Of all the Blade Runner-esque parts of Tokyo, Shinjuku is probably the most intense. Japanese people are quiet, polite, and perhaps even a bit shy, and the environs are often the exact opposite.
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
TreyRatcliff.com
You’ll, like me, have seen a number of views of this crazy junction in Tokyo. It’s one of the busiest in the world, if not the most busy. It’s been a few years since I was there and from what I read the buildings have changed quite a bit with older brands closing down and newer ones taking their place. It will be interesting to see just how much is different when I get back there (hopefully later this year!).
Here’s a random scene from Shinjuku, one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in Tokyo. You’ll see all sorts of random things happening here. And you can’t ever go wrong with visiting a random food place, where everything is tasty… these random food guys always know when it’s right to arrive.
If you haven’t seen a show called “Devs” – then definitely check it out if you like Sci-Fi. It’s made by the same guy that did Ex Machina, so if you loved that, you’ll love this show too.
This area of Tokyo is gold for photos! There’s not a bad angle, and, even better, no one cares if you use a tripod. Or, if they do mind, Japanese people are so polite that they would never say anything anyway.
Here is one of my favorite recent interviews with Leo Laporte!
I stayed in a hotel that was kind of in a “boring” area near Shinjuku. It was all office buildings and kind of dull. But it was only a ten-minute walk over to the more intense part of Shinjuku, which is the most Blade Runner area of Tokyo. On the way, you begin to walk over a bridge and things suddenly start to come alive. This is the first scene I saw each night as my son and I walked into the city.
Well, I’m a bit disappointed with myself, I must say. I don’t know why I returned to the exact same place to try to improve on a photo I already loved. I think the mission was doomed from the beginning. Anyway, here is the first photo I took:
Yeah, so today’s Daily Photo was taken about six months after the one above. I like the one above better. I very rarely re-visit the same place twice to try to improve on a shot, and now I’m just filled with more self-doubt than ever. I’ll never do it again. Well, maybe.
