INTERCHANGING IN TOKYO

Like many transport hubs, Tokyo station is in constant motion - a nucleus centre of transport lifelines winding seamlessly through the spaces and filled with people who all seem to know exactly where to go.

The workers gotta work, the tourists gotta tourist and if you don't know your north from south (yet), you better get out of the way or at least head on purposefully to the information booths to find out.

Be prepared to pay attention and do some emergency sidestepping. And perhaps practice the art of gracefully maneuveuring your giant, awkward suitcase (with large soft bag on top) in all directions without running into people too often.  

EBISU GARDEN PLACE

Ebisu (恵比寿) and Ebisu Garden Place, especially, is where the architectural outliers of Tokyo go to play - the buildings are ornate and European-fantastical and you could be excused for thinking you've taken a left turn into Germany at some points. Even the train station feels like an airport, full of walkways that speed you through a tunnel from the station to the clock tower.

It's a lovely, peaceful place to wander and pass the time soaking in the unique buildings and atmosphere.
The clock tower square in Ebisu Garden Place gave me my Hana Yori Dango fangirl moment about 7 years late and, by the looks of the copious Christmas themed stalls surrounding the famous 'Doumyoji waiting sculpture', Japan's moved on from those days as well.

TOKYO TOWERING

I'd been to Tokyo Tower on a previous visit to Japan, also cutting through Zojoji Temple so I honestly had not planned to retrace my steps there. But V had to go to Tsukiji that morning to get some knives and I didn't particularly want to join her (also having visited Tsukiji last time) so I had an hour or so to burn in Hamamatsucho by myself and decided to go for a bit of a walk.

I could honestly have gotten as far as the Tower but settled for hanging around Zojoji Temple, watching a brilliant performing monkey, fabulous street fashion and just soaking in the good weather and autumn sights.

NEON & PRAYER

Asakusa (浅草) and Akihabara (秋葉原) are physically less than a 15min ride apart on the subway but two entirely different atmospheres and potentially time periods as well. Somewhat unexpectedly, I didn't end up taking too many photos in the sea of visitors in Sensoji and neither in Akihabara - perhaps it was camera weariness, perhaps it was buying a gigantic weekender bag on bargain and hence feeling weird enough lugging it around or perhaps it was simply wishing to experience the moment.

Go figure. 

GHIBLI NEXT DOOR

At the Studio Ghibli Museum, where taking photos inside would have been a dream but, unfortunately, was not allowed and my Canon 5D is not exactly capable of taking sneaky shots

Words and other details at The Afterimage

TALE OF TWO CITIES

Kyoto, in many ways, feels like two cities. In Shijo-dori and Gion, a riverbank full of autumn trees and bicycles feels separated, in so many ways, from the gleaming towers of skyscrapers, beautiful lines of steel-coated architecture at Kyoto Station and the polished, brightly lit aisles of ISETAN from the modern skyscrapers.

The small overlaps you may see are in the lanterns of the pedestrian awnings or in the beautiful calligraphy decorating the walls of a shop inside the large shopping centres.

THE FOXES IN THE AFTERNOON

I've wanted to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) ever since being blown away by the beauty of that one scene from the Memoirs of a Geisha movie where Chiyo's running through the red gates (aesthetically beautiful movie, if a little questionable with its casting etc. ...but I digress).

As with a lot of other temples and shrines in Kyoto, the quiet escape of forests and the scattered sunlight filtering between the trees made it a wonderful escape from dense, bustling city life.

The shrine was much quieter than, say, Kiyomizu or Kinkakuji but there were still a decent number of visitors.

KIYOMIZU PILGRIMMAGE

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) was another famous, tourist-heavy area in Kyoto but definitely worth a visit. This was my second visit and I was glad to come back - though perhaps I was less eager to do the traditional 'tourist' activities like the Love Stone and drinking the water from the Otowa waterfall. It was a lot more interesting to just observe other people.

The street leading up to Kiyomizu-dera from Kiyomizu-michi bus stop is the Kiyomizu Monzekai loaded with store after store of traditional food and souvenirs and milling with lots of people in kimonos - not all Japanese (you can rent a kimono...it looked so fun to dress up). Definitely grab a few samples of mochi and tea while you work your way up

THEY PRAY IN RED & GOLD

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺), Ryoan-ji (龍安寺) and Ninna-ji (仁和寺), three pockets of serenity and silence, removed in many ways from the urban sprawl of high apartments and tightly packed streets. Doesn't mean you won't find people seeking the same beauty you are, but even huge crowds can't quite upset the feeling of slow contemplation.

More writing about our temple-hop route at The Afterimage.

CITY OF LIGHTS

Close to the main shopping streets of Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi-suji and Ebisu-bashi, Osaka is the condensed, loud version of your Times Square billboard extravaganza, curiously merged with incredibly laid back pockets of cheerful, Kansai-ben speaking locals in the smaller areas around Namba, dotted by shops and chefs who stop to pose for photos.

UNDER THE SEA

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan via the 50mm f/1.8. Even though the lens struggled a little with the focusing, especially the seals which moved like quicksilver, I kind of liked the chromatic abberation in the seal photos. And when it did focus, I got some beautiful colours.

Read more about Osaka Aquarium at the corresponding post at The Afterimage