Trip to Japan (2017)

  1. 1 2017-08-11: arrival in Tokyo
  2. 2 2017-08-12: Tokyo sightseeing
    1. 2.1 Asakusa
    2. 2.2 Tokyo University
    3. 2.3 Shinjuku
    4. 2.4 Dinner: Izakaya
  3. 3 2017-08-13: More Tokyo
    1. 3.1 Dinner: Loach
  4. 4 2017-08-14: Sapporo
    1. 4.1 Dinner: Traditional
  5. 5 2017-08-15: Otaru
    1. 5.1 Lunch: Kaisen don
    2. 5.2 Otaru sightseeing
    3. 5.3 Back to Sapporo
    4. 5.4 Dinner: Genghis Khan
  6. 6 2017-08-16: Sapporo
    1. 6.1 Lunch: Soup curry
    2. 6.2 More Sapporo sightseeing
    3. 6.3 Dinner: Crab
  7. 7 2017-08-17: Osaka
    1. 7.1 Umeda Sky Building
    2. 7.2 Dinner: Tasting menu
  8. 8 2017-08-18: Kyoto
    1. 8.1 Fushimi Inari
    2. 8.2 Various Kyoto sightseeing
    3. 8.3 Dinner: Kaiseki
    4. 8.4 Back to Osaka
  9. 9 2017-08-19: Osaka
    1. 9.1 Dinner: Wagyu
  10. 10 2017-08-20: Himeji, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
    1. 10.1 Himeji
    2. 10.2 Riding the train
    3. 10.3 Hiroshima
    4. 10.4 Fukuoka
  11. 11 2017-08-21: Fukuoka
    1. 11.1 Lunch: Tonkotsu ramen
    2. 11.2 Dinner: Izakaya
  12. 12 2017-08-22: Ibusuki
    1. 12.1 Dinner: Ryokan
  13. 13 2017-08-23: Kagoshima
    1. 13.1 Lunch: Katsu
    2. 13.2 Kagoshima sightseeing
  14. 14 2017-08-24: Back to Tokyo
    1. 14.1 Dinner: Yakitori
  15. 15 2017-08-25: Tsukiji and Ginza
    1. 15.1 Breakfast: fish
    2. 15.2 Second breakfast: tuna
    3. 15.3 Ginza
    4. 15.4 Lunch: Tempura
    5. 15.5 Roppongi
    6. 15.6 Dinner: Teppanyaki
  16. 16 2017-08-26: Tokyo
    1. 16.1 Lunch: Katsudon
    2. 16.2 Dinner: Tsuta
  17. 17 2017-08-27: Chiba
    1. 17.1 Lunch: Omurice
    2. 17.2 Chiba sightseeing
    3. 17.3 The flight back

In August 2017, my friends and I went to Japan!

FIGURE 1 During this trip I took a bunch of line scan photos.

As always, these pictures are available in full resolution and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 license.

1 2017-08-11: arrival in Tokyo

FIGURE 2 Arrival at Haneda airport. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 500.

Upon arriving, we grabbed a quick meal at Yoshinoya. It was delicious! We stayed in an AirBnB on Odaiba.

FIGURE 3 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 4 Taking the Yurikamome. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

2 2017-08-12: Tokyo sightseeing

2.1 Asakusa

FIGURE 5 Asakuksa visitor’s center. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 6 Senso-ji in Asakusa. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

2.2 Tokyo University

Then we went to Tokyo University. One of my friends was interning there.

FIGURE 7 Yasuda Auditorium in Tokyo University. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 8 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

2.3 Shinjuku

We walked around Kabukicho.

FIGURE 9 The ubiquitous (at the time) Toyota Crown Comfort cabs. SONY ILCE-7R with —-, 0.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 10 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 11 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 12 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 320.

2.4 Dinner: Izakaya

For dinner we went to Kaikaya.

