Tsutaya with Sakura

A really nice day in Tokyo today with Sakura coming into full bloom. I captured these photos near Shibuya crossing.

People waiting in front of Hachiko

Waiting waiting waiting

A nice look at some advertising with sakura

Sakura closeup

Some police crossing with everyone

Some new ads at the station

Nice warm day today

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Snow coming down heavy on the crossing

It was snowing in Tokyo today. I was out this morning and took these shots of Shibuya. The snow kept falling until evening when it became a bit more like rain, but it has not settled yet. Maybe over night we might have more. Tomorrow morning might be a snow blanket !

I took these photos as HDR images, 5 shots of varying light (-2 -1 0 +1 +2) range and then combined them together. Even on a dark day there is enough colored signage for Shibuya to look wonderful and bright.

A bit too wet for football today

A little bit of a dark image across the train lines andbuildings

A few umbrellas speed across the crossing

Down on street level with the umbrellas

Always busy in Shibuya

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Heading down the escalator into the concrete vault

These HDR picture were taken over a year ago when I first bought my Nikon camera. I took the picture in RAW and remember being disappointed that the picture was dark. I had expected to see a beautiful looking photo with the new expensive camera and lens I had bought. I didn’t realise at the time that the RAW image wouldn’t display properly on my monitor and that I needed to process it to a jpeg, tiff or other format to see the result.

After reading the camera manual I decided to switch to JPEG images and have the camera convert these to 8-bit jpegs as I took the photo rather than gathering the RAW data and converting to a jpeg myself later on the PC.

The RAW files took up about 10MB per photo whereas the JPEGS were coming out at about 3-4MB, so it seemed a good idea.

Now I am looking into HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography I realise that the HDR photo could also be used to make an HDR image. It is normally better to take 3 or more photos of the same scene with different light variations, but a single RAW image can also be used. After merging the RAW photo to make an HDR image and tone mapping, the definition and color in the photo pops out nicely.

It is nice to see some images that I thought were dead come back to life in this format.

The rounded shapes made out of concrete

What images of Japan do you most like to see?

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Fantastic Mural at Shibuya Station showing the various buildings and Route 246

There are many statues and art work displays at the stations in Japan. This mural is located in the walkway underneath Meiji dori heading out from the new subway line.

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I am in Australia at the moment and have been visiting my cat, Kiki.

Also, I got time to go the golf range. This is a great place to practice.

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View of Shinjuku from Shibuya

I took some photos from the Excel Hotel in Shibuya and had a go at pasting them together to make a panorama. It’s a bit shaky, but you get to see a wide shot of Tokyo from it.

View of Shinjuku from Shibuya

Can you see the mountain range in the background from this shot?

View from high up in Shibuya

Do you like to see the city from high up or down on the street?

looking back down

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Entrance to the Center-gai decorated for the Tanabata Matsuri

Team Shibuya CENTER-GAI is helping Shibuya to celebrate the Tanabata Matsuri by decorating the entrance and streets of Center-gai. The festival runs from July 23 to August 08, 2009.

A closeup showing the origami cranes prepared as part of the decoration

Team Shibuya CENTER-GAI's web site showing the promotion for Tanabata Matsuri

It was not that busy today at the Shibuya crossing. On a weekend it can be really packed. Friday evening with the rain coming down and everyone carrying umbrellas can also be a very different view than shown here today.

A quiet day at the Shibuya scramble crossing

More Information

• Team Shibuya CENTER GAI (Japanese)

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Sign at Shibuya station says 'This is a pathway. You cannot carry out performances here'

Around the railway stations at night in Japan, you often see the live street performers take up a position and play for the crowd. Some of these performers are quite good.

You are supposed to get permission from the Police before performing, and also for handing out leaflets etc., but some people just set up and wait to be told to stop.

This performer out on Sunday night, seemed to be popular with the kids.

Starting to attract a crowd outside Shibuya station

Setting the backing music for the next performance

What do you think about Street Performers outside the station? Do you have any favorite places you see live street performers?

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Video cam at the ready, phone numbers being exchanged. Looks like an impromptu film shoot

It’s been a while since we have had a Shibuya Streets series. The weekends are always busy with foot traffic and with a spare hour, I took a walk out to test my a new camera. Some of the shots I was very pleased with, others got to test out the ‘delete’ button function. The delete function is probably the one I have best mastered now with this camera.

Here are the shots with some brief comments to give you a feel for Shibuya from the street.

Everyone loves to take photos at Shibuya Crossing

Busy afternoon at the Shibuya scramble crossing

Plenty of fashions at this busy Shibuya scramble crossing

Lost in the crowd, lost in his music

This one was by mistake, but since this is 'Shibuya Streets', why not?

