitors a unified landscape of a highly accomplished society. Despite its high cost of living, Japan is a country that has so much to offer and if you’ve never been there, let me give you a taste of what to expect in the land of the rising sun!
SAMURAI Warrior © Jan Shim Photography
Welcome to my Japan Spring 2007 blog and photo gallery. If you’ve come here looking for a ideas for your next holiday destination, you’ve come to right place. Japan is like no other countries I’ve visited, and very little has changed since my last two visits (10-15 years ago). By that I mean its culture is built on such strong foundation of tradition, discipline and heritage. This is, of course, a good thing as I particularly like visiting places that are safe and predictable, much like our neighbour Singapore.
In the photo gallery you’ll find 444 images taking you from our transit in Singapore Changi Airport to our itinerary in Japan starting with a city tour of Tokyo. I’ll proceed with my synopsis in the present tense so none of this wonderful experience becomes yesterday’s memories :-). I brought with me my favourite EOS 20D, 580EX Flash, EF10-22mm, EF24-70mm and EF50mm lenses along with four batteries and 12 rechargeable 2700mAh AA’s adding up to a hefty 9kgs of gear and 9GB of CF storage!
On with the tour. We walk out of Narita Airport to be greeted with a thermometer that reads 5.6 Deg C - this is going to be an interesting journey, 5 days in Japan covering Tokyo, Hakone, Toyohashi, Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka and places of interests here are (links to Wikipedia entries):
- Ginza District | Tokyo Disneyland | Mount Fuji | Shinkansen Bullet Train | Kyoto Heian Jingu Shrine | Universal Studios Japan
Shinsaibashi a 5km shopping street that’s more intense than Shanghai’s Nanjing Road. Shinsaibashi features everything you can imagine include the immensely popular and infectious Pachinko and famous King crab legs (Dotombori Arcade) pictured from inside Star Bucks cafe.
A trip to Japan wouldn’t be complete without a taste of world’s finest Kobe Beef pictured here and here at ¥7,000 per 200 grams. Pictured below is a certificate of authenticity from Kobe~serious beef, serious taste, serious business!
p.s. Photo gallery starts with 8 images from Changi Airport, one of my favourite venues and which incidentally lives up to its slogan “Shopping City”. They have something for everyone including free broadband terminals all over the airport, foot massagers from Osim and Otto, “My Foot” massage centre, Game Zone to keep the kids well behaved and a great Japanese eatery called GENKI SUSHI. What I found interesting is each gets piped hot water to the table where you make your own green tea.
Group photo published by Halim Tours & Travel Sdn. Bhd. in United Daily newspaper, a Chinese newspaper with the highest circulation in Brunei and which invariably gets my name spelt wrong. 
Comments from
DPreview
ClubSnap Forum members
POTN (Photography On The Net)
Hi Jan,
Absolutely breath-taking images you took while there. Your work is truly inspiring, but I’m afraid it might put me in the poor house; it puts thoughts of distant travel and buying a 10-22mm lens in my mind >.
[...] Mar 29th, 2007 by Jan Shim Japan, a nation synonymous with traditional values and culture, merged with modernisation and high tech developments brings visitors a unified landscape of a highly accomplished society. Despite its high cost of living, Japan is a country that has so much to offer and I bring to you a taste of what to expect in the land of the rising sun! (wasabi not included) [more …] [...]
Welcome back, Jan! Wow, your pictures of Japan look so yummy and larger than life - I feel as if I’m there with you all! I’m definitely investing in a good camera, after I get my mansion.
Hi Matt, the EF10-22 is an amazing lens. I knew it would be a good investment but hadn’t realized just how good it has turned out to be. Why do I like it so much? UltraWide lenses have a natural optical tendendy to distort reality so in many ways, it’s the “wrong” lens for people and the “right” lens for objects and landscape, so they say. I am a non-conformist in all aspects of the trade and I like how the EF10-22 distorts the reality our eyes see and produces art that our eyes do not see.
Hello! I saw your shots on cs (JAPAN trip) … very nice!
I must say I was blown away by how realistic yet surreal the photos seem to be! It feels almost magical.
Mind sharing what camera/lens/post-processing-software did you use for these shots? Id absolutely love to be able to achieve that kind of effect photographically.
Cheers!
Thanks for taking me to Japan with you….I loved every moment of it. You’ve managed to capture every minute detail of your experience, that most people (like me) take for granted.
Thanks for sharing.
l Iiked your comments about the Kobe Beef..
I, a Bruneian, have been living here in Kobe itself for more than 7 years now so I totally understand your feelilng about Japan here..
Pingo,
Many thanks for your comments. These images were post processed individually to achieve that signature effect. I’m glad the magic of Japan came across to you in my work. I shoot with the EOS 20D and on this trip I brought two lenses: EF 24-70mm and EF 10-22mm p.p. all my work using Paint Shop Pro. I make no secret of the tools I use in my work, everything else is down to personal preference.
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