FIGURE 13 Exterior of the restaurant. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 500.
FIGURE 14 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 6400.
FIGURE 15 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 2500.

3 2017-08-13: More Tokyo

Honestly I just followed my friends around and have no idea where we went. My only suggestion was to check out the soon-to-be demolished Nakagin Capsule Tower.

FIGURE 16 Detail of the Nakagin Capsule Tower SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander Apo Lanthar 90mm f/3.5 SL, 90.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

I bought the legendary Voigtlander Apo Lanthar 65mm f/2 at Yodobashi Camera. It was just released at the time. This lens is truly amazing and remained my favourite lens for many years until I had to sell it upon switching to the Fujifilm GFX system (which the lens is not physically compatible with). This lens is notable for its wonderful sharpness across the frame and complete absence of chromatic aberrations. As it is a 0.5x macro lens, it is also suitable for food photography.

FIGURE 17 A random photographer guy. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 18 Somewhere near Akihabara. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 19 Rainbow bridge. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

3.1 Dinner: Loach

We went to Komakata dojou to eat loach. I had never eaten loach before.

FIGURE 20 Loach. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 6400.
FIGURE 21 Sardine sashimi. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 6400.
FIGURE 22 Rainbow bridge again at night. Look at the beautiful sunstars from the Apo Lanthar. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

4 2017-08-14: Sapporo

We flew to Sapporo!

FIGURE 23 Some cute cars. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

For lunch we had a delicious ramen at a random spot that we didn’t plan on visiting. Unfortunately I forgot what it was called.

FIGURE 24 Intersection viewed from the Sapporo TV Tower. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 25 Vintage Type 250 tram. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.

4.1 Dinner: Traditional

We went to Oga traditional, which makes traditional Hokkaido food.

FIGURE 26 Hokkaido fried chicken. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 27 Koi sashimi. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 28 Fried fish. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 29 Saba oshizushi. Somehow we got this even though it is a specialty of the Kansai region instead. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

5 2017-08-15: Otaru

FIGURE 30 Sapporo Shiryokan viewed from across the Sunken Garden. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

We took the Hakodate main line to Otaru.

FIGURE 31 Nagasakiya mall in Otaru. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

Otaru is known for its seafood.

FIGURE 32 Arctic surf clams. I would later have the joy of eating one in 2024. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 33 Uni for sale at the triangle market. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 34 Otaru canal. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

5.1 Lunch: Kaisen don

We went to Kitano donburiya takinami shokudou in the Triangle market.

FIGURE 35 Uni ikura don. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 36 Kaisen don. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

5.2 Otaru sightseeing

FIGURE 37 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 38 The Otaru orugoru-do, a music box store. Notice the steam clock, one of only a few made by Raymond Saunders, and very similar to the more famous one in Vancouver. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 39 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

5.3 Back to Sapporo

FIGURE 40 Waiting for the train back to Sapporo. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 41 Sapporo station. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 42 Chevy Bel Air. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 43 Detail of the Sapporo TV Tower. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 44 A performance for the Makoto Shinkai exhibition. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

5.4 Dinner: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan, or jingisukan, is a genre of Japanese yakiniku. This one probably was at Daruma.

FIGURE 45 Meats expectations. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

6 2017-08-16: Sapporo

FIGURE 46 Hello kitty road dividers just before leaving Sapporo. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

6.1 Lunch: Soup curry

Sapporo soup curry is a famous dish of the region and said to cure colds.

FIGURE 47 Sapporo soup curry. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

6.2 More Sapporo sightseeing

FIGURE 48 Sapporo Station again. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 49 A little bridge. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 50 Odori park from the TV Tower. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 51 Random views from the TV Tower. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

6.3 Dinner: Crab

We went to the Michelin-starred Hanasaki for extreme crab eating!

