Photography

Experimental Japan photo animation

David Lee has posted this pretty neat experimental photography animation set in Japan:

I hope he took some of those early photos in an area of Kyoto without the [Ｄｏｎｏｔ　ｆｏｌｌｏｗ　Ｍａｉｋｏｓ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔｒｅｅｔｓ] signs.

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Photo: Yokohama in 1859

The Yomiuri reports on the discovery of the oldest known photographs of Yokohama:

According to the museum, the photographs were taken by Swiss photographer Pierre Joseph Rossier (1829-72), who visited Yokohama right after the port opened in the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867).

The photographs were discovered in 2007 by Terry Bennett, a London-based scholar who has been researching Rossier. Bennett declined to disclose where he obtained the pictures, the museum said.

The photographs will go on display at the Yokohama Archives of History starting April 22.

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Photo: Abe & Fukuda

An unflattering photo of former Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda listening to the speech Taro Aso gave today:

[via Foreign Policy]

Japan Photo of the Week: Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha is a shrine on the edge of Nara Park and is famous for having a lot of stone and bronze lanterns. By a lot I mean in the thousands.

If you are in Nara, it would be a shame to miss this UNESCO World Heritage Site and in a few weeks there will be a great opportunity. The lanterns are only lit a few times a year (twice I think?) and one of those times is for Obon. The Lantern Festival of Kasuga Taisha takes place August 14th and 15th. As much as I liked it during the day, I can imagine Kasuga Taisha really amazing at night with all the lanterns lit! Anyone ever go at a time when the lanterns were lit?

For more photos and information check out the Japan Photo Guide or for some larger and higher quality photos take a peak at the gallery.

This photograph was taken by Evan Pike.

Japan Photo of the Week: Hakodate

If you are looking to escape the heat and humidity of Japan, Hokkaido is the place to be in the summer. There are many places worth visiting and summer time is the perfect time for a lot of these places. This week I am sharing Hakodate with you.

To be completely honest, Hakodate might be kind of a hit and miss place for you. From what I understand, there are two great things about Hakodate, seafood and the view from the top of Mount Hakodate (often said to be one of the best night views in Japan). For me, I am not a huge fan of seafood and the 2 days I was there it was very cloudy (especially at night) so it was kind of a miss for me. The day I was leaving, I did have a few hours of sunshine where I was able to take this shot, but I am sure some of you have much better shots than I have! For more photos and information check out the Japan Photo Guide or for some larger and higher quality photos take a peak at the gallery.

This photograph was taken by Evan Pike.

Japan Photo of the Week: Biei Sunset

If you are looking to escape the heat and humidity of Japan, Hokkaido is the place to be in the summer. There are many places worth visiting and summer time is the perfect time for a lot of these places. Last week I mentioned Furano and today is a place pretty close by, Biei.

This photograph was taken atop a hill that is suppose to have great sunsets; however, what I wasn’t told is that the sun actually goes behind those mountains before it actually sets (but still is a good view I guess). Like Furano, Biei is famous for flowers, open spaces, and a few famous trees that have been used in commercials (one for a cigarette company I think). Again, public transportation is few and far between, so I would recommend renting a car to get around and explore by yourself. For more photos and information check out the Japan Photo Guide or the gallery.

This photograph was taken by Evan Pike.