Akihabara Electric Town, Shinjuku, & Shibuya Crossing By Night
By Simone Smith
Every man has his weakness. Mine is Tokyo. There is something about the city that pushes me in to a heartbroken, dreamy state... rather like a lovesick puppy!
On previous visits, it has been my habit to just stand in the streets, eyes watering, as the teeming crowds of shoppers, commuters, schoolgirls, and businessmen bustle by. I realized recently that I look a lot less crazy if I do so with a camera and a tripod in front of me, hence these time-lapse videos!
Over the course of three days, I stopped by my favorite neighborhoods: Akihabara, Shinkuju, and Shibuya, set up a tripod, and took this footage.
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The video is shot with a Nikon D5100 on a 'miniature' setting. It fuzzes up the focus and takes a bunch of photos in quick succession, causing a cool effect that, if done the right way, can make things look like miniature models and toys. In this case, the video just looks kind of dreamy, but I think it nicely captures the way I feel about Tokyo's fascinating street life.
The locations, as shown in the video, include:
- Akihabara (also known as Electric Town, famous for electronics, otaku culture, cosplay cafes- maid cafes included- the Don Quijote Complex, and AKB48)
- Shinjuku (also a good place for electronics shopping; like Akihabara, it houses a Yodabashi, one of Japan's biggest electronic chain stores)
- Shibuya (GREAT for youth fashion and arcades)
- Shibuya and Shinjuku station (JR stations along the Yamanote line, which goes in a loop around Tokyo)
I hope you enjoyed this wee peek at Tokyo through my camera lens. I was only just there and already I miss it so much!
akihabara, tokyo - a.k.a. Electric Town, this is the ultimate otaku pilgrimage site.
shinjuku - Stop by for amazing neon lights and lots of department stores.
shibuya, tokyo - AMAZING street fashion, and the stunning Shibuya Crossing can be gaped at here.
Comments
That was great, of all my travels never yet been to Japan, so a great insight. Wow, the amount of people crossing those crosswalks, makes me wonder how long they wait there. Also interesting to see a Starbucks in there too. Great quality as well and gives me such a good idea of what Tokyo is all about. My weakness is European destinations mainly, but I do love experiencing world culture as a whole, so I guess my weakness would be travel in general. Great hub. Thanks
Simone,
Someone once told me that all modern cities were designed for people to live at night. I think your video shows that. Is it just me, or did everyone in the video use the crosswalks?
Simone, I really enjoyed this hub and video. All the photos and footage are wonderful! I have never been there, and I truly sense your love of that place from this hub and others. Its a great topic to write on it seems as its such a passion. I wouldn't mind going there one day, I love travel to new places.
I can only hope to learn one day how to take such footage. Its fascinating to me how this turned out. Great job, I really liked this a lot, Excellent. I hope you get to go back soon.
I would LOVE to go to Tokyo. I seriously know so little about Japan and Japanese culture. I just would love to explore every corner of Tokyo. I'm soaking up each of your Japan hubs as they come out, but I still feel like it's a whole different thing than I'm used to seeing when I travel. I'm still dazzled by Canada's milk in bags thing.
I'll have to save some dough so that I can get out to Tokyo someday.
simone
I've always wanted to visit Tokyo. I have traveled through quite a few Asian countries. Japan is next on the list. The streets in the video look chic!
Princesswithapen
Hi Simone. Thanks for this great hub. I enjoyed the video. The cities all seem to be very busy places. They remind me of busy cities here in the U.S.
WHAT?? Canada sells MILK IN BAGS??? Dude, melbel. You've blown my mind. And you should totally get yourself to Tokyo. Stat!
Thanks for your kind comments, y'all! I hope you all find yourselves on the streets of Tokyo soon. This video does NOT do them justice.
LOL, I live in Canada, have done for 20yrs, never ever seen milk in a bag, gotta think this must have been out in the Prairies somewhere. Funny though.
@Ercolano - I've seen it in bags at Wal-Mart and A&P in London, Sarnia, and then somewhere in Toronto. Maybe it's an Ontario thing?
And then they sell these like plastic pitchers above the milk so that you can pour the milk into a pitcher.
stugod 5 months ago
I would of thought every woman as well. ?