Pix4Japan

2025-01-03

Golden Hour

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Golden Light and Silent Silhouettes at Katase-Nishihama Beach
片瀬西浜の海景：黄金の光と静寂のシルエット

After exploring nearby Enoshima Island, I returned to the shore of Katase-Nishihama Beach in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, off the coast of Shonan Bay, Japan, hoping the sun would break through the cloud cover for a seascape shot.

Being a cold winter day, the beach was fairly empty, but a few couples and young families still enjoyed a stroll along the boardwalk despite the overcast sky.

Finally, in the late afternoon, the sun pierced through the clouds, casting a brilliant spotlight onto the smooth waters of Shonan Bay. This fleeting moment allowed me to capture the silhouettes of visitors against the golden glow of the horizon.

I was pleased with the balance of light—warm enough to paint the horizon in golden hues yet bright enough to cast my subjects into striking silhouettes.

Location: Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Timestamp: 2025/01/03・15:22
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
105 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/11

References:

Google Maps: Katase Nishihama Beach (片瀬西浜)

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Zuishinmon Gate

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Zuishin-mon: A Portal to Enoshima Shrine’s Mythical Past
瑞心門：江の島神社と龍宮伝説をつなぐ門

A visit to Enoshima Island, off the coast of Shonan Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, led me to a grand gate marking the entrance to a complex of Shinto shrines atop the island. Stone stairways wound their way up through the lush hillside, adorned with rows of chochin paper lanterns set out in celebration of the New Year’s holidays.

The Zuishin-mon Gate (瑞心門) is designed in the style of Ryūgū-jō (竜宮城, Dragon Palace Castle), the mythical underwater palace from a famous Japanese folktale. According to the legend, a fisherman rescues a sea turtle and is invited to Ryūgū-jō as a reward. There, he is entertained by Princess Otohime, only to discover upon returning home that what felt like a few days was actually 100 years.

The name Zuishin-mon roughly translates to “Pure Heart Gate.” It was given this name with the hope that visitors would find spiritual renewal by offering their prayers here.

Surrounded by lush greenery, the gate’s imposing presence creates a distinct boundary between the sacred and the secular worlds.

Beyond the gate stands a stone sculpture of Benzaiten (弁財天), the patron goddess of water, eloquence, music, and knowledge. This statue was dedicated to commemorate the establishment of Enoshima Shrine in the year 1450, which sits atop Enoshima Island.

Location: Enoshima Island, Japan
Timestamp: 2025/01/03・14:07
Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
37 mm ISO 200 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/11

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2025-01-02

Marunouchi

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Location: Marunouchi District, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:45
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/450 sec. at ƒ/2.5
Astia/Soft film simulation

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Location: Marunouchi District, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:46
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/450 sec. at ƒ/2.8
Classic Negative film simulation

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Location: Marunouchi District, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:46
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/950 sec. at ƒ/3.6
Astia/Soft film simulation

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Location: Marunouchi District, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:46
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/750 sec. at ƒ/3.6
Pro Negative High film simulation

A Geometric Tapestry of Offices: Marunouchi, Tokyo
幾何学模様のオフィス街：東京・丸の内

The sight of multiple modern high-rise buildings competing for space and natural light caught my eye while visiting Kitte Garden, a rooftop oasis near Tokyo Station in the heart of the Marunouchi financial district.

Kitte Garden sits atop what was once the central mail sorting facility of the Tokyo Central Post Office, originally a five-story building designed in 1931. While the historic exterior of the post office has been carefully preserved, a modern 38-story skyscraper now rises above the former mail sorting section. Completed in 2013, the building houses retail and office spaces, seamlessly blending history with contemporary architecture.

Spanning approximately 1,500 m² (16,146 ft²), the rooftop garden is a lush and relaxing space offering panoramic views of JR Tokyo Station. Its tranquil atmosphere makes it a popular spot for tourists, photographers, and trainspotters alike.

For me, the best part is that access to the garden is free, and it stays open until 23:00 on weekdays. I hope to return soon to try my hand at long-exposure nightscape photography the next time I am in Tokyo on business.

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Yaesu Central Tower

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Yaesu Central Tower: Centerpiece of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu Project
八重洲セントラルタワー：東京ミッドタウン八重洲の中心

Opened in 2022, Yaesu Central Tower provides a striking contrast to the rails, power lines, and platforms of Tokyo Station, which first welcomed travelers 108 years earlier in 1914.

Its sleek steel and glass facade reflects the crisp blue winter sky, standing as the centerpiece of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu development project.