We had an immense king crab. Arthropod meat degrades within minutes so it is imperative to eat raw crab quickly. The chef cut off the legs of the crab and we alternated between taking a bite of a segment and the chef dipping the remaining crab leg in hot water to cook it further. So the first bite was completely raw but the leg became progressively cooked with each bite. It was very delicious and I have never had anything like that before.

FIGURE 52 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 6400.
FIGURE 53 Yubari King melon. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 54 Nighttime Sapporo. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

7 2017-08-17: Osaka

We grabbed a miso ramen and then flew to Osaka.

FIGURE 55 Miso ramen. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 56 Line scan photo of the Nankai 6000 series.
FIGURE 57 Nankai line in Osaka. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

7.1 Umeda Sky Building

I went to take pictures from the Umeda Sky Building!

FIGURE 58 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 59 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 60 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 61 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 62 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

7.2 Dinner: Tasting menu

We went to the Michelin-starred Kamoshiya Kusumoto for dinner.

FIGURE 63 Uni ice cream. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 64 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 65 Grilled Ayu. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 2500.
FIGURE 66 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 4000.
FIGURE 67 Foam. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 68 Noodle. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

8 2017-08-18: Kyoto

Prior to going to Kyoto for a day trip, we had a quick bite of takoyaki.

FIGURE 69 Takoyaki. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 2000.

8.1 Fushimi Inari

FIGURE 70 Tori. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 71 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 640.
FIGURE 72 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 250.
FIGURE 73 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 74 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 320.
FIGURE 75 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

8.2 Various Kyoto sightseeing

FIGURE 76 Matcha roll cake. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 77 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 78 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1250.
FIGURE 79 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 80 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 81 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 82 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 640.

8.3 Dinner: Kaiseki

We went to Soujiki Nakahigashi. It is known for traditional Kyoto cuisine with a focus on vegetables but it also has some meat/fish dishes.

FIGURE 83 The menu. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 84 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 85 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 86 Grilled ayu. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 87 Vegetable goo. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 88 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 89 Vegetables. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 90 Mushrooms or something. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 91 Noodle. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 92 Small fish. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 93 Dessert. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

8.4 Back to Osaka

FIGURE 94 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 95 Train ride back. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

9 2017-08-19: Osaka

Kushikatsu, or fried skewers, are a specialty of Osaka (which is generally known for their fried foods in general).

FIGURE 96 Kushikatsu. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 97 Dotonbori river. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 98 Glico man. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 99 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 100 Shin Osaka station. SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 101 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

9.1 Dinner: Wagyu

We went to Wagyu Matsushita for wagyu!

FIGURE 102 Niku sushi. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 103 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 104 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

10 2017-08-20: Himeji, Hiroshima, Fukuoka

10.1 Himeji

We took the Shinkansen to Fukuoka, with stops in Himeji and Hiroshima.

FIGURE 105 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

At Himeji Station, I took a line scan photo of an N700A series.

Shinkansen N700A Series
FIGURE 106 Shinkansen N700 Series, Himeji, Japan, 2017
FIGURE 107 Himeji castle. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

10.2 Riding the train

FIGURE 108 Asahi river, Okayama, seen from the Shinkansen. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 109 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 110 A waste incineration plant. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

10.3 Hiroshima

FIGURE 111 Atomic bomb dome. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 112 Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

10.4 Fukuoka

For dinner we had basashi, or raw horse meat! I am not a huge fan — it was chewy and much worse than wagyu beef in every way.

FIGURE 113 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 114 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 115 The Naka river. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

11 2017-08-21: Fukuoka

11.1 Lunch: Tonkotsu ramen

FIGURE 116 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.

11.2 Dinner: Izakaya

We went to an izakaya called Kiharu no Gomasabaya.

FIGURE 117 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 118 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 119 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 120 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 121 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

12 2017-08-22: Ibusuki

FIGURE 122 A Ki-Ha diesel multiple unit. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 123 View from Ibusuki station. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

For lunch we had Tousenkyou Soumen Nagashi but I didn’t take any photos since I was too busy catching noodles.

