Japan was a place that was always on my bucket list. There are a handful of reasons why; food, stationery, sights, culture and because of the photography opportunities {it’s always about the photo opp!}. Imagine my excitement when I learned that Olympus was celebrating 80 years of cameras, and they wanted me to go to Japan to celebrate. Yes, please.
So I went, along with a whole host of other photographers {I felt unworthy, they were SO talented} and we had fun. We saw sights, we ate beautiful food {I accidentally ate tongue and whitebait}, and we celebrated. We also headed out to the Olympus factory to see the first camera, and then all the cameras over the last 80 years. It’s amazing how far they’ve come. It was interesting to see the evolution of the first camera, to the first film camera and then the big change to digital.
We sat down with the designers for a few hours, and although they didn’t speak English, it was beautiful to see the passion right in front of me. I could almost feel it. As you can imagine, every beautiful detail has been thoughtfully considered; from the dials, to the fonts, and most importantly the functionality. It was there, in that chair, at that table, that I realised why I feel so connected to Olympus, and my cameras, because of the passion and love behind it all.
And it was sealed when the designer, finished his presentation, and said that his motivation in designing cameras is to do one simple thing: To make people smile.
He definitely does that.
The very first Olympus Pen-F {the guy we were celebrating}. And, below, oldest with the newest.
Each of the gang that traveled to Japan were given the Olympus PEN-F to snap photos with. It’s got a cool retro look, and was beautiful to use. Although I did feel like I was cheating on my other Olympus camera!
Here are my photos from the four days I spent in Tokyo, Japan. ??
In the back streets of Ginza.
In the backstreets of Ginza. Bikes are everywhere!
More bikes Ginza. Ginza is a beautiful district with high end shops and a 7 story stationery shop too, Itoya.
The fish markets. A definite must-see. Ate the freshest sushi ever for lunch.
More bike action at the fish markets.
Of course I made time for Disneyland. We were in and out within an hour and a half, but it was worth it.
Harajuku, yes!
I regret not having one of these crepes!
In Tokyo they only have four sumo tournaments a year, so we timed it perfectly. This was such a highlight for me.
Happiest sumos EVER!
Thank you Olympus for letting me celebrate your birthday with you. You don’t look a day over 21!
I’m an ambassador for Olympus. Together we do cool stuff together. You can read more about our relationship here.
Oh Japan is on my bucket list too, now after seeing your photos even more so! How fantastic. xx
You MUST go! xx
That is so cool! Japan was always on my list and I was beside myself when we got to go in 2014. Big life travel highlight! So glad you got to enjoy it! x
Isn’t it awesome Kez? What did you like best?
Oh, the ramen! The people (oh the effortless fashion of some of the women – amazing). The way everyone was so polite and orderly! The energy of the place! The character of the buildings! I can’t even pin it on one thing. We did Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima (actually probably my favourite place) x
I would LOVE to get there some day! Husband goes skiing there once a year and he loves the country xx
Lucky bugger!
I would love to go and take the kids. My daughter is born on Girls Day in Japan
Girls Day? I’ll have to read about it. That would be awesome for Raya to experience that. 🙂
Your photos of Japan are gorgeous! It looks like it was an incredible trip.
It was, thank you. I hope you’re keeping well. Will pop over to your blog for an update. x
What a wonderful opportunity! So happy for you – and thank you for sharing the experience. 🙂
Thanks for reading Laurel! x
So much awesome in one trip! I would love to go to Tokyo… One day! And seeing sumo would totally be on my bucket list!
It would definitely be worth timing it around the sumo matches. You would have a blast!
…. so glad you enjoyed going to Japan..I have family and friends woh say Japan is their favourite country to visit. I’ve never been there, but I might be lucky to go one day.. xxx
Have a great day, Chantelle.. hugs… Barb xxx
I hope you do. I understand why everyone loves it so much, it’s truly beautiful. 🙂
What a fabulous trip – looks like you packed heaps in. It’s on my bucket list – as are SO MANY countries! x
You should believe in yourself more. Your photos are great.
Just wonderful – Japan has been on my list since seeing beautiful gardens and baths in a LIFE book on our shelves as kids. I loved the neatness ? Thanks for sharing your tips!
What an amazing trip! Love your pics. After studying Japanese all through high school, I’m hoping to finally visit Japan next year. Can’t wait! x
Amazing pictures and how incredible was what you jammed into four days! No wonder you came home a little frazzled, holidaying is hard work 😛 xx