Travels from TokyoTo Kyoto

and Beyond

Award-winning British landscape and nature photographer Nick Jackson

leaves his native London to absorb the bright lights of Tokyo and travel east

across Japan to Mount Fuji and Kyoto - aboard the infamous bullet train.

nickjacksonphotography.co.uk

“Tokyo Traffic”

Tokyo was an enormous juxtaposition of high-speed lifestyle combined with ancient temples, religion and history on a scale that completely surpasses London.

This shot is the modern side of the capital, where 24 hours a day traffic flows through the city.

The view from the top of Tokyo's Park Hyatt Hotel (the setting for the movie Lost in Translation)

“Japanese couple praying at Senso-Ji Temple, Asakusa”

Almost 1,400 years ago the first Buddhist temple was built in in Tokyo. Lit up long into the night, worshippers of all ages congregate round this temple to pay their respects. Just before midnight, this was the one quiet moment I found to take photos and I was lucky enough to time it just right as the last couple of the day began praying at the top of the stairs.

Senso-Ji Temple, Asakusa

“Asakusa Pagoda, Tokyo”

Another incredible example of ancient Buddhist design, this 5-story high pagoda was originally built over 1,000 years ago. Since then it has suffered from fires and bomb damage but has been rebuilt exactly in line with the original.

Asakusa Pagoda, Asakusa

“Guardian of the temple”

Sensi-Jo shrine is guarded by two huge half-lion / half-dog stone guardians called the Komainu who protect it from evil. Other shrines, such as the Inari which I visited in Kyoto, are instead guarded by foxes. Across Japan there are many different types of shrines, all of which are dedicated to various kami or gods, such as the kami of war or rice.

Senso-Ji Temple, Asakusa

“The fastest way to travel”

Reaching speeds of 200mph, the journey from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Shikansen train flies by in a perfectly smooth blur with brief glimpses of the Japanese coastline and Mount Fuji in the distance. They say in Japan that if the bullet train is late it’s your watch that’s wrong. Even the drivers had pristine uniforms and bowed to each other at the changeover shifts. An amazing way to travel...

Bullet Train leaving Tokyo Station

“The giant bamboo forests of Arashiama”

The 4 days I spent in Kyoto could have been extended to 40 and I wouldn’t have seen everything this beautiful city has to offer. Arashiama bamboo forest was really one of the highlights for me. Vast swathes of these giant plants are grown and harvested to manufacture baskets, cups, boxes and mats using ancient techniques in local workshops.

“The Reiki gardens of Ginkaku-Ji, Kyoto”

With its manicured trees, raked sand gardens and mossy, wooded hillside, Ginkaku-Ji (the Silver Temple) was built as a retirement home for Kyoto’s shogun in 1480. With a focus on zen meditation, this temple in the middle of Kyoto is a sea of tranquility within the bustling city.

“Japanese geisha”

These beautiful hostesses can occasionally be seen sashaying through the streets of Kyoto and are immediately identifiable by their white make-up, elaborate kimono and perfect hair. For me they are part of the Japanese culture which really sets it apart from what we are accustomed to in the West. To be allowed to photograph a geisha was a real privilege for me.

Japanese Geisha in Kyoto

“The path of endless gates”

Thousands of orange torii gates line the trail up the hillside to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. Each one is inscribed with the name of a donor who has contributed up to one million yen for the privilege of having a permanent home on the shrine. It takes over 2 hours to reach the summit of the mountain and the entire route is populated with these beautiful torii.

“Maruyama Park cherry blossom festival”

Once a year, for the briefest time, Japan explodes in a sea of pink and white cherry blossom. The Japanese themselves enjoy this as much as the tourists who have travelled to see it, and in Maruyama Park they hold a festival of celebration. The cherry blossom is lit up with ornate streetlights and cauldrons of incense which burn to scent the whole park.

“Mount Fuji”

Such is the cultural importance of Mount Fuji that UNESCO selected the mount as a “cultural” rather than “natural” heritage site because of the inspiration it lends to poets, artists and as the object of pilgrimages. For 3 days I waited patiently for the volcano to emerge from the clouds which so often envelop it, and on the last day of my stay, just as I was leaving for the airport, the clouds cleared and the majestic mountain presented itself.  Risking missing my flight I immediately jumped into the cable car which provides the quickest route to the best viewpoint of Fujisan and rattled off as many pictures as I could.

About the author

I am an award winning Lancashire-born photographer based in London. I specialise in landscape and nature photography captured in my native UK and on my travels abroad. I have featured in a dozen national photographic magazines and broadsheet newspapers, and have written travel photography articles for travel websites.

To view and buy my work please visit my website here: www.nickjacksonphotography.co.uk

My main specialities are producing wall decor of my city and landscape images for personal as well as business, bar and hotel use. I can be hired to shoot events, for business or family portraiture or to photograph interiors and exteriors of homes or businesses.

Much of my recent work utilises High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology. HDR imaging allows for a more dramatic contrast within the lightest and darkest elements of a frame, resulting in a more intense image with a near surrealism whilst staying true to its subject.