We enjoyed a great sand bath. However, sand is coarse and rough and irritating and gets everywhere so I didn’t risk bringing my camera.

12.1 Dinner: Ryokan

We stayed at the amazing Shusuien.

FIGURE 124 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 125 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 126 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 127 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.

13 2017-08-23: Kagoshima

FIGURE 128 Line scan photo of the Ibusuki no Tamatebako. The train is half black and half white and this is the white side.
FIGURE 129 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

13.1 Lunch: Katsu

FIGURE 130 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

13.2 Kagoshima sightseeing

FIGURE 131 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 132 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 133 Sakurajima volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan and a symbol of Kagoshima. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 134 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 135 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 136 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 137 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

14 2017-08-24: Back to Tokyo

FIGURE 138 Fuji mountain from the airplane. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

14.1 Dinner: Yakitori

We went to Torie for some really delicious and fancy yakitori.

FIGURE 139 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 140 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 141 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.

15 2017-08-25: Tsukiji and Ginza

We went to the Tsukiji fish market.

FIGURE 142 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 143 Tamagoyaki. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 144 Kinmedai. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 145 Wasabi. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

15.1 Breakfast: fish

FIGURE 146 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

After lunch the fish market is relatively empty since it is busiest in the early morning. Still, there was a lot going on.

FIGURE 147 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 800.
FIGURE 148 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 640.

15.2 Second breakfast: tuna

FIGURE 149 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

15.3 Ginza

FIGURE 150 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 151 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

15.4 Lunch: Tempura

We went to the acclaimed and fancy Tenpura Kondo. Unlike lesser tempura places, this one gets its fish fresh from Tsukiji and lightly fries it so that the fish taste is preserved and the inside is exquisitely tender.

FIGURE 152 Shrimp heads. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 153 Eggplant. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 154 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 155 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

15.5 Roppongi

We went up Mori tower.

FIGURE 156 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 157 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

Then we somehow went back to Shinjuku.

FIGURE 158 SONY ILCE-7R with E 20mm F2, 20.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

15.6 Dinner: Teppanyaki

For dinner we went back to Ginza, at the amazing Ukai Tei.

FIGURE 159 Sashimi. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 160 Lobster. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 161 Lobster. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 3200.
FIGURE 162 Eggplant. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 163 Wagyu. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

16 2017-08-26: Tokyo

We hung out in Akihabara.

FIGURE 164 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.

16.1 Lunch: Katsudon

For lunch I got a katsudon.

FIGURE 165 Katsudon. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

For dessert we got this bread thing.

FIGURE 166 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.

16.2 Dinner: Tsuta

We went to the Michelin-starred Tsuta, probably the most famous ramen restaurant in the world. It was pretty good I thought but my friends were less impressed.

FIGURE 167 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 400.
FIGURE 168 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.

17 2017-08-27: Chiba

17.1 Lunch: Omurice

FIGURE 169 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.
FIGURE 170 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 1600.

17.2 Chiba sightseeing

FIGURE 171 Club Trump. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.
FIGURE 172 Chiba monorail. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 173 Chiba monorail. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.
FIGURE 174 SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 200.

17.3 The flight back

Unfortunately, despite showing up hours ahead of time, they wouldn’t let us check in to our flight. Earlier, we also tried online check in but their website had a problem. As a consequence we had to take the next flight which necessitated a transfer in Hawaii. In fact, when we got to the gate, we found that our original flight hadn’t even began boarding yet, but oh well, more time for eating food!!!

We got a really delicious tekka don at the airport.

FIGURE 175 Tuna. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 800.

We were shocked that the Honolulu airport didn’t have air conditioning everywhere, and the food there was very bad.

FIGURE 176 Honolulu airport. SONY ILCE-7R with Voigtlander MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm F2 Aspherical, 65.0 mm, , , ISO 100.