2009 18 Oct

Let’s Visit Tokyo – Koishikawa Koraku-en Part I

Close to Iidabashi, the “French” District of Tokyo, and just a few station away from Akihabara, there is an hidden, but HUGE park named the Koishikawa Koraku-en.
Built in 1629 by Yorifusa and finished many years later by Mitsukimi, this park or private garden is despite its Japanese style, follow many ideas from Shushunsui, a Chinese master of the Ming Dynasty.

Unlike many other Park, the Koishikawa Koraku-en, is one of Japan traditional treasure like the Golden temple for example in Kyoto and also an amazing place all along the year to either enjoy the Cherry blossom season, the changing leave seasons or the rice season on…

Even if this park is not free, you will have to pay 300yen to enter, I strongly advise you to go and check this place, and make sure to bring along your camera since there are MANY things to shoot there, as well as being ready to spend the whole day enjoy the many faces and hidden treasure for this park… Also there is no need for you to worry about your lunch, since the park has some very traditional and basic catering service, where a Japanese lady will offer you to purchase some “Bento” in order to enjoy while setting by the lack or the Park river.
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Note 1
This video has been taken with the Canon 7D and its Stock Lens (15-85mm) as well as my 50mm and shoot in 1080p30. So far I am pretty disappointed by both the stock lens and Camera. While the Lens is not really an issue (you can always get better ones), the Moiré Pattern on the 1.08 Firmware of the 7D is REALLY annoying… If you take a closer look at the 1080p footage that you can download below (1.5GB, Still encoding as we speak), you will see at the beginning aliasing / artifact on the red areas and on many edges (Houses, roof…). Canon assure use that a new firmware will be available the 19, and will fix many of these issues… but as it is, the 7D (1.08 Firmware) does not keep up on its promises.

Note 2
This place is so BIG and there are so many things to shoot that I could not do it in one time, so expect another video on the Koishikawa Koraku-en in the coming weeks.…

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