Pulled over at the westbound Fujikawa Service Area on the Tomei Highway to give her a short potty break and let her stretch her legs. (Fujikawa SA: approx. 3 hours southwest of Tokyo).
This old, rusty marker stands about chest-high atop large concrete “cubes” that are about the size of a small car and are lined up to form a bulkhead along a portion of the coastline that is jutting out into the sea. Mostly likely, the light on top of the marker flashes during rough seas to either aid ship navigation or to prevent ships from running aground.
Maybe this stump was once part of a fence to keep beachgoers safe, or maybe it held up a sign to keep folks away. Embedded in a block of concrete the size of a small car, this stump will remain until the constant ravages of wind, water, and ice further erode it into a mere stubble.
With no recent heavy rains or typhoons washing debris into the Pacific Ocean, waves rolling in from Suruga Bay were a beautiful, clear, bluish green. Unlike a tropical beach however, frigid winds blowing onshore made my fingers numb as I struggled to time shots of cresting waves without a tripod.
I left home early in the morning in hopes of catching a clear shot of Mt. Fuji with some snow on the peak.
The climb up Mt. Kintoki (金時山 Kintokiyama), which also goes by the name of Mt. Ashigara (足柄山 Ashigarasyama) for some reason have yet to understand. Google Maps show the name of Ashigara, but when you reach the peak, the sign says Kintokiyama. A bit confusing to say the least.
At the trailhead, there is a nice parking lot with an even nicer restroom with faucets outside that you can use to wash your boots when you come back down the mountain. There were only about 8 parking spaces (free), so you need to arrive early enough in the morning to catch a space.
The mountain is not that high at only 1,212 m (3,976 ft). However, most of the trail consists of short, steep switchbacks, which require some stamina and decent hiking shoes. If you are a seasoned hiker, this peak would be relatively easy to reach.
From the top of the mountain, the weather was incredibly clear, and warm although the occasional breeze was bitter cold.
I set up the camera for 4 shots as noted below. All the shots were taken from the peak. I was in a bit of rush to avoid running out the clock and having to hike down in the dark after sunset.
Google Maps Links:
Parking Lot & Restroom:
72H3+62 Hakone, Kanagawa
Peak of Mt. Kinotoki (Mt. Ashigara):
72Q3+VW Hakone, Kanagawa
Suruga Bay:
3RXQ+PV Numazu, Shizuoka
Lake Ashi (Ashinoko):
72Q3+VV Hakone, Kanagawa
Owakudani:
72Q3+VV Hakone, Kanagawa
Mt. Fuji:
9P7M+VF Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi
Reflections on the Bay
Late afternoon sun reflecting off of the ocean waters of Suruga Bay (120 km / 75 mi) located southwest of Tokyo as seen from summit of Mt. Kintoki, Japan.
Ashinoko Lake (芦ノ湖): Crater lake in Hakone Mountains
Mountain Lake
View of Lake Ashi (elev. 723 m / 2,372 ft) in Hakone mountains as seen from summit of Mt. Kintoki (elev. 1,212 m / 3,976 ft) in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
View from peak of Kintokiyama of Owakudani, an active volcanic zone where sulfurous fumes escape into the air as cable cars pass overhead, and is a major source of natural hot spring water for onsen resorts in Hakone.
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For this photoshoot, we take a walking tour of the Yokohama waterfront district called Minato Mirai 21. The first shot was taken from a pedestrian bridge next to the newly built Yokohama city hall.
Google Maps Plus Cod: CJXM+X9 Yokohama, Kanagawa
In the foreground we have the Ooka-gawa River leading up to the main subject being the Landmark Tower rising high above the cityscape.
This shot was taken late in the evening and had to be timed to when there were no pedestrians walking across the bridge, since anyone walking by would generate slight vibrations that would cause the image to become distorted, especially since this was a long 30-second exposure.
Waterfront Skyline
View of the Minatomirai waterfront district skyline in Yokohama, Japan featuring Landmark Tower standing at 296.3 m (972 ft) high with 70 stories above ground. On a global scale, it’s a small skyscraper, but remarkably tall considering the amount of engineering required to withstand Japan’s numerous big earthquakes.
For this composition, we visited this ship, which is moored at an old dock that is located near the base of Landmark Tower.
