Kirigamine Highlands

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Summer Escape to the Kirigamine Highlands・夏の霧ヶ峰高原で涼を求めて

Located at an elevation of 1,550 meters (5,085 ft), the Odoriba Marsh (踊場湿原), which is known locally as Ike-no-Kurumi (池のくるみ), is one of three large marshes on the plateau of the Kirigamine Highlands, about 210 km (130 mi) northwest of Tokyo. From Yokohama, it took just three hours by expressway, thanks to a 4:00 a.m. departure that avoided the worst of the traffic.

The Odoriba Marsh consists of a bog with a peat deposit more than 2.5 meters (8 ft) deep, built up over the course of some 3,000 years. Because of this fragile landscape, it is essential that visitors stay on marked trails. Venturing off-trail can not only damage the ecosystem but also put hikers in potentially dangerous situations.

The marshes of Kirigamine are home to rare sub-alpine plants, including hygrophytes and three species of protected flowers. Until the 1950s, the surrounding grasslands were used for hay fields, leaving the habitat vulnerable to chemical fertilizers and mechanized farming. Fortunately, the highlands were designated as a quasi-national park in 1964, and the three marshes were later recognized as natural monuments.

Today, the plateau is a popular tourist destination with accessible hiking trails and sweeping views. On a clear day, visitors can see not only the rolling grasslands and moors but also Mt. Fuji and the surrounding Japanese Alps.

Since 2008, conservation concerns have grown due to woodland expansion and deer feeding on rare flowers. In response, the local community has stepped up efforts to protect the marshes. Fences now line certain trails to prevent accidental trampling of fragile plants, and deer tracking with transmitters helps determine where tall, discreetly placed fences can be installed to protect the ecosystem from deer and preserve natural views for visitors.

For me and my border collie, though, the appeal of the Kirigamine Highland was much simpler: escaping the sweltering heat and humidity of Yokohama. After weeks of slogging through sticky commutes, the cool breezes and lower humidity of the highlands felt like a refreshing breath of summer freedom!

• Location: Kirigamine Highland, Nagano, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025-07-30・07:04
• Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
• 45 mm ISO 100 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/9

Links to sources and Google Maps:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250730-kirigamine

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• Location: Kirigamine Highland, Nagano, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025-07-30・07:03
• Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
• 53 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5

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Takanawa Gateway Station Part 2

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Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:34

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter

ISO 1000 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2

Velvia/Vivid film simulation

100 Colors at Takanawa Gateway
エマニュエル・ムホーが描く「１００色の道」

Just outside Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, French-born, Tokyo-based artist and architect Emmanuelle Moureaux’s ｢100 Colors No. 53｣ bursts into view the moment you step out of the South Exit.

This installation features vertical slats painted in 100 distinct hues, each engraved with a year from 2025 to 2125 covering 100 years of 100 hues of the rainbow.

Moureaux’s choice of layered slats echoes a point she made in a Japan Times interview earlier this year, where she explained how Tokyo’s urban landscape inspires her work:

“Moureaux uses the term ‘layers’ to describe the way Tokyo is built, where various different elements are layered one on top of the other in any given space. She says she draws inspiration from this abundance of colors and layers.”

--Ran Kawai, Japan Times, January 31, 2025

Before visiting Takanawa Gateway Station and exploring the emerging Takanawa Gateway City development, I knew nothing about this artwork nor the artist herself. So it was a pleasant surprise to come upon this installment, and learning about Moureaux.

I often travel to cities from Aichi Prefecture to Nagano Prefecture, but almost always for work, either accompanying a client or photographing a property for real estate listings. 

This time was different, as I left the pro gear, suit, and tie at home and set out with no agenda other than to explore. Wandering familiar streets with a fresh perspective is always rewarding.

Inevitably, I stumble upon something new: a tiny Shinto shrine, a Buddhist temple tucked between two high-rise condos, a new public artwork, or perhaps a cozy coffee shop run by a couple in their 80s.

Sources for a deeper dive:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250528-100colors-53

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Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:45

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter

ISO 250 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2

Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:47

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter

ISO 3200 for 1/40 sec. at ƒ/8

Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:47

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter

ISO 3200 for 1/60 sec. at ƒ/8

Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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Timestamp: 2025/07/16・18:38

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter

ISO 250 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2

Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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Takanawa Gateway Station - Part 1

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• “100 Colors No. 53” art installation just outside the South Exit of Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:33
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 3200 for 1/210 sec. at ƒ/9
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

A Century in 100 Colors: Emmanuelle Moureaux’s Takanawa Gateway Installation
エマニュエル・ムホーによる高輪ゲートウェイのアート作品「100色の道」で描く100年の時の流れ

The French artist and architect Emmanuelle Moureaux created this vibrant rainbow installation, 100 Colors No. 53, just outside the North Exit of Takanawa Gateway Station on Tokyo’s Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines, which is just one stop north of Shinagawa Station.

