photo-journal

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

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Kamakura Pt. 3 - Kōtoku-in

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Continuing our cycle trip through the city of Kamakura (links to part 1 and part 2) , we visited the ancient "Great Buddha" or Daibutsu.

The enormous Daibutsu

The enormous Daibutsu

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha located at the Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The bronze statue probably dates from 1252, in the Kamakura period, according to temple records. It was preceded by a giant wooden Buddha, which was completed in 1243 after ten years of continuous labor, the funds having been raised by Lady Inada (Inada-no-Tsubone) and the Buddhist priest Jōkō of Tōtōmi. That wooden statue was damaged by a storm in 1248, and the hall containing it was destroyed, so Jōkō suggested making another statue of bronze, and the huge amount of money necessary for this and for a new hall was raised for the project. The bronze image was probably cast by Ōno Gorōemon or Tanji Hisatomo, both leading casters of the time. At one time, the statue was gilded. There are still traces of gold leaf near the statue's ears. It is unclear, however, whether the statue constructed in 1252 is the same statue as the present statue.
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Some stats on this humongous statue:

  • Weight; 121 tonnes (270,000 pounds)
  • Height; 13.35 m (43.8 ft)
  • Length of Face; 2.35 m (7.7 ft)
  • Length of Eye; 1.0 m (3.3 ft)
  • Length of Mouth; 0.82 m (2.7 ft)
  • Length of Ear; 1.90 m (6.2 ft)
  • Length from knee to knee; 9.10 m (29.9 ft)
  • Circumference of thumb; 0.85 m (2.8 ft)

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A fellow NEX-7 user using his SEL18200

The grounds surrounding the Buddha are very well kept, and relatively peaceful. As 99% of people are drawn to the enormous statue (and rightly so), there are some decent photographic, or simply relaxing, moments to be had in the grounds.

There's quite a collection of people in front of the Buddha. Some are simply standing in awe. Most people start off in this manner. Then, our comes their phone. A few will switch to their dedicated cameras. Finally, there are the people finishing their photos, who turn around and see ~100 cameras pointed in their direction. From studying these people, I have learnt that the proper technique is to crouch down and lollop out of the way, whilst shyly smiling. That's a photo-project in itself!

 

After taking the mandatory photos of the Buddha, my attention (and most others) was directed further upwards, where high aloft, raptors were screeching and circling. They could have been either the Black-eared Kite or Japanese Sparrowhawk. I did see one such bird chasing a sparrow mid-flight, which was something to behold.

The above photos are heavily cropped; click for larger. All photos on this page were taken with my NEX-7 and SEL18200LE lens. Click here for the lens review. It's at times like this that I wish I had maybe a 400mm lens atop a Canon 5Dmkiii... but carrying that thing around (let alone paying for the combo) would not have been fun on my little bicycle. Plus, if there weren't any such birds around, I probably wouldn't be worrying about such scenarios.

This concludes my Kamakura-by-bicycle photo-journal. I hope you've enjoyed the ride :) 

Guardian of Warriors

in

Kamakura Pt. 2 - Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

Pointing to the skies | NEX-7 % SEL18200LE | 1/60s f/7.1 ISO100 18mm

Continuing our cycle-journey through Kamakura, we left the bamboo forest and sped back to the centre of Kamakura, to visit the centre-piece of the small city - Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.

 

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura, which has largely grown around it and its 1.8 km approach. It is the venue of many of its most important festivals, and hosts two museums.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū was for most of its history not only a Hachiman shrine, but also a Tendai Buddhist temple, a fact which explains its general layout, typical of Japanese Buddhist architecture. At the left of its great stone stairway stood a 1000-year old ginkgo tree, which was uprooted by a storm in the early hours of March 10, 2010. The shrine is an Important Cultural Property.

Our cycle route, taking all of 5 minutes! 

Knotted Tree

In Japanese mythology, Hachiman is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors.

We bought ice-creams and some liquid refreshment, as cycling in the scorching 35°C bright sun was quite hard work. I had the 18-200 lens attached to my NEX-7, and decided to make the most of its range.

At first glance, I thought that this was just one building, due to telephoto compression

The shrine is actually multi-layered

I recommend a visit to  Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, though I think I'm yet to not recommend somewhere! It's easily walkable from the train station (though bring water & maybe a parasol, if you're doing this in summer), which made it relatively busy (for a week day). After this shrine, I'd recommend visiting some of the smaller, more tucked-away sites, to really soak in the atmosphere.

