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Thread: Kyoto, Japan

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    Kyoto, Japan

    As part of an upcoming Delta story (stay tuned!) I had the opportunity to visit Japan. I decided to skip over my arrival city and stay in Kyoto - one of the few cities left largely untouched by world war two or subsequent natural disasters in the country. While only two and a half days it was an incredible incredible trip. I really hope to go over with my wife soon and stay for a week or two. Uber clean, super polite, punctual to the second (no joke), and just all-around awesome. Probably my favorite country visited so far. With that...a few of the best so far:

    Fushimi Inari: a famous and well-travelled shrine on the southeast part of town. The main shrine stands at the bottom of Mt. Inari. But smaller shrines and communities of shrines extend up to the top of the mountain, often encased by these gateways (for lack of the more correct term). I wandered the grounds for hours, thinking I made it to the top of the 900ft mountain only to discover I didn't even come close.


    A legion of small foxes grace a family shrine mid-way up the mountain:




    One of the highlights and an instant draw the moment I realized I'd be in town for it was the Hanatouro Illumination, located in the outlying Arashiyama district northwest of Kyoto. Many of the local temples in addition to the bamboo forests were lit up for the evening. Being an over-saturated photo event (I counted dozens of DSRLs around) I really tried to find something different. So I shot up straight up into the canopy of the bamboo forest, hoping it would work out:


    The N700 series of Shinkansen train, operating today with JR West Nozomi 106 service to Tokyo. It was every bit as awesome as I'd hoped. Worth every last penny and I'd do it again tomorrow without thinking twice. A few interesting factoids: the trains run at speeds approaching 200mph: the average train arrives within SIX seconds of the scheduled time on the dispatch paperwork: they create small sonic booms when entering/exiting tunnels:


    Located at the top of mid-sized mountain nearby Arashiyama, a troop of roughly 130 snow monkey's (Japanese macaques - see Ikea monkey) live in the wild. Attracted by a feeding station, they've become quite used to people. A few tips: they like apples, enjoy the hot springs (though it was pouring too hard that afternoon for them to be in it, and of course covered in snow the day I left), and will attack you if stared at. This baby monkey was particularly cute:

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    Senior Member moose135's Avatar
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    Stunning! Very well done, Jeremy!

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    Love the bamboo shot Jeremy! Excellent set!
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    Absolutely great set! I love the reflections on the Shinkansen.

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    Senior Member yankees368's Avatar
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    Amazing shots! Interesting bit about the train, too. Forget 6 seconds, the LIRR classifies on time as within 6 MINUTES of the schedule, lol
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    Fantastic set of images Jeremy; seems like a very interesting place. That train looks like it could come from a batman movie ...

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    Senior Member lijk604's Avatar
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    Jeremy, that bamboo shot is outstanding! The depth you created on the first shot is terrific, and the detail on the snow monkey is spot on.

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    Senior Member Mateo's Avatar
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    Great shots. When the train enters the tunnel, it's not so much a sonic boom as a pressure wave from air being pushed in front of the train suddenly being compressed as it goes into the tunnel. The principle is the same as a sonic boom with a cushion of air in front of the vehicle, but nothing is approaching Mach speed. Tunnel portals actually have to be sized to accommodate this effect or else the pressure wave becomes uncomfortable for the passengers. You can feel it somewhat if you're sitting near the front of the train on Amtrak/NJT and enter the Hudson River tunnels towards Penn. Of course, track speed there is something like 60mph - not quite Shinkansen-esque.

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    Senior Member gonzalu's Avatar
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    Great stuff, but then again, you're a pro at this :) Really enjoyed the set.
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    When the train enters the tunnel, it's not so much a sonic boom as a pressure wave from air being pushed in front of the train suddenly being compressed as it goes into the tunnel. The principle is the same as a sonic boom with a cushion of air in front of the vehicle, but nothing is approaching Mach speed.
    True, but it just seemed easier to say mini-sonic boom :-)

    Deep into the woods up the mountain this community of shrines lined a hillside at Fushimi-Inari. A lake at the top fed a stone spillway frame left.


    A small dam-formed lake at Arashiyama. You could charter a boat to take you across, or better yet take a scenic train several miles up river and charter a boat back. I just took a picture:


    Monkey:


    Baby snow monkey


    One of the temple gardens is lit up for the illumination:




    The wind blows through the tops of the bamboo trees and crowds filter through the pathway:

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    Nice shots mate (:

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    Senior Member Zee71's Avatar
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    Nothing short of outstanding.....incredible images.
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  13. #13
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    These are just fantastic images, thanks for sharing. And agree.... I'd ride Shinkansen any time. Ihave to get on the Nozumi next time I am there.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IOlVYxxo4M @ 4:45

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