FTPS

Finally, I was able to join the monthly meeting of Flickr Tokyo Photo Session last September 27. Since I returned back to Japan, I am hoping to take part in one of the group's photoshoots. Thanks to Jesslee aka kalandrakas for the coercion, oh, I meant invitation.

The group decided to meet at Asakusa at 1300H. I arrived at the station for about 15 minutes before the call time. Admitting that I am really bad when it comes to direction, I reached the place at 1330H what could have been a 5 minute walk from the station. Oh well. We then proceeded to Senso-ji Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan.

Omikuji (御御籤, 御神籤, or おみくじ) are random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines in Japan.

Literally "sacred lottery", these are usually received by pulling one out randomly from a box that one shakes, hoping for the resulting fortune to be good. The omikuji falls out of a small hole, scrolled up. (Nowadays, these are sometimes coin-slot machines.) Unrolling the piece of paper reveals the fortune written on it. Source

We then went to Sumida pier. I thought that the place is very familiar. Its during the boat ride when I realized that my previous boss brought me here in 2003. Haha, it was like ages ago. The itinerary didn't change since from the first time I rode it. Its only when you're on the boat where you can appreciate the buildings of Tokyo. Its just a different experience. Must be the perspective. Haha.

The boat dropped us at Hamarinkyu Onshi Garden. It was already 1630H when we got there and the park closes at 1700H. Everyone just pulled out their gears and shoot. The garden is huge and we didn't have enough time to wander around. Maybe next time.

Hamarikyu Onshi Garden. This garden is a typical Daimyo(Japanese feudal lord) garden in the Edo period with a tidal pond(Shioiri-no-Ike) and two wild-duck hunting sites(Kamoba). A tidal pond means a pond that are infused with seawater in order to change flavor along a pond by flood changes time to time, of which style had been popularly used in coastal gardens in the Edo period. The whole pond had been reed fields and used for falconry site for Shogun families.

It was a very long half-day for all of us. To compensate the energy loss, we went to Ginza, the fashion capital of Tokyo. Later that evening, we tried to fit ourselves on a street food stall. Had a couple of drinks, foods, vegetables and of course, the unlimited conversation. The effects of alcohol had me seeing this -

It was fun meeting all of you! Hope to see you all in the succeeding sessions.

/totomai
10/03/08