The semi-circle shaped observatory deck of Harbor View Park (Yokohama, Japan) includes a covered space with benches and a roof designed in the shape of seabird wings in flight.
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 28 mm ISO 100 for 15 sec. at ƒ/10
View of the Yokohama waterfront from an observation deck of Harbor View Park in Yokohama, Japan, featuring the Wangan Shuto Expressway in the foreground, the Yokohama Marine Tower on the left, the cruise ship Osanbashi Pier in the mid-ground, and high-rise apartment towers in the background.
What was once a fishing village until the arrival of U.S. Naval Commodore Perry in 1859, Yokohama has become the 2nd largest city in Japan. The waterfront district is the biggest attraction for residential use, commercial activities, and is a popular tourist attraction. From this viewpoint of Harbor View Park (1-minute walk from Motomoachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line), you can enjoy beautiful views of the harbor.
Pentax K-1 II + PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 73 mm ISO 100 for 25 sec. at ƒ/13
Harbor View Park, near Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line in Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) offers fantastic nightscape views of Yokohama Bay Bridge–the gateway to the Port of Yokohama for ships sailing in and out of Tokyo Bay. The bridge has a cable-stayed design with an 860-meter/2,820-foot span that crosses Tokyo Bay allowing vehicular traffic to bypass congestion on the bayshore route for quicker access to Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture.
Completed in September 1989, the bridge was high enough to accommodate one of the world’s largest ships at that time—the Queen Elizabeth 2. Twenty years later, mega cruise ships became too tall to pass under the bridge and had to dock farther away from the central piers of Yokohama.
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 105 mm ISO 100 for 25 sec. at ƒ/13
Shot of the Harbor View Park nightscape view looking west from the park’s observatory (Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan). You can see the numerous mega-gantry cranes standing idle on the berths of Honomoku Pier, which make for great nightscape subjects.
Harbor View Park is located about 37 km (23 mi) south of Tokyo, or a 58-minute train ride from Shibuya Station (Tokyo) on the Tokyu-Toyoko line.
There are several coin-parking lots near Harbor View Park, making it an easy park to visit if you drive. If visiting by train, you can easily access Harbor View Park via French Hill Park, which is only a 1-minute walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line.
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 105 mm ISO 100 for 25 sec. at ƒ/13
A small babbling creek named “Egawa River Babbling Green Road” (江川せせらぎ緑道) is a small community project that was born in 1985 with a crew of 50 volunteers and extra help from local elementary school children. Over the years, the volunteers and children have planted more than 200 cherry trees and continue to maintain the nearly 15,000 tulips.
Egawa River (Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama, Japan) runs through an area that has drastically changed from rice paddies and fields to a zone of heavy industry. The river and its beautiful trees and flowers stand in dark contrast with metal recycling yards, factories, warehouses, and distribution centers.
With no designated parking nearby, and somewhat cumbersome access via public transportation, I was pleased to find such a pleasant oasis of greenery, and signs of nature’s spring rebirth.
Photo details and settings: Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 105 mm ISO 3200 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Two primary objectives were met when I chose to visit Satoyama Garden here in Yokohama, Japan: 1. No entrance fee; and 2. Pet friendly.
The view of this shot gives you a basic idea of how the garden was designed. The city took the extra effort to ensure that the park was mostly barrier free making it easy to bring family or friends who rely on wheelchairs to get around.
The slopes in this shot are not that steep, making it easy to push a wheelchair around and allow your family member or friend to enjoy the flowers up close!
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 34 mm ISO 1600 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ13
Towards the end of my photo shoot at Satoyama Garden (Yokohama, Japan), I cam across this African daisy.
There wasn’t anything special about this daisy. However, the rows of koinobori (Japanese car streamers/windsocks) hanging far in the background made for a lovely backdrop of bokeh in contrast with the dark bold colors of the flower.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 3200 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/13
Fortunately, Satoyama Garden (Asahi Ward, Yokohama, Japan) is a pet-friendly park as long as you keep your dog on a leash and clean up after any droppings.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Traditionally flown from April through early May, a carp kite (鯉のぼり, koinoboiri) is actually a windsock shaped like a koi fish with its open mouth attached to a pole or rope so that its tail flutters freely in the wind.
Freshwater carp represent energy and determination as they can fight their way against swift-running streams and obstacles making them symbolic of courage and success.
Families and communities fly the koinoboiri in hopes that their children will grow up with courage, determination, and the ability to overcome obstacles.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Although 3 or 4 food truck vendors are available just inside the main entrance of Satoyama Garden, if you want to enjoy some homemade cooking in the shade of trees on lush, green grass, the park has you covered with a small picnic ground. Visitors can spread out a picnic blanket and take in the greenery and flower blossoms while enjoying some rice balls, sandwiches, or whatever it is that your family packs in the picnic basket.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 800 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/8.0
Spring in Japan: Osteospermum “4D Violet Ice” (African Daisy)
Native to South Africa, the variety seems to go by other names including African daisy, Cape daisy and Blue-eyed daisy.
Osteospermum are just one of over a hundred different flowering plants on display at Yokohama’s Satoyama Garden (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan). If you ever visit Yokohama, please take the opportunity to visit this garden!
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 800 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/8.0
Widely celebrated for their displays of color, rhododendron shrubs are said to be the epitome of spring. Here in Japan, they might rank second only to the gorgeous cherry blossoms.
Rhododendrons are just one of over a hundred different flowering plants on display at Yokohama’s Satoyama Garden (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan).
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/8.0
Seascape photography with my border collie on Jogashima Island, Miura Peninsula, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan・ボーダーコリーと城ヶ島（神奈川県・三浦半島） #bordercollie #Jogashima
Satoyama Garden located adjacent to Yokohama Zoological Gardens Zoorasia is a city park accessible via bus from Nakayama Station on the JR Yokohama Line, or from Mitsukyou Station on the Sotetsu Line in Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan).
The park has about 300,000 plants of more than 100 varieties during spring, with about 250,000 plants during fall.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/8.0
Satoyama Garden located adjacent to Yokohama Zoological Gardens Zoorasia is a city park accessible via bus from Nakayama Station on the JR Yokohama Line, or from Mitsukyou Station on the Sotetsu Line in Yokohama, Japan.
Access to the park is free and pet-friendly, and wheel-chair accessible. Parking costs a flat fee of ¥1,000 yen for all-day-parking.
The park also includes food trucks selling ice cream and snacks near the entrance, and tents are set up to sell garden related items, including small live plants.
The park is basically a huge flower bed with an area of 10,000 m2, making it one of the largest in Yokohama city.
Pentax K-1 II + HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR 105 mm ISO 400 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