I had arrived a bit late after the lights on the ship had been turned off. In the end, I think this worked in my favor since it allowed me to achieve a more even exposure without having to worry about blown out highlights caused by lights on the ship. Fortunately, there were no winds close close enough to the ground to cause the ship to move or cause ripples on the water surface, which allowed me to take this 180-second exposure with only cloud movement.
Google Maps Plus Cod: FJ3J+7P Yokohama, Kanagawa
Nautical Training Ship
Built in 1930, the Nippon Maru nautical training ship sailed an equivalent of over 971 thousand nautical miles (approx. 1.8 million km/1.1 million mi). After 54 years of service to nearly 12,000 cadets, she was retired and moored to the historical stone-built No. 1 Dock in the Port of Yokohama and currently serves as a floating museum.
For the final composition, I visited the Red Brick Warehouse No. 2 for a simple shot where I wanted to convey the beautiful architectural elements of an old building constructed for utilitarian purposes.
A modern warehouse is typically boring, nondescript, and solely focused on utility and efficiency. Should a modern warehouse ever face destruction or abandonment, there would never be an attempt to preserve it for posterity.
In a future photoshoot, I want to come back to this building and create a collection of up-close shots featuring the various beautiful brickwork and metalwork that was incorporated into this building at the time of its birth.
Google Maps Plus Code: FJ3R+4X Yokohama, Kanagawa
Red Brick Warehouse No. 2
Built as a customs house in 1911, the structure survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which destroyed most of Yokohama and Tokyo. After WWII, the warehouse became part of the U.S. Army Port Command until 1956. Yokohama city acquired the buildings and renovated the entire waterfront with shopping, entertainment, and cultural facilities. In 2010, the building received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation.
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The Kita-Guchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-Jinja Shrine, originally built in the 17th century, was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2013.
Back in the day, this shrine was where worshippers of Mt. Fuji would first visit to purify themselves before making their ascent to the peak of Mt. Fuji, which was viewed as a God.
The original trail head is located behind this shrine and is still used today by some climbers.
However, in the modern era, Mt. Fuji has been promoted more as a tourist attraction. Nowadays, climbers can drive or take a bus part way up the mountain to one of several different stations, and start their climb from there.
I chose this site for this week’s photo shoot because of the grand trees and stone lanterns that line the path to the shrine.
I left home shortly after midnight and arrived about an hour after sunrise, which unfortunately, made it a bit difficult to shoot due to the sharp contrast of shadows and bright backgrounds.
I should have left home earlier so that I could arrive and shoot during the blue hour, or tried to time my visit during a rain storm or at least under cloudier conditions where there would be more diffused light and maybe even some fog.
With that said, I tried to take a few shots in spite of the harsh light.
For this first composition, I set the camera on a tripod across the street from the first torii gate. Once there was a break in car traffic, I took several shots.
Long Path to Shrine
View of the the 275-meter path (903 feet) that is lined with very old cedar trees and stone lanterns leading to the main entrance of the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine's main dark vermillion torii gate, which sits at the base of Mt. Fuji.
Aside from the stone lanterns and the tall old cedar trees, I like how the light breaks through the trees creating thin layers of light and shadow across the gravel path leading up to the main torii gate of the shrine.
In this composition, the path to the shrine approaches the main torii gate at an angle. From a technical standpoint, the lanterns on the right create a leading line up the vermillion torii gate. But at the same time, the photo is unbalanced with nothing on the left side to help anchor the whole scene. Regardless, I like the light playing on the moss of the stone lanterns and how it contrasts with the vermillion gate in the background.
Approaching Fujisan Otorii Gate
Standing at 18 m high (59 ft), the torii gate is one of the largest in Japan. The gate is where you enter the realms of the Gods. This shrine (originally built in 1615) houses three deities of which one is the goddess of Mt. Fuji. She is also a god for the safe delivery of newborn babies.
For the 3rd composition, I spent a lot of time trying to compose this beautiful old maple tree. I knew I wanted to include the moss in the bottom of the frame, the most on the tree, and try to capture how the limbs branch out in creating weblike structure. The background was busy, with harsh highlights, so I cropped this shot to minimize reduce the number of distractions and try to even out the light and amount of exposure.
Web of Branches & Limbs
Wide shot of an old Japanese maple tree supported with crutches to prevent damage from the heavy snowfalls occurring around the base of Mt. Fuji.
The foliage of this Nanairo-Okaede (七色大カエデ / seven-color large maple) is said to change seven colors from spring to autumn. This particular tree standing next to the Kita-Guchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-Jinja Shrine is very old and needs crutches to prevent its branches from breaking during the heave snow falls that occur near the base of Mt. Fuji.