Can't see the wood for the trees

in ,

Kamakura Pt. 1 - Hokokuji

Affectionately called "Little Kyoto", the city of Kamakura in eastern Japan is a popular tourist destination. Little over an hour from central Tokyo, it's home to numerous temples and a distinctly Japanese feel. I've been to Kamakura a few times before (this was my brother's first time), but this time it was a little different - we rented bicycles!

Bamboo Forest | NEX-7 & SEL16F28 & UWA | 1/100s f/2.8 ISO200 16mm 

Hokokuji dates back to 1334, and was a place to house family treasures and pay homage to the grandfather of the first Ashikaga Shogun. A small entrance fee of ¥200 helps keep this stunning forest meticulously maintained.

The dense canopy above provided us with much needed shelter from the strong afternoon sun above.

There's something distinctly Asian about a bamboo forest

Click on each photo to open it in full screen on your browser

Hokokuji is a 45 minute walk from the train station, but with bicycles, it only took us around 5 minutes. It's a great way to get around Kamakura. Stay tuned for more!

Air Quality in Beijing

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China

Day 4 - Air Quality

I took a late-night flight back from Dalian to Beijing, landing in the smog sometime before midnight. The forecast for today was for bright sunshine and a high of 37°C, so I was curious as to how Beijing would look. In short, visibility today has been great.

Practically clear!

Practically clear!

Compared to when I arrived, the visibility today is fantastic. The scorching-hot sun casts strong shadows, and people gather under the trees and bridges for shelter. So, conditions are favourable. The weather looks good. We don't have visual evidence of heavy pollution though there are still many old cars, and many factories surrounding Beijing.

A plane landing in Beijing

A plane landing in Beijing

The visual side of the pollution story is not the only concern for cities. High levels of NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOC) combined with the strong shortwave (UV) sunlight, create ozone. The ozone layer protects us from harmful UV-B rays from the Sun, but that's at high altitudes. Down in the city-streets, ozone does little by the way of protection. Instead, ozone causes severe respiratory problems. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. “Bad” ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. 

I can't put any measurement data onto the blog, as it needs to go through the proper quality assurance and scientific channels first. I can say that O3 levels in Beijing are extremely high.  If Tokyo is around 50ppb (and wants to reduce it), Beijing is at around 100ppb. For comparison, the remote jungle in Borneo is about 5ppb.

What can be done?

Good question. It all really comes down to policy.  Beijing has shown before, with the Olymipics, that it can reduce its pollution. However, making a long-term commitment to such policies is much harder. Personally, I hope that one day soon Beijing is able to  make the headlines for more than its record-breaking pollution. It's a fantastic place full of lively and fun people. I recommend a visit - just perhaps not in winter.

Dalian

in ,

China

Day 3 - Dàlián

Chairman Mao at Dagong

Chairman Mao at Dagong

I was up at 5am in order to get an early flight from Beijing to Dalian. Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, in Northeast China. It is surrounded by the waters of the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. This huge statue of Chairman Mao is outside of Dalian University of Technology, Dagong.

Encircled

Encircled

The campus was like any other. Lots of students having a good time, hustle-bustle, and some interesting architecture. Dalian is considerably less hazy than Beijing, but it's still hazy.

DUT Library

DUT Library

Many universities in China sport a statue of Chairman Mao, and many of the buildings share the same architectural mantra.

Abandoned Waterpark

Abandoned Waterpark

After work was finished, we headed to the beach. There aren't many beaches close to Chinese cities, and my co-worker said this is the third one he's been to. He said that he was surprised how clear the water was (it was clear) and that this is probably the most beautiful beach he's visited in his life. I recommended a trip to Thailand if he could make it one day.

Flying kites and airing linen

Flying kites and airing linen

There was plenty of action down by the seaside. Some dude with a whip, ladies dancing, bungee jumps & zip lines!

Lots of concrete

I've not shown many photographs of food, but that's mostly down to being absolutely ravenous by the time I sit down. The camera remains in my bag as I tuck in, and then I remember I've not taken any pictures of food! 

Amazing seafood

Amazing seafood

Well, here you go. Some amazing seafood from this coastal region. There was no menu in this restaurant; we went into a back room and chose what we'd like to eat from tanks and exquisitely set-out plates. It was nothing short of delicious.