My first visit to the Tokyo Station area was back in the late ’80s on a Hato Bus Tour with my friend’s mother. She had originally bought two tickets expecting to go with her son, but he, being a bit spoiled and uninterested in visiting Tokyo Station or the Imperial Palace with his mom, asked if I would take his place. I was more than happy to oblige! At the time, Hato Bus Tours were quite trendy, and the tour came with a free lunch—an added bonus! What started as a spontaneous day out turned into a long-term friendship with my friend’s mother, which continues to this day.

Back then, the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station looked entirely different. Standing on the eastern Marunouchi side, I could barely see any of the office buildings or hotels beyond the station—only the top floors of the Daimaru department store, which occupied the old Railway Kaikan Building (more commonly known as the Yaesu-guchi Station Building・八重洲口駅ビル). At that time, Tokyo Station itself was still just two stories high, before its 2012 restoration brought it back to its original three-story structure.

For years, Tokyo Station has merely been a transit point for me—somewhere I passed through while commuting to client meetings in the city or transferring to the bullet train for business trips to Nagano. I never considered revisiting the area for leisure.

But on this particular day, after visiting the nearby Imperial Palace, I finally took some time to explore the surroundings. I sought out a few quieter spots, avoiding the more crowded areas, and allowed myself to take in the changes.

It had been over 30 years since I last visited this area as a tourist rather than a salaryman. The transformation of the Yaesu side was staggering—I could hardly believe how much the skyline had changed over the decades! I asked myself, “How did I miss all this development?” Then I realized—just as people today are glued to their phones, I was likely buried in my newspaper during my commutes, never bothering to look up and take in the city evolving around me.

Location: Tokyo Station, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:41
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/950 sec. at ƒ/4.0
Astia/Soft film simulation

Location: N700A Series Shinkansen Bullet Train departing Tokyo Station
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:41
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 160 for 1/680 sec. at ƒ/3.6
Provia/Standard film simulation

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Tokyo Station

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Tokyo Station: Neo-Baroque Elegance in a Modern Cityscape
東京駅のレトロな優雅さと丸の内の現代的な輝き

After visiting the Imperial Palace, I walked a few blocks east and arrived at a grand view of Tokyo Station and the spacious Marunouchi Square in front of it.

Opened in 1914, Tokyo Station has preserved its elegant Neo-Baroque architecture, standing in striking contrast to the modern steel-and-glass skyscrapers of the Marunouchi business district.

Built with an extensive steel frame using materials imported from England, the station features a distinctive red-brick facade and ribbed domes crowning its north and south wings. This sturdy design allowed the three-story building to survive both the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and, to some extent, the wartime bombings and fires of 1945. After the war, restoration efforts reduced the station to a two-story structure, but a five-year project completed in 2012 restored it to its original three-story grandeur.

During the restoration, engineers discovered that the ten thousand pine pillars supporting the foundation were still remarkably resilient—one of the key reasons the station withstood the 1923 earthquake.

The main terminal’s dome, inspired by the British Queen Anne style, is an architectural highlight. On the exterior, red bricks are elegantly accented with white granite stripes. The central entrance, which is reserved for use by the imperial family and overseas dignitaries, sits just 370 meters (1,214 feet) from the outer moat of the Imperial Palace.

Someday, I’d love to return with my other camera and telephoto lens to capture the intricate details of the gabled dormer windows, arches above the windows and doorways, and the delicate embellishments above the arches.

Location: Tokyo Station, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・11:35
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/7.1
Provia/Standard film simulation

Location: Kitte Rooftop Garden, JP Tower, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・13:35
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/800 sec. at ƒ/7.1
Classic Negative film simulation

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Tatsumi-Yagura Guard Tower

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Tatsumi-Yagura: One of the Three Surviving Watchtowers of Edo Castle
皇居に残る江戸城巽櫓

The Tatsumi-Yagura, the only surviving sumiyagura (corner watchtower) of the former Edo Castle, stands as a testament to Japan’s feudal-era fortifications. These watchtowers, built at key points along the castle walls, played a crucial role in surveillance and defense.

This particular two-story tower is formally known as the Sakurada Tatsumi Double Yagura, though it’s more commonly referred to as the Tatsumi-Yagura (with tatsumi meaning southeast and yagura meaning guard tower or watchtower). It is one of the largest two-tiered watchtowers in Japan.

Two distinctive architectural features of the Tatsumi-Yagura are its stone drop (ishi-otoshi, 石落) and its gable-end motifs.