If you avoid tolls, it is a 3- to 4-hour drive from Tokyo. If you take toll roads, it is only a 90-minute to 2-hour drive via the Chuo Expressway.
Fortunately, the shrine is easily accessible by train and bus. Depending on which line you take, it is about a 3-hour train ride to Fujisan Station on the Fujikyu Line.
Access by Train & Bus + Detail Info about Shrine:
Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine (Informal Name of Shrine)
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This week's photo shoot takes us to the honden (main shrine) of Kumomi Sengen-Jinja Shrine, which is located near the summit of a large rock called Mt. Eboshi (162 m / 531 ft).
This large "rock" is actually just a volcanic neck, which refers to a large hill formed when magma in a volcanic vent has cooled and solidified. Mt. Eboshi is such a volcanic neck that was once under the sea.
Over time, as the volcano was pushed above the water's surface, the walls and softer outer layers of the volcano eroded leaving behind the much harder magma column jutting high above the sea.
From the base of the rock, there are 130 stone steps that will take you to the worship hall of the shrine. The steps are wide and easy to climb even for children or the elderly. For practical reasons, I assume that the worship hall is where regular parishioners go to make an offering and pray, instead of going all the way to the top.
From the worship hall, there are two sets of very steep stone stairs for a total of 320 stone steps. The first set of stairs is slightly better maintained and not to difficult to climb compared with the second set of stairs.
When you reach the second set of stone stairs, you can see that the handrail is a bit older, a bit more wobbly and rudimentary. Also, the stone steps are much smaller with just enough space for the forefoot. The stone steps seem older and in some cases slanting downwards, which can be hazardous if you are climbing in inclement weather. Just one slip could be disastrous if you lost hold of the railing.
At the top of the second set of stairs, the trail widens up a bit and mostly consists of a rocky path, worn tree roots, and less arduous than the second set of stairs. No special gear is needed for this climb. Good walking shoes with non-slip tread on the soles should suffice if hiking during dry conditions.
Soon thereafter, you will reach the actual Kumomi-Sengen Shrine. At first glance, this shrine reminded me of Afuri-Jinja shrine on the peak of Oyama in Kanagawa Prefecture.
In both cases, most parishioners or visitors wanting to offer a prayer do not go all the way to the peak to visit the actual shrine, which would be impractical. Both this shrine and the one at Oyama have worship halls or a lower shrine that is much more easy to access, more photogenic, and definitely a better draw for tourists.
At Oyama and Eboshi, the honden or actual shrine structures that house the deity on the peak, seem to place a greater emphasis on spiritual value or purpose of the structure instead of what might draw new parishioners or tourists, which might explain why both shrines have very simple architectural designs and are free of any grandiose colors or overt ornamental elements. Or, maybe it's just too expensive and difficult to build and maintain eye-catching structures in such remote locations.
Once you reach Kumomi-Sengen Shrine, there is a small, but very steep set of concrete stairs to a platform that is just a a meter or so higher than the roofline of the shrine. From there, you have a 360-degree view of Suruga Bay and the entire Kumomi coastline.
Eastern view from summit of Mt. Eboshi, which is rock mountain that is 162 m (531 ft) tall with enough standing room at the summit for about 3 adults with a sheer cliffs on the northern, western, and southern sides. The honden (main shrine) of Kumomi Sengen-Jinja is located just below the summit. The rock was once part of an volcanic lava flow that erupted under the sea and was pushed up to the surface over a process that took 10 million years.
Wide-angle shot of Suruga Bay with Shizuoka Prefecture on the opposite side of the bay as seen from the summit of Mt. Eboshi, a 162-meter (531-foot) tall rock mountain.
Wide-angle shot due west out across Suruga Bay as seen from the summit of Mt. Eboshi, a 162-meter (531-foot) tall rock mountain located about 183 km (114 mi) southwest of Tokyo.
Overcast late-morning sky gives the coastal waters a darker hue of turquoise compared to the more popular shots of light teal waters found on sunny afternoons.
Long-exposure of two large rocks named Ushitsuki-Iwa (lit. cow-ashore-rocks) after some cows escaped death by climbing onto the rocks after a huge flood washed the local village and livestock out to sea. The villagers later put a shrine on the larger rock and “tied” the rocks together with a shimenawa rope to pray for safety of the harbor and fishing vessels.
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