I am not sure how I first learned of Ryoanji. What I remember is the impression that it is a classic example of aesthetic beauty and design which still has value in modern design. It isn't the old buildings or the amazing living gardens. It is the the "Rock Garden" that draws the attention of crowds. Seeing these signs I was reminded of my expectation to see Chris Cornell at the end of the path.

For reasons that I haven't really considered I find the wall more compelling that the rocks in the garden. It is said that there is always one rock that you cannot see at any given given point when sitting along the garden. But, the shy rocks floating in their manicured sea of white pebbles was only the salad to my beautiful wall. I think this is supposed to be the opposed of the desired goal; the ugly wall is designed to offset the beauty of the white pebbles. But, hidden in those discolored walls are all the pigments of my imagination.

Also compelling if you like green things is the moss garden sitting on the right side of the rock garden. Ryoanji was relatively crowded and it become more busy as the morning went on. So it is easier to move on from the wall view onto the other gardens. But, Amie and I were contented to sit along the wall, snap images of this and that for quite some time before moving on.

Almost forgotten is the interior of the building which is open though not walkable. I must admit I barely gave it a glance. I probably spent more time photographing the genkan (entrance way where you take off your shoes) than observing the interior of the building.

No photographic visit of Ryoanji is complete without the stone pool located at the back of the main building. I couldn't help it - I wanted to shoot it though it has become something of a visual cliche. The combination of stone, water, and bamboo was too much for me to ignore.

Walking out the exit if you hook right you find yourself in gardens which seem to be largely passed by. Other than the bizarre 1970's era "Pagoda" (it's called the "Pagoda" phonetically using katakana) there is so much rich lush natural beauty that we probably spent as much time in these gardens as in front of the wall.

Eventually if hunger overcomes you as it did us I recommend you stop into the Yudofu restaurant located in these gardens. Hidden behind their little gate is another world of gardens. More compact but in some ways more splendid it is a perfect setting to sit by the open terrace and eat the Kyoto speciality known as Yudofu (boiled tofu). Despite sounding like it would have as much character as white rice it was rich with flavor if a little lacking in texture. The experience is heightened by the tranquil relief off the busy beaten path. Amie insisted we stop in and I'm glad she did (boiled tofu wasn't high on my list of hunger quenching foods).

On the way out you pass a pond which leaves nothing to the imagination of how the stone gardens came to have their linear, water-like, patterns.

Done with Ryoanji we were faced with some decision making. We had been southeast, northeast, gion, central, northwest, and now north central. We could go to kinkakuji or we we could scoot back to Kyoto station and hop a train south to the city of Uji. Uji won with the promise of Byodoin (the nearly 1200 year old wooden temple that has to be one of the oldest wooden structure in Japan still in its original condition).

You will discover that Uji is famous for its green tea. If you didn't know it already the dozens of tea oriented shops selling everything from hard candies to ice cream would be a good clue. Apparently well represented in the classic Japanese story the "Tale of Genji" we didn't really know what to expect.

I don't want to sound jaded but after 5 days of seeing many temples and natural wonders it didn't seem like an old temple, no matter how old, would be all that interesting. But, Byodoin is in a league all its own. It is stunning. I'm not sure if it is the age, the amazing condition, or just the awesome designs and patterns that harken to Japan's Korean and Chinese roots; but it was stunning. We lined up in a cue that seemed to promise that this was going to suck. We were visiting on what had to be one of the busiest days to travel in Japan. But, despite the hundred person line (and there is more than one entrance); once we were in it didn't feel crowded. Busy; yes. Crowded; no. It almost didn't matter. The view was really something special.

If you don't have time or inclination to visit Uji look on the back of a ten yen coin and get the 2 second tour of the building. On a technical note this way probably the only time during our trip that I wished I had a point and shoot handy with its incredibly small sensor but unbelievably deep depth of field to capture the 10 yen coin and the building in the same shot.

With an hour or so to spare we decided forgo the splendor of Fushimi-inari. It would have been nice but rather than rush through Uji just to take in one more temple it seemed better to admire the flooding river (the path along the river was submerged) and enjoy the pleasant walk back to Uji station.

Back in Kyoto we ate some food and prepared to hit the road back to Yokohama. Certainly not the end of our trip Kyoto left its indelible mark with the contrast between modern metropolis and historical mecca.

Technical note: All exposure are single exposures with minimal post processing for all Japan images. Except for panoramic exposures (which will include "pano" in their name).

Kyoto Day 2

After an early power breakfast provided by 7-11 we headed off to Kyoto station. Having learned my lesson of day one; I now understood that the maps that make everything look so close together are describing an area the size of Boston - not everything is walkable.