The stone drop is a section of the tower that projects slightly outward over the stone wall above the moat. This design allowed defenders to drop stones or pour boiling water on attackers attempting to scale the walls, while still maintaining a narrow opening that prevented enemies from using it to climb up.

Another notable feature, though not clearly visible in my photo, is the gable end on the right side of the roof, which bears a decorative seikaiha (青海波) motif—a repeating pattern of water waves that has adorned temples, halls, and gates since the pro-to-modern period (17th to mid-19th century).

Beyond its historical significance, what captivates me most about this scene is the way the crisp blue sky and mirror-like moat frame the tower, while intricate details of the roof eaves, gable ends, and fish-shaped ornaments (shachihoko, 鯱鉾) on the roof-ridge add to its elegance.

Location: Imperial Palace, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
Timestamp: 11:25・2025/01/02
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/8.0
Provia/Standard film simulation

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Kikyo-Mon Gate

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Kikyō-Mon Gate: Reflections on an Edo Moat at Tokyo Imperial Palace
皇居桔梗門：江戸の歴史を映す濠の水鏡

This photo captures a side view of Kikyō-Mon Gate, a historic entrance to Tokyo Imperial Palace that is typically closed to the general public. It serves as a side entrance for Imperial Palace volunteers and authorized visitors.

Officially named Uchi-Sakuradamon, the gate is more commonly known as Kikyō-Mon (桔梗門), a name derived from the bellflower (kikyō) family crest that is inscribed on the round eave-end tiles of its roof.

Built in 1614, the gate stands atop stone walls constructed in 1620 along Kikyo Moat. However, Edo Castle itself predates these structures, with its foundations laid in 1457 under the direction of Ōta Dōkan (1432–1486), a samurai lord, poet, and Buddhist monk. He is credited as the architect and builder of Edo Castle—what is now the Imperial Palace in modern Tokyo.

At its peak, Edo Castle had 36 gates guarding its bridges and moats. However, after the last shogun resigned in 1867, much of the land within the outermost moat was transformed into Marunouchi, which became the heart of Tokyo’s central business district. Today, Marunouchi is home to major financial institutions and Tokyo Station. Of the original 36 gates, only 11 remain, now primarily serving as security checkpoints to the Imperial Palace.

I typically avoid taking photos on bright, cloudless afternoons, but on this particular photo walk, the crisp blue winter sky and still air provided a rare opportunity. The moat’s calm surface perfectly reflected the historic gate, stone walls, and sky, creating a striking composition that I couldn't resist capturing.

Location: Imperial Palace, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
Timestamp: 2025/01/02・11:21
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 320 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/9.0
Provia/Standard film simulation

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2025-01-03

Golden Light and Silent Silhouettes at Katase-Nishihama Beach片瀬西浜の海景：黄金の光と静寂のシルエット

Zuishin-mon: A Portal to Enoshima Shrine’s Mythical Past瑞心門：江の島神社と龍宮伝説をつなぐ門

2025-01-02

A Geometric Tapestry of Offices: Marunouchi, Tokyo幾何学模様のオフィス街：東京・丸の内

Yaesu Central Tower: Centerpiece of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu Project八重洲セントラルタワー：東京ミッドタウン八重洲の中心

Tokyo Station: Neo-Baroque Elegance in a Modern Cityscape東京駅のレトロな優雅さと丸の内の現代的な輝き

Tatsumi-Yagura: One of the Three Surviving Watchtowers of Edo Castle皇居に残る江戸城巽櫓

Kikyō-Mon Gate: Reflections on an Edo Moat at Tokyo Imperial Palace皇居桔梗門：江戸の歴史を映す濠の水鏡

Golden Light and Silent Silhouettes at Katase-Nishihama Beach
片瀬西浜の海景：黄金の光と静寂のシルエット

Zuishin-mon: A Portal to Enoshima Shrine’s Mythical Past
瑞心門：江の島神社と龍宮伝説をつなぐ門

A Geometric Tapestry of Offices: Marunouchi, Tokyo
幾何学模様のオフィス街：東京・丸の内

Yaesu Central Tower: Centerpiece of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu Project
八重洲セントラルタワー：東京ミッドタウン八重洲の中心

Tokyo Station: Neo-Baroque Elegance in a Modern Cityscape
東京駅のレトロな優雅さと丸の内の現代的な輝き

Tatsumi-Yagura: One of the Three Surviving Watchtowers of Edo Castle
皇居に残る江戸城巽櫓

Kikyō-Mon Gate: Reflections on an Edo Moat at Tokyo Imperial Palace
皇居桔梗門：江戸の歴史を映す濠の水鏡