Haidian District

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China

Day 2 - Haidian District

 

It certainly looks like the Environmental Sciences building

It certainly looks like the Environmental Sciences building

I'm currently here in China for work-related activities, and thus needed to crack on with work early this morning. A 2km walk from my hotel, is the Environmental Sciences building of Tsinghua University, in the heart of the large Haidian district. I always appreciate greenery, especially when said greenery apparently envelopes the man-made structure within.

Up the river

Up the river

Visibility is as poor as yesterday, and here's why. There is a lot of water vapour in the air, which condenses onto the aerosol particles. The particles thus become a little larger, and scatter light even more. It's almost like being in a very fine cloud. If there were fewer particles, more water may condense onto a given particle and it would fall to the ground as a droplet. Even though we have actually had some rain, there are too many particles to remove in such processes. It's making every photo look as though I've completely messed up the in-camera settings. There is simply just too much scattering - all of these photos are even taken with a circular polariser fitted to the end of my lens! 

The largest lake on the campus

The largest lake on the campus

The poor visibility certainly gives the photos a certain "look" . I don't know if it's possible to get instagram in china (it's probably not), but it's not needed in Beijing. All my photos look retro here.

Some Chinese characters are the same in Japan

Some Chinese characters are the same in Japan

I can read quite a lot here in Beijing. What I can't read, I either guess or just ignore. The Chinese writing system has changed over the years, and the oldest scriptures are the easiest for me to read, as they are the same characters as used today in Japan. The Chinese have since moved onto simplified scripts, though not in Taiwan.

100 year old shrine

100 year old shrine

Unlike Japan, and Tokyo in particular, many buildings in Beijing are well over 50 years old. The reason is twofold. Firstly, there are far, far fewer earthquakes here in Beijing than in Japan. And secondly, Beijing wasn't mostly turned to rubble by firebombing from the Allied Forces in WWII.

The original Tsinghua University building

The original Tsinghua University building

Tsinghua University was founded in 1911. There's an interesting mix of Chinese and American (Jeffersonian) architecture throughout the campus. 

For dinner I ventured into the centre of the Haidian district, in search of noodles.

TUS Park is called "China's Silicon Valley"

TUS Park is called "China's Silicon Valley"

It rained again. 

Recharge your car here. Help reduce pollution!

Recharge your car here. Help reduce pollution!

I've not been here long, but I have noticed a few things about the Chinese people:

  1. Extremely friendly
  2. They don't drink cold water (it's served hot) 
  3. They don't stare at foreigners, and will speak to you in Chinese first
  4. Completely ignore traffic signals (observe below)
Notice the "red man" sign, and everyone ignoring it

Notice the "red man" sign, and everyone ignoring it

As I was devouring my noodles, a very pleasant chap came and sat down opposite me. He started talking about the weather, probably. I wouldn't know, as he was speaking in Chinese. I only know how to say "hello" and "thank you", so I didn't get very far. It turns out that he studied French in school (as did I), and so we conversed in the best French we could muster. No doubt if an actual french person were nearby they'd cringe in horror, but it got the job done. Surreal. He asked me if I had "QQ". I said no. I said we use Facebook outside of China. He said he didn't know what it was. I'd finally found someone who doesn't know Facebook.

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C'est la vie. 

Make haze while the sun shines

in ,

China

Day 1 - Beijing

Visibility is just a few hundred metres

Visibility is just a few hundred metres

I've safely made it to my hotel in Beijing. I've never been to mainland China before (save for a transfer in Shanghai).After passing through immigration, I headed to the taxi rank. The taxi driver was an utter loon. He appeared to be driving a manual gearbox, but sans clutch (or at least he didn't care about a clutch). If you've ever watched touring cars, you'll have some idea of the ride. Quite brilliantly, around 50 near-misses were skilfully kept as near-misses, with the kind of precision you'd only expect from Schumacher. The guy could have been a world champion, but he's just a crazy taxi driver in Beijing. His photo ID was a little perplexing, as it pictured a man with a full head of hair and no wrinkles. However, the chap next to me had almost no hair and skin like a prune. Hmmm.

Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi

I am rather quickly finding out what parts of the internet I am permitted to see. No facebook, no twitter, sparse Google pages, half of the video feeds don't work. As a temporary resident in Beijing, I am also not permitted to see the sky. In every direction, the haze is very, very obvious. I've never experienced anything like it first hand. Unfortunately, it means I will have to limit my time outdoors. As a climate scientist specialising in the study of small particulate matter (the exact type which create this haze), I know all too well of the detrimental effects to human health.