With a short train ride and getting lost only once on the walk we arrived at Daikakuji temple. Originally founded approximately 1200 years ago as the imperial summer palace, this temple resides in the northwest corner of Kyoto. Kyoto city is surrounded by mountains and overflowing with temples. But, unlike Takayama it is a city with many industries including advanced technology companies like Kyocera. So, while Kyoto station is like any major Japanese station at morning rush hour - the area near Daikakuji was nearly empty.

The rain was coming down today which isn't a big deal if you are simply sightseeing but if you are taking photos it does provide an extra level of complexity to every action. Amie is shown here wearing rain gear (with just the green coating of her lens showing her camera).

The remnants of blossoming flowers filled the small river outside the temple looking like candy floating on the water. Much of the temple interior is banned from photography but in many respects it didn't really matter. The temple was tranquil and a warm breeze washed over us as we walked along the covered exterior wooden walkways. The temple is unusual in that it has walkways that squeak like the "nightingale floors" of Nijo castle.

We stayed out of the way of the monks who moved quickly from place to place carrying what appeared to be cleaning supplies. The monks moved with purpose and seemed to ignore, with no disrespect, the travelers who were occupying their halls. If I had been lighting something on fire they would probably have said something to me (or used one of the many available fire extinguishers to douse me) but aside from that I think there is a mutual disconnect of the two worlds though we shared the same space.

I sat for some time near the pond just enjoying the breeze and listening to the sounds of the wind and rain. There is something special about that breeze that the Studio Ghibli crew captures so well in their Anime movies set in the Japanese countryside.

Up and about again I came across two women who were discussing the arrangement of a vase of flowers. I watched them for a while until I felt like it would be appropriate to interrupt them with my very considered question of "what are you doing?"

It turns out they were doing quite a bit. It wasn't simply that they were putting some flowers in a vase they explained to me that this temple is the home of the Saga Goryu school of Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement). They showed me their magazine and gave me both a historical overview and a brief introduction to the concepts underlying their designs. Many of the designs contain, in a vertical layout, heaven, earth, and man. I knew Ikebana was special before I met them; but I didn't really start to understand it until they explained the concepts to me. It is so wonderfully Japanese to have an aesthetically pleasing, technically challenging, and fleeting experience such as the one offered by Ikebana arrangement (with a deep spiritual underpinning to it all).

Having spent far longer than we originally planned taking in Daikakuji we hopped a cab to near the top of the Arashiyama trail. In theory you can spend a wonderful day walking up the trail. We found that you can spend an equally wonderful half-day walking down it (though we never did make the end of it).

The rain was off and on and we were getting hungry. But, no food until we had spent some more time trekking first upward past Toriimoto. We didn't really know what was up the hill. As it turned out there wasn't anything really, just a major road and some inns. But, on the way down we heard the strangest wood cutting instrument. Or tortured children. It wasn't clear which. Then we heard it again and again. I joked it could be monkeys thinking this was about as far fetched as I could imagine. But, Amie retorted that there is a monkey park in Kyoto and so she turned around. A glance upward above the landslide barrier and we saw the gray figure of a monkey walking away from us! Needless to say the next 30 minutes were spent photographing monkeys from a distance that made me wish I had a lens longer than 200mm on me (and not for the last time this trip). If we were observed by locals we probably would have looked as silly as the Japanese tourists who speak in squeaky excited tones upon seeing squirrels for the first time (which we observed in Kamakura). Monkeys are probably just about as common in this area as squirrels are for us (a bit of hyperbole perhaps... maybe more like a skunk sighting in this area). But, for us, wild primates are relegated to National Geographic so this was just about as good as it gets for an animal sighting for us.

Monkeyed out we walked down to Adashino nembutsuji. A solemn place filled with thousands of small statues dedicated to the unknown dead who had been brought to this temple from the region. According to legend the temple was founded by Kokai in the 9th century. Since Heian times bodies have been abandoned here, perhaps too poor to be buried the remains would be burned. Though not pictured there is also a small sanctuary dedicated to unborn children lost to miscarriage or abortion. Surrounded by toys and lit by electric light it is both a lively and sad sanctuary (with restrictions on photography and other activities). The toys seem to speak to what could have been, the ambitions of the loving parents who left them here.

In the back of the temple area, as a path between the two cemeteries, there is a bamboo grove. Though there are probably larger and more epic bamboo groves in Kyoto (in fact there is one at the bottom of the trail that we never made it to) this one satisfied my need to be surrounded by this amazing grass. Bamboo is such a critical building material in Japan, and greater asia, that is respected and admired in all its form. I happen to really enjoy eating bamboo shoots but I don't think the grounds keeper would have appreciated my rooting around like a pig after truffles looking for tasty treats hidden in the earth.

