Alfie took the Mamiya out for a workout in Itabashi and found some lovely sakura.
Finding good spots in town for cherry blossom which are not choked with people is a bit of a trick, even in the week. I was delighted, therefore, to find – thanks to Toru, one of my students and a resident of the area – that the Shakuji River area in Itabashi is one such place; quiet, peaceful and blessed with a wonderful display of sakura along a sprawling ribbon of river.
Here’s a little gallery from my walk. All the shots were made using a Mamiya 645AFD II camera with either the 35mm f/3.5 wide-angle or the 80mm f/1.9 lenses. They are all straight from the camera; no editing, no photoshop… just resizing.
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We’ll be doing a shoot with a model in this area on Sunday April 4th. If you are interested in joining us, email alfiejapanorama[atmark]gmail.com
Matt L.
April 5, 2010
This is without doubt one of the best places for sakura watching/shooting, with great access from almost anywhere within Tokyo.
Also (if you haven’t already found out on your own): if you keep heading east along the river, you’ll eventually end up near Asukayama-kouen (near Ouji Station), which is a beautiful place in its own: the different height levels in the park area make for interesting perspectives; and the general vicinity has a lovely sort of “shita-machi” feel to it… and if you’re any sort of train photography you don’t want to miss out on the Toden-arakawa line which starts from Ouji all the way down to Waseda university.
Alfie Goodrich
April 5, 2010
I know the Toden well and have been shooting it on and off for a couple of years now. Thanks. I will definitely walk farther east next time.