Yasukuni Mitama Matsuri
Comments: 12
Four gold obi (click for a bigger version)
Yesterday I went to the Mitama Matsuri (festival) at Yasukuni Shrine. The theme of this festival seemed to be paper lanterns: there were apparently something like 30,000 of them. I could easily believe it.
Four orange obi
A friend I was with called this my standard shot, and it’s true I’m getting a bit of a collection of salarymen silhouetted against various light sources.
There were walls and walls of these little square lanterns (and thousands of larger round ones). The effect was just enchanting — and the thought of the logistics required to hang and light them all was mind-boggling.
At one point I found myself in what was effectively a little room whose walls were made of lanterns. Unable to resist, I began to spin…
and spin…
Looking back towards from the main shrine towards the gates. Lanterns, lights, and lots of people.
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Posted to Photographs • 2004.07.16 (Fri) • 23:29
Comments
Posted by Daphne 2004.07.16, 23:41
I was there, too! Soo many people—I think we took the same picture of those girls in kimono in front of a food stand. We could have been standing next to each other without realising it! Your pictures are way better than mine. (-:
Posted by jh 2004.07.16, 23:47
Daphne! Welcome back to stinky old Tokyo.
Posted by gleek 2004.07.16, 23:55
fabulous colors!
Posted by Alex 2004.07.16, 23:59
A great set, makes me wish I was there ;)
One question, how do people react when you pull out D1 w/ apparently nom-petite 28-70? People around here tend to over react most of the time and, NO, I don’t look like a phycho ;)
Posted by royger 2004.07.17, 01:08
The same here. I’ve got a Nikon D70, which is not as big as a Nikon D1x, neither as expensive. It’s quite difficult to shot natural photos, people always release of your presence and start behaving strange. Also you seem to carry it around all the time, isn’t it quite a lot heavy?
Posted by Paul Griffin 2004.07.17, 02:43
Beautiful shots! Your photographs do nothing to quell my strong desire to return to Japan…
In the “silouhetted businessman” vein, you might like this shot from my recent trip to Japan:
Posted by Kyle 2004.07.17, 14:32
Yeah Alex and Royger, I’d like to know that also — It’d be nice to get into photography, but I think that pulling out a big camera with a big lense, etc would be a little bit conspicuous.
Posted by jh 2004.07.18, 10:34
On big-arsed cameras and people’s reactions —-
There are a few of things working in a photographer’s favour in Japan that make life much easier than it may be elsewhere. The first thing, not exactly related to photographing but always present, is that Japan is still an extremely safe country. Nobody is following you around eyeing your gear waiting for you to become distracted so they can make off with it. This is very relaxing, so walking around finding pictures doesn’t involve a defensiveness or wariness that can come between people.
The next thing is that photography is a wildly popular hobby in Japan. That stereotype of the Japanese tourist with a camera slung around their neck isn’t much of an exaggeration (neither, I should say, is that of the gawking gaijin with a camera slung around his neck!). There are some pretty serious hobbyists in Japan, and my sense is that you see a lot more SLR cameras (and even medium format rigs) than you might in other countries. So people are used to the idea that in many, many settings, photography will occur.
This is especially true at festivals and other public events.
To grossly simplify a particular social situation, I’ll go out on a limb and say that the Japanese have —- how to put this? —- a less possessive sense of self than Europeans in general. People here are apt to be a lot less confrontational but of course this doesn’t mean anyone has license to go waving cameras around in people’s faces: there’s always a polite way to photograph.
In Japan it’s not uncommon to hear subjects thank photographers for taking their picture! This is probably mostly politeness, but I get the feeling there can also be a distinct element of pleasure at the attention.
I’m not much of a street or people photographer (much better advice is available elsewhere), but photographing in an open, ‘good-hearted’ way seems to make a big difference (rather than sneaking around spying on people). A moment’s eye contact with someone can convey your interest in them in a way that they won’t feel threatened when you lift the camera to your eye. If you don’t have time before the shot, do it after. A smile and a nod of thanks go a long way.
As for the sheer weight of lugging an SLR and perhaps even a couple of lenses and other gear, well, there’s just no getting around it. But it does get lighter as you get stronger! I don’t carry an SLR everywhere, but I do usually carry a camera, often an old CoolPix or compact 35mm film camera.
Posted by Liz 2004.07.18, 11:31
well, photography is just as popular here in the US but still, when one whips out a Nikon D1x there is sure to be a few people who will feel uncomfortable. but yes, cameras are common in festivals and public events, so the question is, how do people react when you whip out a Nikon D1x in an every day setting, let’s say a public sidewalk, to take a picture of…a street sign. i have a feeling people will think you are a paparazzo with too much time on your hands. haha
Posted by ericville 2004.07.18, 14:08
i have been itching to go to Japan almost my entire life… everything i hear about it is just too dayum kewl ;)
Posted by Serene 2004.07.18, 19:15
I love the beautiful pictures!! What I would do to be there…
Posted by jh 2004.07.18, 22:12
Liz —-
> how do people react when you whip out a Nikon D1x > in an every day setting
I haven’t really noticed anyone batting an eyelid. It’s literally something that you see almost every day. The kind of attention I’ve noticed most is what we can call comparison attention: people checking out the gear to see what lens you’re using, or what body. I once had a complete stranger ask me whether I’d had the buffer upgraded (I haven’t, and neither had he —- we were both wondering if it was worth it).
> i have a feeling people will think you are a paparazzo > with too much time on your hands.
A paparazzo of the mundane may well be exactly what I am, and as for too much time, not nearly enough!
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