Down toward the bottom of the trail we stopped in at the restaurant we learned was the top pick according to Canadian travel guides for Arashiyama food "komichi." Though not a Kyoto specialty we enjoyed soba and udon and the bizzare tofu experience called goma-dofu (sesame infused tofu).

We managed to get lost one more time on the way back to the station. But, not before we stopped into one more beautiful temple (which had the key amenity of a bathroom I may add) and a very nice statue (which I will find the name for on another day). A short hop back to Kyoto station and we took the free amusement park ride also known as the 11 stories of open-air escalators to the top of the station building. If you take the time to ride to the top, walk through the food section of Isetan dept. sor (eating samples of bacon along the way) you can go down one story and enter the darkest and most poorly marked sky bridge I have ever seen. Amie thought I was entering a restricted area when I pulled open the door.

As we stood next to the couple making out (them not us) looking out onto the Kyoto tower it struck me that being suspended 11 stories in the air above Kyoto station would probably be an uncomfortable place to be in an earthquake. Security walked by us twice while we were up there - I think this has something to do with the almost pitch black we were standing in. It's strange place.

We traveled back down into the basement level, got some dinner, and called it a day. It was a quiet day almost devoid of contact with other travelers - quite a contrast to what would come.

Bag packing, checking out, and getting a quick breakfast were all part of the plan on the morning of our departure. But first a soak in the giant tub. There is something about bathing in the mineral rich hot spring waters of the Japanese mountains that both invigorates and relaxes at the same time. This was my first rotenburo (meaning "outdoor bath" - I only photographed the indoor bath - too many people outside) that overlooked the city. It was on the other side of the building and the city and the mountains stretched out before me as I luxuriated in the hot water. It was a great way to start our trek out to Kyoto.

The ride from Takayama to Kyoto starts on a long down hill glide past the emerald green mountain river. It seems like they fill the train cars from the front so if you want to move to an empty seat ask the conductor if you can move to one of the ones toward the back. They are least likely to be occupied during the trip.

If you ask my mother what they are growing out in the mountains of Gifu she will tell you that they are growing bananas. Or at least that is what she told me when I asked her to venture a guess and she responded first "they could be growing anything" - which is what I had already guessed). Pressed she responded "Bananas."

I would like to think they are growing tea but I really have no idea. As with everything we had up in the Hida Takayama area I am sure it will be delicious.

Having used tourist maps to get around Takayama on foot Kyoto presented some surprises. On a map it looks walkable. If you don't mind an hour or two walk it is highly walkable. But, if you want to get from place to place quickly I recommend buses or trains. Our map was very ambitious - it looked like Uji wouldn't be too bad to get to on foot. But it is easily a 30 minute train ride from Kyoto station.

Besides being somewhat inundated with tourists Kyoto is easily one of the most beautiful places in Japan. We could live there for a year and not really explore it to its full potential. Our first day we got to the hotel, dumped our gear, and went for what turned out to be a bit of a walk to Kiyomizu Temple. It was a very pleasant walk through the off-and-on rain tempered my enthusiasm at times.

My belief is that unlike your favorite food when traveling don't save the best for last. If the weather is good get done what you can because you never know what tomorrow would bring. In general our first day was wonderful with fine weather and just an occasional shower. We wound our way North from Kizomizu past Yasaka up to Chionin Temple. By the time we arrived at Chionin it was closed.

When the temples close the nightlife begins in the side streets and main streets of Kyoto.

The river has a seductive effect on the masses and whether it be the large river banks or the small tributary from the Maiko areas of Gion to the station there is activity. From the road, across the small river, you get glimpses of dining and cooks in their white and stainless temples. Some places look elegant and some look like holes in the wall. All are protected by the moat.

Yakiniku seems to be the thing to eat. Thus endith day one. More to come. Shot with a 5D MKII and a mix of Canon L and the new Tamron 24-70mm lens.

Takayama is beautiful. But, perhaps just as much as Takayama city area is beautiful I think the countryside may hold its own wonders. We'll have to explore this region again and do all the trips requiring a bit of time on the bus.

Starting with the morning market, a cafe, Hida no Sato folk village with its old buldings, and much more we wound our way around today and made the most of a busy day.

The funny thing is that even as the day was relatively busy it didn't feel rushed. We took our time; smelled the sweet mountain air and watched as sakura petals floated by our heads.

There are many local crafts here and they are very proud of the local beef. Some may say this area is even better than Kobe; though certainly not as well known overseas.

This being "Golden Week" the major Japanese holiday week it was expected that this area would be packed with tourists. While the television news makes it sounds like Takayama is bustling with tourists my only observation is that Takayama on a busy day (Today) is like Meiji Shrine on its quietest day.

