People of Meguro Station in Tokyo Japan
October 11, 2008 · Print This Article
“Dude,” you might ask me, “what’s so damn interesting about Meguro station?” And I’d answer, “Dude, not much at all. I just happened to have to go there this afternoon.” Thus, the not so interesting description of the below photo gallery goes. But, there is one interesting note to add about the Japanese 5-O.
Yeah, so about the Japanese 5-O . . . I was shooting for about ten minutes with my trusty Nikon D80 and Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens, so I had the zoom to stand out of the way and not look like a stalker for these photos. I was sitting on a white railing like you see in the photo above a good five meters from the intersection I was mostly shooting. I also happened to be basically right in front of a koban (a police box).
Just when I was finished shooting and fixing to put my lens cap on, a Japanese 5-O shuffles over to me asking me in Japanese if I can speak Japanese. I of course can a little bit, but of course in that situation I pretended I couldn’t. He went on to be like in Japan it’s not appropriate or something like that to take photos of people. He said sightseeing stuff is ok, but not people. Being a rebel, I was like, “dude, I was taking photos of cars,” which I was occasionally. I even showed him a shot of a truck on my camera. He said that is illegal to do too!
Ha! So I made the wrists together sign like, “dude, are you going to arrest me?” He yammered a bit more, and then just stood awkwardly about a meter away not looking at me anymore. As I said, I was ready to go already anyway, so I just put my D80 away and while doing so noticed the Japanese 5-O had ridden off on his bicycle already.
You can see HIM in the last photo in the below gallery.
PEOPLE OF MEGURO STATION PHOTO GALLERY:
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I’m going to come back...
Taking photos of people not cool with the Japanese 5-O!…
While taking some photos at Meguro station this afternoon, the Japanese 5-O came over to me and told me to cease and desist, and that even taking photos of cars was illegal! Ha….
I am pretty sure that he was blowing smoke up your ass. I guess he was board and wanted to pick on some random gaijin. You can take photos of people all you want. There is nothing illegal about it at all.
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 11th, 2008 at 9:10 AM
Thanks for the clarification. I didn’t think it was illegal, especially since I wasn’t up in people’s grills.
I mean, ojisans at other places in Tokyo are much more invasive photographers than I am.
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You should have taken the cops picture when he was still talking to you. I wonder what he is asking that Muslim looking guy.
That miniature electric bike that guy is on looks pretty cool. Small enough to fit on trains maybe. I wonder why I don’t see those here in LA?
By the way, you fixed the virus issue. I did not get a warning message this time.
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 11th, 2008 at 9:11 AM
The guy talking to the 5-O in the photo actually approached the 5-O on his own. I think he was just asking for directions.
Maybe you don’t see those bikes in L.A. because it’s pretty hard to look cool on them, maybe?
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Hey Jason,
Interesting last shot on the page there – a little racial profiling happening perhaps.
Just to let you know, if you are taking shots near a police station or train station or any government building you have to be careful. There are new-ish laws (in Aust and UK and US and probably everywhere else too) about taking shots of potential terrorism targets – it’s legal for them to search you too if they want to be zealous about it (as these guys seem to have been that day).
So probably just sitting in one spot near a police station near a train station was not a good idea lol – didn’t exactly look like you were taking happy snaps!
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Yeah, I half-expected something to happen taking photos in front of a koban. Guess I took one shot too many!
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Jay, except for the cop you only posted pictures of women, which might be why he was worred about you
Juri was at Meguro today because she just got a new job there–too bad you didn’t catch her on the way to work.
Btw, that bike is not electric, and in Japan you are not allowed to take bikes on trains unless they are in bike bags… That guy just got that bike because he thinks it’s cool.
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Ha, I didn’t realize most photos were women! I did take some of dudes, but they didn’t make the final cut as often as women did, plus I think there were more ladies on the street at the time.
Too bad I didn’t run into Juri!
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I see sum fine birds in those pics! The Hotto Motto in Meguro must be fulla hunniez…and she’s the one who carries the cash deposit bag!
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 13th, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Nice spot! I didn’t realize that was the cash deposit bag. It looks like a lot of cash is being carried around loosely in that area..
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Nice shots all, I really need to get out there and do more random shots like this. And yeah, some nice shots of womenz.
I’ll remember not to take shots in front of a koban though.
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Jason Collin Reply:
October 15th, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Thanks Can, and yeah, most def you should be out shooting more! Tokyo is a very random city so almost any station you go to you can get something unique I think.
No doubt, shooting right in front of a koban was ignant!
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