Browse > Home / Japan / Tokyo Imperial Palace Autumn Scenes

Tokyo Imperial Palace Autumn Scenes

November 21, 2008 · Print This Article

I was fully intent on cycling to Ginza to take some more candid street photographs on a beautiful, sunny fall afternoon in Tokyo that would have been a crime against nature to spend indoors.  However, as I turned of Shinjuku Dori in front of the Imperial Palace of Tokyo, I saw all the ginko trees had turned yellow and that a few photographers were taking photos of them.  So I thought, I should too.  I liked it so much I never left the palace area, and thusly never made it to Ginza.  I like how my afternoon surprisingly turned out though.

This afternoon romp coined a new phrase, “cyclo-photography,” which is the process of using one’s bicycle to travel between semi-nearby photo spots with one’s camera being stowed in the handlebar bag for easy, quick and frequent access.  Tokyo is best seen by bicycle by the way, by far.  

I started on the west side of the palace taking in the great sweeping view of the moat as it falls down toward Marunouchi.  It’s my favorite view in all of Tokyo.  I proceeded eastward finally ending up at the, I feel, little known east garden of the Imperial Palace.  I, myself, went there only for the second time, but it is a real hidden treasure with few people and great open grassy areas, perfect for lying down on in the sun (see above photo).  Of course I plopped down on my stomach and felt the warmth of the heated ground and the joy that comes with touching that much of the Earth that directly.  I was ecstatic.  It felt like the best hug you could ever get from the person you love most in the world (well, almost as good).  

I lied flat on my stomach for a good ten minutes.  There was no reason to move.  I’d look around with my naked eye at the micro-world within a few meters of me, then put my eye to my D80 and look at the distant world through my zoom lens.  I felt like part of the ground.

TOKYO IMPERIAL PALACE IN AUTUMN PHOTO GALLERY:
My favorite view of the Imperial Palace is from this point. My faithful Trek 7.3 FX and the photographers that inspired me to stop and shoot. Ginko trees line the entire street.
I never saw so many water birds in the moat before. Downtown Marunouchi as seend from the Palace That's a pretty parking lot.
I love homes that fast west into the setting sun. Lens flare! I forgot to bring my lens hood, sorry A fine place to pass an autumn afternoon, indeed
A perfect Tokyo on grass napping spot I was lying down flat on the grass to get this shot! So much for cloud watching
A tree buckles down for the onset of winter The hidden east garden of the palace is a secret place this person is glad for I couldn't find a name for this faithful guardian
I'm always surprised to see flowers bloom in cold weather These flowers don't know it's not spring . . . . . . and these leaves don't know it's fall!

RELATED POSTS:
Buzz Up Digg Mixx
Print

Written by Jason Collin · Filed Under Japan 
Tagged: , , ,

Comments

4 Responses to “Tokyo Imperial Palace Autumn Scenes”

  1. Tornadoes28
    on November 21st, 2008 1:51 PM

    Great pics. I am curious who that statue is.

    Reply

    Jason Collin Reply:
    November 22nd, 2008 at 1:03 AM

    Thanks.

    I was curious who was the statue of too, but no English sign or really any sign to speak of. On the back of the base of the statue was a small plaque with some kanji on it and I didn’t take a photo of it to show anyone later.

    Reply

  2. Michael John Grist
    on November 21st, 2008 7:09 PM

    Great shots- I had no idea until recently you put a comment on them all- makes it worth looking at them all to see what your comment is. Previously I just looked at the thumbnails cos I figured that was all there was to it. Now I’ll be reading your posts more attentively.

    Reply

    Jason Collin Reply:
    November 22nd, 2008 at 1:05 AM

    Thanks too.

    If you mouse over the thumbnails and leave the cursor there for a second, the comment appears as well.

    Reply

Got something to say?