Shomyo-ji Temple

Shomyo-ji Temple located in Kanazawa Ward of Yokohama (next to the ancient capital of  Kamakura) was established during the mid-13th century. The current site was originally the personal property of a Shogun who reigned over Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 to 1333).

The temple compound originally included a total of 7 structures including a pagoda. After the Kamakura Shogunate fell to a warlord loyal to the emperor, chaos ensued as the capital in nearby Kamakura moved back to Kyoto. The status and upkeep of Shomyo-ji Temple declined after the defeat of the Shogun who was their main benefactor. In fact, the Shogun's defeat was so bad that about 870 of his samurai warriors  committed ritual suicide.

 

Seven hundred years later, the area of Kanazawa where the temple is located is a quiet residential neighborhood featuring an amusement park, a seaside park, fields for soccer and rugby, dog runs, marinas for private fishing boats and yachts, etc.

 

Parts of the original compound that remain standing include the red gate, the main temple gate, the pond, the arched bridge, the flat bridge, the main hall, the temple bell and belfry, an additional hall with its thatched roof, and the tombstones of the temple clergy who have looked after the temple over the centuries.

 

More than a decade ago, I came across this temple by chance and recently remembered how impressed I was with the arched bridge and the pond of the temple grounds. I remember how the bridge and red gate had a fresh coat of bright vermilion paint that beautifully contrasted with the green surroundings and the pond. Since I was already familiar with the layout of the temple grounds, I had a good idea as to what kind of composition that I would like to shoot. Here are some of the shots I took:

 

Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden

Shot at a focal length of 31 mm

ISO 100 for 1/5 sec. at ƒ/13

#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama

#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡

Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden

Shot at a focal length of 53 mm

ISO 100 for 1/5 sec. at ƒ/9

#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama

#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡

Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Arched Bridge of Japanese Temple Garden

Focal length of 98 mm

ISO 100 for 1/15 sec. at ƒ/5

#Japan #garden #pond #templegrounds #bridge #archedbridge #Japanesebridge #vermilion #Yokohama

#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #反橋 #太鼓橋 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡

Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

Temple Bell and Belfry

Pentax KP 40 mm ISO 100 for 1/15 sec. at ƒ/4.5

#Japan #templebell #belfry #temple #Buddhism #JapaneseCulture #historical #park #Yokohama

#神奈川県 #横浜市 #金沢山 #称名寺 #梵鐘 #金沢八景 #文庫の史跡

Portfolio: https://pix4japan.myportfolio.com

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Access to the temple from Tokyo or nearby areas is quite easy:

• Take the Keihin-Tohoku Line to Shin-Sugita Station and transfer to the Seaside Line. Get off at Uminokoen-Shibaguchi Station.
• Take the Keikyu Main Line to Kanazawa-Hakkei Station and transfer to the Seaside Line. Get off at Uminokoen-Shibaguchi Station.
• From Uminokoen-Shibaguchi Station, it is an 11-minute walk to the temple main gate. 
• Drive to the Uminokoen-Shibaguchi parking lot, which  is really cheap, and then walk over to Uminokoen-Shibaguchi Station. From the station, it is an 11-minute walk to the temple grounds.
  

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Sightseeing and Other Photographic Opportunities

In addition to the temple grounds, there are a few other attractions nearby that offer other opportunities for enjoying outdoor photography and activities with family or friends.

Local Attractions:

• Marine Park (Umi-no-Koen / 海の公園)
  
• This is a man-made seaside park where you can enjoy barbecues, camping, soccer, rugby, dog runs, and more. It is the only seaside front in Yokohama where you can swim in the water. There are no admission charges and the park grounds are open 24/7.
• Three train stations on the Seaside Line offer easy access to the park:
• Uminokoen-Shibaguchi Station,
• Uminokoen-Minamiguchi Station 
• Hakkeijima Station 
• You can also drive to the park and find parking at one of the two large parking lots near the beachfront
• Northern parking lot
• Southern parking lot
  
• Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise (横浜・八景島シーパラダイス)
• A nice amusement park with firework shows, an aquarium, restaurants, and more. There are no admission charges to the park. You only have to pay for any rides or attractions that you participate in.
• Google Maps Link here. 
• There are five different parking lots available for the park. The largest parking garage is here.
• Park website in English here.

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Here is the list of gear I used for this photo shoot:

• Camera:
• Pentax KP (https://amzn.to/2EbbLRZ)
• Standard zoom lens:
• smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR (https://amzn.to/2Ysz5lJ)
• Telephoto zoom lens:
• HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE (https://amzn.to/3iNEsDF)
• Tripod:
• Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps) (https://amzn.to/2Fqpghd)
• Ball head:
• Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate (https://amzn.to/3g6WI9j)
• Video camera:
• Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit (https://amzn.to/2Ef3mNg)
• Lens:
• Sigma16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only) (https://amzn.to/3axkn1w)
  

*Links to Amazon are affiliated links, which means that if you choose to purchase an item that I may get a small commission that has no bearing on your purchase price whatsoever.

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