Travel Trip to Japan

My in-laws have an apartment in Tokyo, but they also have a house in Nagano. We arrived in Nagano late in the evening and the first thing I did was go out for a walk in the snow through the streets of their neighbourhood.

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The next morning, I went out again into the snow to have a look at the frozen lake a few minutes' walk down the street. It was snowing heavily at times, and the wind was bitingly cold.

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I couldn't get enough of the snow though, and the day after that I went out again when the weather was a bit more gentle but still very cold.

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I was in Japan over the summer with my family. I found it a bit overwhelming. I think I'd go crazy if I lived there. I'd probably be driving a Kei car, obsessing over camera gear, stuffing my face daily with seafood, infatuated with $6K USD designer puppies and getting fat from desserts at Family Mart! :eek: :roflmao:

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2019 Summer Vacation Trip to Tokyo, Japan by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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2019 Summer Vacation Trip to Tokyo, Japan by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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2019 Summer Vacation Trip to Tokyo, Japan by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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2019 Summer Vacation Trip to Tokyo, Japan by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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2019 Summer Vacation Trip to Tokyo, Japan by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr
 
I was in Japan over the summer with my family. I found it a bit overwhelming. I think I'd go crazy if I lived there. I'd probably be driving a Kei car, obsessing over camera gear, stuffing my face daily with seafood, infatuated with $6K USD designer puppies and getting fat from desserts at Family Mart! :eek: :roflmao:

I was overwhelmed during my first trip there too in 2018. I was in a daze the whole month I was there. It didn't help that I was overdosing on anti-airsick medication during the first 24 hours which made me tired and drowsy but it was amazing nonetheless.

Re camera gear - in this second trip, I must've visited 20+ camera shops and drooled over the mint condition used film gear I saw.
 
I ditched Lightroom and this is my first attempt in Capture One. I see there's a ton of banding in the sunrise photo above, is anyone here experienced in both LR and C1 whom I can ask questions? I've just spent all afternoon and evening searching google and youtube on how to do the most basic things which I used to be able to do in LR but is really, really difficult to find in C1. LR seems to be intuitive but C1 is the complete opposite of intuitive.
 
I'd go walking around the back alleys and seldom caught public transport, even if it meant walking 2 hours to get home. Two reasons - because I really wanted to see Japan on my feet and thoroughly enjoyed walking through the streets. And secondly, I got lost in the underground maze at Shinjuku train station almost every time I went there alone (it's the biggest/busiest train station in the world apparently) so I simply gave up.

Saw a tired taxi driver parked in a back street during one of my long walks home, he looked like he was taking a break and eating his dinner.

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Narai Juku, a fantastically preserved Edo period town with some minor upgrades, ie. a train service). It apparently only snows there roughly once every 5 years and that's what exactly happened when I went there in 2018. It was gobsmackingly beautiful.

This is my wife holding our baby at the train station. They weren't waiting for the train, they were waiting for me to finish running around taking my photos.

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A few more shots of Narai Juku. The streets were mostly empty because of the heavy snowfall.

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I took this shot out from the top floor of Matsumoto Castle, a very well preserved and protected Edo period castle. A view over Matsumoto city. The information plaques said that the shogun would use the top floor to plan their war games, strategise with his samurai generals. I can only imagine what the view must've looked like 300 years ago.

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A shot of Matsumoto Castle:

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And a throwaway shot the castle from the inside. There was a long line of visitors wanting to come see:

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One thing that surprised and impressed me in Japan was the groups of young people who visited these preserved historical sites and their museums. They were in their 20s and weren't there because they had to be for school or whatever. And they looked genuinely interested to be there and to learn about their country's history and culture.
 
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