I remember traveling to New York some years ago and being surprised at how different the street fashions and street manners were to a comparable big city like Tokyo. It never gets boring watching the movement of the city.

Fashion in the foreground, ads in the background. Lots of action in Shibuya

This is one way to get above the crowds

Horikita Maki advertising for docomo on the 109 building

A policeman contemplating his ride home. Maybe he is looking up at Horikita Maki

A strangely peaceful view in the big city. The Shibuya river that flows under the Tokyu Dept store

Looking back up Dogenzaka, Shibuya Station

Pepper Lunch or Pepper Dinner? Either way these steaks are good

Large truck ads for new TV show on Fuji Television roar by

Another truck ad. This one for an Manga Cafe, manboo

Livedoor's YYC community dating site rolls by. 2,500,000 members. now in its 9th year

After all those trucks, it’s nice to see the Hachiko small community bus get a chance to hit the road.

Shibuya community bus, Hachiko

That’s a quick round up for this version of Shibuya Streets. There is always a lot of activity in Shibuya, particularly around the crossing. The fashions and the movements of people are fascinating to watch.

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Shibuya Station back when the trams ran through the streets

The area around Shibuya station is well known to the millions of people who flow through the train station. What is not so well known by all those people is how the area used to look just 50 years ago.

There is a photo exhibition on at the moment presented by the Shibuya City Ward Office displaying some fantastic old photos of Shibuya including the Station area.

The Photo Exhibition poster

Photo Exhibition, @ Shibuya Mark City

The Exhibition is running from June 30 to September 1, 2009. It is located in the Mark City West Mall’s Creation Square space. Entry is free, and the staff are very helpful and friendly.

It is interesting to see which buildings still exist now and which areas of land look totally different to the landscape back then.

Did you know that there used to be a cable car (not the street version, but one through the air), that used to operate from the Tokyu Department Store. They only allowed children to go on it and the adjacent building had not way to get down, so they had to ride back in the car again to Tokyu.

The cable car was very popular but only ran for one and half years in 1951.

The Hibari-go cable car for kids only

This area surprisingly looks quite similar to 50 years ago

You aren't likely to see one of these running between Shibuya and Ebisu today

You can see the Ginza line on the right and the hill which is Miyamasuzaka with tram lines here

Shibuya Station area today with Tokyu Dept in background

More Exhibition photos

There are some books on sale at the exhibition showing the “Now and Then” photos of Shibuya. I picked up these two books for YEN 1,000 each. They are a great reminder of the progress this area has seen in the past 50 years and make you think about what areas are coming up for redevelopment soon.

2 classic books showing the 'Then and Now' of Shibuya

A phto from Vol.1 showing the construciton of the Expressway in time for the 1964 Olympics

The veiw back up Route 246 towards Roppongi. Quite a difference here

There are also some Hachiko Goods on sale and books telling the real story of the Hachiko legend.

Hachiko Goods

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Railway construction under way

There has been a lot of railway construction going on recently around Shibuya station. The Fukutoshin　（副都心線） line construction was completed between Wako and Shibuya linking through Ikebukuro （池袋） and Shinjuku san-chome　（新宿三丁目）.

The train line is buried underground in large tunnels, which is where most of the construction took place using large cylindrical cutting machines. Above ground there was some disruption to Meiji Dori (明治通り), the road above where most of the route runs, for access to the underground construction areas.

Construction Gates on Meiji dori. A tunnel is being dug out below

Meiji Dori crosses Route 246 at Shibuya Station

At the moment, construction is moving ahead on the southern extension of this line which will see the current above ground station for the Toyoko Line be moved underground and linked up with the Fukutoshin Line. When this is complete in 2012 you will be able to ride from Wako-shi passing through Shibuya and straight on to Yokohama.

The completed Fukutoshi-sen line between Wako and Shibuya via Ikebukuro

This linking up or amalgamation of multiple train lines has been going on for a while as the Tokyo train system expands to meet consumer demand for more trains and better connections.

Train Lines at Shibuya Station

With the Toyoko Line platform moving underground, it can’t be long before plans for the redevelopment of Tokyu Department Store above Shibuya station are put into motion.

The train platform at Shibuya station for Toyoko Line above Route 246

What redevelopment is being planned for this area after 2012?

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There are more videos of other areas in Tokyo, including Ginza, Roppoingi, Ikeubukuro and Yurikamome Line going to Odaiba from eleven23 which are equally as good.

and a really cool time-lapse video from orebun / nubero on YouTube. Thanks to Danny Choo for pointing this one out on Twitter @DannyChoo.

For those who maybe used to live in Japan but don’t anymore, I am sure that last video will have you wishing you could get back here.

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