I was surprised to find myself in a large beautiful shrine as the sun was starting to set all by myself (a major attraction where the massive festivals floats are kept). I can't imagine that Kyoto will give me the same opportunity for stillness and reflection. Everywhere we go the sakura petals falls from the sky like snow but none so poingnantly as the empty shrine. It was beautiful.

A bit of hiking and we found ourselves overlooking the city as the sun set over the nearby mountains. It was a great day.

Todays photos are detail oriented but of course there is a lot more variety to come. After shooting so many images I only have a chance to pull a handful before bed.

So, we're on the move into the mountain of central Japan. A couple of train hops and we're located in Takayama. A beautiful classic part of central Honshu north of Nagoya.

We're going to spend some time here. We got in the afternoon and started poking in shops and we checked out the new "night market." Takayama is famous for its morning market so we're going to go now and see what it is like then go do some sightseeing.

So far the Hida Beef has been very good. I've had it on a stick, in Ramen, in a croquette? (that what the Japanese call it), and as Nikuman (big dumpling).

Spent some time on the shore of the river last night. Little kids wanted to hang out so we chatted for a little bit. It seems that they think the night market is mostly locals. I asked if they wanted to live in the big city and they said no. They love nature. When I'm here I can understand why.

On a technical note - I shot mostly with the Tamron again (everything here is Tamron). Still dealing with a bit of a vignetting from the CPL filter when I use it. But, that's easy enough to fix when I get back. I'm shooting almost exclusively wide open.

But, I definitely switched it up with the Canon 70-200L 2.8 IS II which is just an unbelievable lens. But heavy. You get what you pay for though. It never fails to deliver a beautiful image.

UPDATE: 5/1/12 continued in new JAPAN posts (primarily Tamron 24-70mm).

f5.6, 1/8th sec, iso 125.

These are just a few snaps that I pulled somewhat randomly from the photos I took today. I'll try to arrange them in more of a story soon.

So, after my first full day's use I can say this: I like this lens. I used the lens wide open all day and I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

The only downsides are - I think I need a thinner CPL filter as my new ZETA gave me some exaggerated vignetting (see next photo). Why did I use a circular polarizer? I guess I could shoot brick walls or charts but that isn't my style. I'm just trying to make interesting photos and use the right tools for the job. In this case the 24-70 + a CPL was a great combo. A thinner CPL may help.

at f2.8 and 1/1250th of a second the picture remains sharp. Again this is with a CPL which caused some vignetting.

I have a ton of photos to pile through today but I'm not going to get even close. So, I'll post more very shortly.

We're keeping busy - visited and photographed a bunch of places today. Amongst other things I visited my favorite knife maker for the first time in 10 years. It was nice to see familiar faces.

lots more to come.

UPDATE: continued in PART 2

24mm f5.6 @ half a second handheld. (edit: I just went back to my exif to confirm this - correct me if I am wrong on this one - but it says 0.5 Seconds which I believe is 1/2 of a second right?)

24mm f5.6 @ half a second handheld enlarged.

I am going to shoot a lot with this lens over the next couple of weeks. My first impressions: Big but well balanced on the 5D MKII. Not as heavy as it looks. The VC is pretty amazing really. I didn't do a direct comparison to something else but lets just say I think it will be useful. I wasn't shooting at a 1/15th or an 1/8th. I was at a half second or longer - even at 70mm. I wasn't even trying (too) hard. This is going to be very interesting. (I have been cutting back on the caffeine a bit though... maybe that helps).

70mm f5.6 @ 6/10th of a second handheld.

70mm f5.6 @ 6/10th of a second handheld enlarged.

But the million dollar question - is it sharp at f2.8. Being honest my expectations were low given the price gap between this and the upcoming Canon. That and the 28-75mm Tamron f2.8 I tried doesn't really kick in until f4. BUT - yes it is sharp. Surprisingly sharp. I have to play with it more and this is highly unscientific. I just take pictures and then look at them. No brick walls or charts.

You want to see f2.8? I'll be back tomorrow with some more f2.8 images. But here is a wall and an enlargement of the bottom left corner of the sign. (I did correct the very slight crookedness that the image had because apparently I lean a little to the right - rest assured I don't think this had any impact in the image).

55mm f2.8 1/50th.

55mm f2.8 1/50th. enlarged.

Tamron has created an interesting lens. I only played with a little bit today so I have some fun yet ahead of me. Hopefully without the rain. I was happy with the weather sealing - I wouldn't have wanted to use this in the rain like I did today without knowing that it was a sealed lens. Back with more soon.

- one last pic - a quick snap of Amie at 1/25th of a second at f2.8.

UPDATE: continued in PART 2