Moureaux, who has lived in Tokyo since 1996, based the 100 Colors Series on a concept called shikiri (色切), which means "dividing and creating space through colors." This piece, displayed in Gateway Park, is the 53rd work in the series. Previous installations have appeared in locations worldwide, including São Paulo (Brazil, 2021), Downtown Dubai (UAE, 2018), Brussels (Belgium, 2017), and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (US, 2015), as well as sites across Japan.

True to its name, each piece in the series incorporates 100  colors. For No. 53, each vertical slat is engraved with a year from 2025 to 2125, symbolizing “the passage of time in 100 colors.”

This area was once home to the Tamachi Depot. Old satellite images from November 2014 show the depot in its final days before the massive Takanawa Gateway City redevelopment began. The project is transforming the rail yard into a modern urban district with a new train station, four high-rise towers, office and retail space, luxury residences, schools, and entertainment facilities.

When I visited, my plan was simply to check out the new station, explore the high-rises, and maybe capture a few street shots. I hadn’t expected to find this striking artwork at the base of two gleaming steel-and-glass towers, so stumbling upon it was a welcome surprise.

There’s something refreshing about visiting Tokyo as a tourist with my small, lightweight camera, rather than as a my normal salaryman carrying a briefcase and wearing a necktie. It changes the pace, the perspective, and the way I see the city.

Links to Google Maps and sources for a deeper dive:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250528-100colors-53

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• Lone salaryman passing by the “100 Colors No. 53” art installation at Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:54
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 160 for 1/150 sec. at ƒ/2.8
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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• Local office worker enjoying the splash pad at Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・18:37
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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• Student walking past the splash pad at Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・18:38
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 320 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

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Skies Above Takanawa Gateway

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When Airplanes Meet Architecture: Watching the Skies Above Takanawa Gateway
羽田空港に向かう飛行機とリンクピラー・ワン北棟の新しい都市景観

After taking in the vivid “100 Colors” artwork outside the recently opened Takanawa Gateway Station, the steady hum of airliners overhead quickly caught my attention.

I’m not an aviation enthusiast by any stretch, but I’m always drawn to aircraft in the sky above my neighborhood when out walking the dog, whether it be a U.S. Navy jet from NAF Atsugi, an army helicopter from Camp Zama, a commercial flight to and from Haneda Airport, or even the Fujifilm blimp that once drifted along the Shonan coastline (maybe it still does?).

Perhaps the most striking aerial “show” I’ve witnessed in recent years was the formation of five or six helicopters buzzing above the Imperial Palace during one of the rare occasions when the public is allowed inside the grounds for the Emperor’s New Year greeting.

Watching another jet approach Haneda from Minato Ward, framed against Tokyo’s new Link Pillar One North Tower beside Takanawa Gateway Station, made me wonder if the local residents here eventually tune out the constant sound of planes overhead, or does it remain an unavoidable part of daily life in the city that they just have to deal with?

Photo 2.

• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:46
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 320 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/8 (moderate crop)
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

Photo 1.

• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・17:58
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 160 for 1/320 sec. at ƒ/4.5 (heavy crop)
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

Links to sources and Google Maps:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250528-aircraft

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Shinagawa Intercity

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Glass and Steel Landmark from the ‘90s: Tower A of the Shinagawa Intercity Complex・楕円形の品川ランドマーク「品川インターシティＡ棟」

The oval-shaped glass exterior of this high-rise caught my eye as I headed back to Shinagawa Station.

Tower A is the tallest of the three towers in the Shinagawa Intercity high-rise office complex. Rising 32 stories to 145 meters (474 feet), it has stood as a landmark on the Shinagawa skyline since 1998.

When it was completed, Tower A was considered one of Tokyo’s most distinctive skyscrapers and a symbol of modern business in Japan. Equipped with state-of-the-art building systems and advanced communication infrastructure, it seemed designed to attract international tech startups and forward-looking companies.

