Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2.5
Eterna/Cinema film simulation
Wine Bistro Nature
Established in October 2009, this restaurant is located on the shores of Ooka River, a river that is lined with cherry blossom trees and extends all the way from Kamiooka to the Port of Yokohama.
The restaurant is located within walking distance of 5 different train/subway stations making it very convenient to access.
Many years ago when I arrived in Japan (nearly 40 years ago), this river was heavily polluted and noxious and no one would dream of setting up an eatery that features views/access to the river’s edge.
Nowadays, the water is clean, the waterfowl have returned, fish have returned, and paddle boarders make their way up and down on the river on the weekends.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/350 sec. at ƒ/3.2
Velvia/Vivid film simulation
The Keihin-Tohoku/Negishi Line runs through the cities of Yokohama, Tokyo, and Saitama, for a distance of 76.8 km (47.72 mi), and is primarily a commuter line with trains stopping every two or three minutes during peak hours.
Even with such a tight schedule, we can regularly see freight traffic including tanker cars using the same tracks as the commuter lines.
Tourists visiting Yokohama will be best served using the Negishi Line to visit Yokohama Station, Sakuragicho Station, which is the gateway to the Minatomirai waterfront district, and Ishikawacho Station, which is the gateway to Yokohama Chinatown, Yamashita Park, and Motomachi Avenue.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 1000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/11
Classic Chrome film simulation
Golden Hour Skyline
The large, 32-story building on the left bathing in the evening sunlight is the newly constructed Yokohama City Hall (2020).
I visit one of the cafes in the building almost every day after work to chill out and decompress before heading home. In addition, there is a small supermarket, a few restaurants, a convenience store, a drug store, a bakery, a barber shop, a post office, art exhibitions, free Wi-Fi, a souvenir shop, and more besides the normal administrative offices on the upper floors.
The promenade on the eastern side of the building has benches nestled between regularly planted greenery of in-season flowers where you can relax and enjoy views of the waterfront skyline or watch small cruise boats slowly passing by as they head out into Tokyo Bay.
Reassuringly, the upper floors of the building are also designated as an evacuation area in the event of a tsunami. Hopefully, I will never need to make use of such facilities.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 1250 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/11
Provia/Standard film simulation
Mother & Toddler
At the end of this street, if you turn left at the intersection there is a child day care center for working moms. Is she going there to maybe drop off this child? Or maybe she has a younger child and is on her way to pick up that child?
She’s not dressed up, nor is she using a baby stroller, which is what most Japanese mothers would use when going out with friends or family with young children in tow.
In dense urban areas of Yokohama like this neighborhood, dropping off or picking up a child in a car isn’t allowed due to lack of parking, so we can see moms and kids walking from home to drop off kids at the daycare, or walking home after picking up the kids from day car after work.
That said, the majority of families, especially single-parent families, do not have cars due to lack of sufficient parking, and the high costs associated with owning a car (regular safety inspections, annual taxes, high-cost of parking, etc.).
On the upside, if you live in an urban area, most people can easily get by without the use of a car since many necessary shops are within walking distance and public transportation is incredibly efficient and inexpensive.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 1250 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Classic Negative film simulation
Neighborhood Police Box
A little old lady making her way past a typical urban police box (koban/交番) near Sakuragicho Station in central Yokohama, Japan. Note the police officer’s bicycle on the right, which has a little white box behind the bicycle seat for documents the officer will use when doing work on-site, including passing out parking tickets.
Although there are police stations like what you’d find in the West with administrative offices, jailing facilities, etc., most interactions with the police in Japan occur at your local koban, which are spread throughout the city and are often located in convenient areas where there is typically a lot of foot traffic.
The sign on this koban shows what police station has jurisdiction over this koban, and then lists the name of the koban:
“Kanagawa Prefecture Isezaki Police Station”
“Sakuragicho Station-Front Koban”
If you ever lose your wallet, bag, camera, etc., on a park bench, on the street, etc., please visit the local koban first. If the lost item is found by a Good Samaritan, this is where they will take your item in hopes of finding the owner.
Before the advent of cell phones with maps, I often used kobans to ask the police for help whenever I got lost and needed some directions in finding my way back home. I have also been fortunate to have my wallet returned to me by a stranger who turned it into the local koban.
Pix4Japan by Iketani, Daisei is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.
