Kevin Clifford is an International photographer who specializes in Photojournalism, Sports, Weddings and Portraiture.
Hakone is a nice little town filled with great photo opportunities and vacation ideas. The area features many Onsens (hot springs), the Open Air Museum and scenic views of Mt. Fuji (Fujisan) and Lake Ashinoko. To really explore this place you would need at least two days to see everything. Unfortunately, due to time constants Karen and I had to take the rapid tour (about 6 hours) which means we will have to catch the rest of the things when we go back.
To get to the Hakone Ropeway entrance we first had to take the Hakone Tozan Railway, which is Japan’s oldest mountain railway section. The ride took about 40 minutes and since it was Winter, there was very little to photograph. After getting off the railway at Gora, we had to fight our way to get on the cable car that would take us to Sounzan, which is where the entrance was. The ride took about 15 minutes. So, that is almost and hour to get to the ropeway!
The ropeway has for stations- Sounzan, Owakudani, Ubako and Togendai. Each place takes about 8 minutes to get to and each offer a different view or attraction. For example, Owakudani has a great view of Mt. Fuji as well as sulfur baths. Togendai features a pirate ship ride across Lake Ashinoko. I only had a brief chance to photograph them all. But, even though I brought several lens, I was stuck with my 12-24mm for the most of trip. What happened was that due to the air pressure and high altitude of the ropeway (1,044 m or .7 miles) the lens caps on the back of the lenses were suctioned to the mounts. I was a little pissed to say the least, but I had to make do with what I had.
Transportation: Get the “Free Pass,” which takes care of all area transportation including bus, train and ship for only around $50 (4,500 yen). You will spend almost more than double if you buy as you go.
Website Navi: All the info you will need to get about the area, including maps and ideas.
I only had a brief excursion into Shinjuku and Shibuya crossing, but I was fortunate to see the Hachiko statue and the Shibuya crossing. The Shibuya crossing was like how I pictured it, busy and crowded. I managed to get a quick shot of Karen being goofy as we crossed the street. Getting a great band shot would be fairly easy with a few assistants and SB-800′s. Just have the band do a quick pose in the street as people walk by and pop a few strobes and presto! Anyway, if you travel to Japan, mark Shinjuku on your map.
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I love these photos, they’re beautiful! Even the exotic one of Burger King….
I really wish I had been able to go see Fujisan, but your photos will do the trick for now.
Keep on using that camera Mr. Photographer!
Looks like a trip well worth it. I never considered the lens cap/air pressure thing. interesting…. I look forward to your next post (and thanks for the postcard, the picture made me LOL)
Dude looks like a fun time. Love the shot of the mountain, I have just been catching up on all your posts man. Drop me a line sometime soon.