Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/900 sec. at ƒ/4.0
Velvia/Vivid film simulation
City Park in Spring
Location: Negishi Forest Park, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Timestamp: 14:07 April 4, 2023
Built in 1884 as a horse racetrack for the Japanese emperor, the location is historically significant as the first western-style horse race track in Japan. However, due to the outbreak of WWII, the racetrack was shut down in 1942.
During the allied occupation, the grounds were repurposed as a golf course for the U.S. military. Once the property was returned to the city of Yokohama, the golf course was transformed into a public park in 1977.
Currently, the park boasts an impressive collection of flora, including more than 400 cherry blossom trees and 280 plum blossom trees. Surrounding the park's perimeter are maple, zelvoka, and ginkgo trees, as well as a lovely rose garden.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/1600 sec. at ƒ/4.5
Classic Negative film simulation
Church and Cherry Blossoms
Location: Yamatecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 14:53 April 4, 2023
The Yokohama Sacred Heart Cathedral, also known as the Yamate Catholic Church, has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1862 by French missionaries. Sadly, the original structure was destroyed in the devastating 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake that rocked the Tokyo/Yokohama areas.
Fortunately, the church was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style by a Czech architect, and the construction was completed in 1937. This new structure is a testament to the resilience and determination of the church's community to rebuild their place of worship after such a tragic event.
Throughout the years, I have passed by the cathedral on numerous occasions. However, on this specific day, luck was on my side as I had the opportunity to visit during the full bloom of the cherry blossoms. The exquisite pink petals, juxtaposed against the backdrop of the Neo-Gothic architecture and robin-egg blue roof, instantly caught my eye.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/600 sec. at ƒ/3.2
Velvia/Vivid film simulation
Historic Spanish-Style Mansion from 1930
Location: Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 15:11 April 4, 2023
Berrick Hall, a registered historical building in Yokohama, was designed by American architect J.H. Morgan in 1930 as the residence of British trader B.R. Berwick. It is built in a distinctive Spanish style and features small quatrefoil windows and a tiled roof with a chimney. It was the largest residence in the pre-war district of Yamate, known for being a foreign residential area.
After being used as a residence until the start of World War II, it was donated to the Catholic Society of Mary in 1956 and was used as a dormitory for St. Joseph International School until 2000. Today, it is open to the public and is a popular wedding venue. The interior features black-and-white checkered tiles, frescoes on the walls, and lovely ironwork on the entryway and stairs.
Berrick Hall has many highlights, including a unique sunroom furnished with a lion-masked wall fountain and a women's bedroom sunroom with glimpses of the Yokohama Port. In 2001, the city of Yokohama purchased the site, and after restoration and repair work, the building and garden have been open to the public since 2002.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/680 sec. at ƒ/3.2
Velvia/Vivid film simulation
Japanese Maple Tree at Historic House
Location: Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 15:11 April 4, 2023
This is a photo of a Japanese maple tree captured at Berrick Hall, a registered historical building located in Yokohama that was built in 1930.
Japanese maple trees (紅葉 / momiji) have various types, and this one might be a "green cascade" Japanese maple, which has a drooping form that would need some support structure as it grows larger. During autumn, its leaves transform into vibrant shades of red and orange.
The estate of this mansion, which is quite sizable by Japanese standards, boasts flowering plants and trees, as well as a grassy area that serves as an ideal location for outdoor wedding ceremonies. The mansion's backdrop provides a picturesque setting for wedding photos and creates an atmosphere that feels like the wedding is taking place in a foreign country.
The mansion belonged to Bertram Berrick, a British trading merchant, whose company imported cosmetics, fragrance, paper, and stationery to Japan, while exporting Japanese paper, silk, and lacquer goods to England . Due to the increasing threat of World War II, Berrick left the house in 1938 and immigrated to Canada.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/850 sec. at ƒ/3.6
Astia/Soft film simulation
Yamate Museum: Historic Wooden Mansion from 1909
Location: Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 15:28 April 4, 2023
Originally constructed by a wealthy Japanese rancher in 1909, this mansion features a unique blend of Japanese and Western architectural and ornamental styles.
Today, it stands as the sole surviving wooden Western-style house in Yokohama to incorporate both design elements, having withstood the destructive forces of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and WWII fire bombings. The mansion has since been converted into a museum, housing a collection of valuable historical documents that chronicle the culture and customs of Yokohama since the opening of its port.
In the accompanying shot, I attempted to capture the beauty of cherry blossoms blooming in the museum's gardens.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/10
Provia/Standard film simulation
Fragrance Garden in City Park
Location: Harbor View Park, Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 15:57 April 4, 2023
Located in the southern section of Harbor View Park, atop the bluff with stunning views of the Port of Yokohama, lies the Fragrance Garden. This charming garden boasts of approximately 500 rose plants, along with over 100 other fragrant flowers. Whether visitors stroll through the garden during spring, summer, or fall, they will be enveloped with delightful scents.
Originally, Harbor View Park was a large area utilized by the British Army from 1864 to 1875. However, in 1989, the city of Yokohama created the sunken flower bed and planted roses to establish the Fragrance Garden in preparation for the 100th anniversary of the city's establishment and the 130th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Yokohama.
Nowadays, the Fragrance Garden and Harbor View Park are popular not only amongst locals who come for a leisurely walk, but also for tourists who arrive in buses and school children who come for field trips.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/480 sec. at ƒ/2.8
Pro Negative High film simulation
Spring Flowers in Waterfront City Park
Location: Yamashita Park, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 16:52 April 4, 2023
Yamashita Park holds the title of the most beloved park in Yokohama, attracting a large number of visitors. It provides a picturesque view of the sea, the blue sky, and the waterfront scenery exclusive to the Port of Yokohama, complemented by the transition of tulips, roses, and other spring flowers.
To enhance the city's ambiance with colors, fragrances, and greenery, the city sponsors an annual flower festival called Garden Necklace 2023. This year’s festival involves a city-wide effort to plant flowerbeds and potted plants of mixed bulbs such as daffodils, muscari, and more than 120,000 red, pink, orange and yellow tulips, enriching the city's many parks, avenues, and boulevards that are used by not only the locals but also tourists from the world over.
Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 2000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/13
Astia/Soft film simulation
Cherry Blossoms on Promenade dating back to 1911
Location: Yamashita Park, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan
Timestamp: 17:32 April 4, 2023
The photograph captures a group of people having a picnic while enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms, while the Yokohama Air Cabin urban ropeway travels high above the cherry blossoms, connecting Sakuragicho Station with the World Porter’s department store.
The ropeway, which began its operations in April 2021, is the newest addition to the waterfront skyline as it crosses over the Kishamichi Promenade. This promenade was planted with numerous cherry trees many years ago and runs alongside the original bridges and preserved railroad tracks that were used by steam locomotives from 1911 to as recently as 1986, to transport imported and exported goods between the nearby docks of the Port of Yokohama and warehouses located further inland.
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