Although it was among Tokyo’s tallest buildings at the time, today Tower A is overshadowed by much taller skyscrapers such as the 65-story Mori JP Tower, which soars to 327 meters (1,073 feet).

While I am impressed by the feats of engineering that allow such tall structures to exist in a land of typhoons, volcanoes, and powerful earthquakes, I find myself more deeply drawn to smaller-scale architecture. The stone and wood craftsmanship of older buildings from the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa eras still captivates me in a way that even the most imposing glass towers cannot.

• Location: Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/07/16・15:05
• Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2
• Velvia/Vivid film simulation

Links to sources and Google Maps:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250716-oval-glass

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Nippon Maru

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The Swan of the Pacific: Yokohama’s Nippon Maru

太平洋の白鳥「日本丸」

Although I usually prefer to photograph Nippon Maru at night, when she’s beautifully illuminated, I decided this time to make an attempt to compose a few shots in the harsh afternoon light.

Nippon Maru is now a permanently docked museum ship at the former Yokohama Dock No. 1, just a four-minute walk from Sakuragicho Station in Yokohama’s Naka Ward, within the Minatomirai waterfront district.

Built in Kobe and launched in January 1930, Nippon Maru was designed to train officers for Japan’s merchant marine. During World War II, her masts and rigging were removed so she could serve as a transport vessel, which was possible thanks to her two 600-horsepower diesel engines.

Her training mission resumed in 1952 after her rigging was reinstalled, and she continued sailing until 1984. Over her 54-year career, Nippon Maru trained 11,500 cadets and covered 1.83 million kilometers; an equivalent to circling the globe 45.5 times.

The reason for building such a large training ship dates back to a tragedy in March 1927, when all 53 crew and cadets aboard the smaller training vessel Kirishima Maru were lost at sea. Authorities recognized the need for larger, safer ships, resulting in the construction of two vessels: Nippon Maru and Kaiwo Maru (the latter now also preserved as a museum ship in Toyama Prefecture).

Nippon Maru is a four-masted barque (also known as a jackass bark), with her tallest mast rising 46 meters (161 feet) above the waterline.

Twelve times a year, volunteers help unfurl her 32 sails, which span a total area of 2,397 square meters (25,800 square feet). I hope to return on one of those days to witness the ship in full sail -- a sight I assume that likely inspired her nickname, the Swan of the Pacific.

• Location: Minatomirai, Yokohama, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/05/28・15:12
• Fujifilm with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 1000 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/10
• Pro Negative High film simulation

Google Maps links and sources for a deeper dive: 

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250528-nipponmaru

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Timber Wharf

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Yokohama Timber Wharf: A New Landmark in Sustainable Design

サステナブル建築の新拠点、「横浜ティンバー・ワーフ」

Set to open in October 2025, Yokohama Timber Wharf features distinctive truss columns made from a hybrid of laminated wood and steel. This combination brings together the warmth and aesthetic appeal of timber with the strength and fire resistance of steel, ensuring both safety and long-term durability.

Designed by TJ Design & Architecture, the building presents a bold, forward-thinking vision grounded in environmental responsibility. The project aims to become a symbol of sustainable urban development, which demonstrates to future architects and developers the immense potential of wood as a primary material in modern city building.

From what I can gather, the facility will house a bakery and café on the ground floor, a restaurant suitable for weddings and events on the second floor, and a lounge, changing rooms,  baggage storage, and other amenities designed for runners, walkers, and outdoor enthusiasts. These features align well with local lifestyle habits, especially along the scenic waterfront promenade that stretches from Rinko Park to Yamashita Park.

I am encouraged to see more architectural projects in Yokohama embracing wood in their designs. Another notable example is Port Plus, completed in 2023. This high-rise training and education facility, also located in Naka Ward, uses advanced timber technologies to push the limits of what’s possible in vertical wood construction.

Projects like Port Plus and Yokohama Timber Wharf reflect a growing shift in Yokohama and Tokyo away from carbon-intensive construction materials, which have long been favored for cost-efficiency, earthquake resilience, and fire resistance, towards mass timber solutions. These new technologies make it possible to meet fire codes and seismic requirements while reconnecting with Japan’s deep-rooted tradition of wooden architecture seen in shrines, temples, and homes.

• Location: Rinko Parak, Yokohama, Japan
• Timestamp: 2025/05/28・14:09
• Fujifilm with 5% diffusion filter
• ISO 160 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/2
• Astia/Soft film simulation

Google Maps and references for a deeper dive:

• https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20250528-timber

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