If you squint, you might make out planes on the runway...

If you squint, you might make out planes on the runway...

It's quite impressive that planes land safely in this smog. It was rather an odd feeling; knowing you're coming in to landing, but only seeing the ground around 5 seconds before the wheels bump down. 

Nothing like a good coffee

Nothing like a good coffee

I checked in and was told that my room was still being prepared, so I ordered a coffee and got to some work in the lobby. Nothing beats a good coffee, and I always feel tired after travelling long distances. 

How much would a room this size cost in Tokyo?

How much would a room this size cost in Tokyo?

The hotel is rather grand, and so is the room. I've never had such a spacious room in Tokyo. If they exist, they're well out of my budget! The water pressure is feeble, but apart from that, I can't complain. Unlike any bed in Japan, it looks like I'll fit in this one.

The view from the hotel window drops off rapidly

The view from the hotel window drops off rapidly

All being well, I plan on updating the blog each day with a few photos from China. I've got plugins to automatically post to twitter and facebook - I won't have access to those until I am outside of The Great Firewall this weekend. Stay tuned!

An afternoon in Jiyugaoka

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After my orange juice this morning, I headed to Shibuya to catch a train on the Tokyu Toyoko line. The train terminus has actually moved, now serving as a through-train to the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line. Remarkable, really. Today, I wanted to find the quickest way from my usual exit, to the Toyoko Line, as when we tried the other week, we were going around downward spirals deeper into Shibuya's underground. Anyway, my aim today was to visit the popular and chic neighbourhood of Jiyugaoka.

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Any visitor to Tokyo will ride a train. It's unavoidable. Thankfully, it's a joyous experience. Helpful staff and punctual trains make life easier for tourists, but if you try to catch a train before 9am... good luck to you! My train to work is quoted as being at 225% capactiy. Yeah. 225%.

If you can manage it, I recommend going to the very front carriage, as there are usually windows into the driver's cab.

 

Driving  | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/30s f/1.8 ISO100 24mm

 

I like to find new and interesting coffee shops when I'm out and about in Tokyo. Japan's the world's third largest coffee bean importer, and it's evident. There are both chain and independent coffee shops within a few metres of every train station. Sometimes, there are even two or three shops next to each other. You'd never see that in the UK. I remember people dissing Starbucks in the UK for destroying the independent coffee shops... yet I never remember seeing anywhere decent in the UK. Most "coffee shops" were just greasy spoons, and I never wanted to go into one. I'd pay for a good coffee, in a good coffee shop in the UK. Maybe I'll cut to the chase and just open a shop one day.

Anyway, I walked past an old fellow separating out the "good beans from the bad" in his (translated) words. Wow. I don't even know what the difference is. He said that he looks for whole, well shaped beans. I asked him if I could take a photo, to which he agreed with a big smile. Of course, I went in straight away and ordered a good strong coffee.

 

Mr. Bean | NEX-7 & Canon nFD 50mm F1.4 | 1/1250s f/2.0 ISO100 50mm

Espresso Blend | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/60s f/1.8 ISO320 24mm

Energised, I went back to the streets. I'd waited until the afternoon to avoid the strong midday sun, and to catch the favourable low-angled light. 

I wanted to practice what I preached, so I slowly drifted away from the busiest shopping areas and headed down the backstreets, passing more and more residential areas, and independent shops.

Yellow underbelly | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/30s f/8.0 ISO100 24mm

 

Jiyugaoka is consistently listed as being the most popular residential area in all of Tokyo. The apartments are expensive, and an expensive car will most likely pass you at some time.

 

Apartment | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/1000s f/1.8 ISO100 24mm

Bridge | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/160s f/2.5 ISO100 24mm

 

Rain was actually predicted today, as Japan has started its rainy season. Thankfully though, there was none. Not only that, but the forecast for tomorrow is favourable. Rain will come on monday and last for a few days. 

 

Green man | NEX-7 & SEL24F18Z | 1/160s f/1.8 ISO100 24mm 

 

These days, I've become really used to all of the overhead cables here. It's really quite interesting how quickly something so different can become normal. I had a similar thought today, as I've been using this NEX-7 for around 9 months now, and know it like the back of my hand. I can use it without having to think about what I'm doing, which I've never felt with a camera before. It's a really nice feeling, and has meant that I can focus on the photo, rather than the camera.