Shinagawa Station is one of Tokyo's major railway hubs. It is a mammoth like huge station with many office buildings in its surrounding. As Shinagawa is mainly a business district not a lot of tourists get out of this station although they will most likely use the station to transit between the train lines. The station is also one of the major stops for the Shinkansen (bullet train) hence making it an even more essential stop in transportation within Tokyo. The station and its surrounding have seen quite a substantial development during the last decade hence the area is modern and futuristic. The area was redeveloped to make it more worker friendly by mixing uses of the buildings, hence you will see many restaurants and family attractions within office buildings.
The Takanawa exit which is located on the west side of the station houses some grand hotels and restaurants. In stark contrast, the east exit called the Konan exit houses more office buildings and headquarters. Here are some spots in Shinagawa area to take pictures at.
THE SKELETON
As mentioned in the introduction of this article, Shinagawa is a newly redeveloped business district hence the buildings are modern and sleek with a lot of open areas. Right outside the station you are surrounded by tall buildings, inside on of them not too far from the station’s exit is this spot. The light pouring in from the countless slits create a rhythmic picture like below. It is a spot you can take many potential images and a spot where you can spend hours without getting bored.
The long tunnel-like bridge gives a perspective, while the apertures on the ceiling create a play of light and shadow. This spot is a haven for photography lovers. You can experiment with the shadows and easily end up spending hours shooting.
By underexposing the pictures, you are able to get all the highlights with its details while blackening the shadows to create a moody yet crisp image. A style very popular in street photography and a trend on instagram. Depending on the time of day the angle in which the sunlight pours in will change. We recommend coming here in the morning and on a clear day. Below are some patterns that the sunlight makes which can result in an interesting picture.
SHINAGAWA RAINBOW
Located near Shinagawa station this spot is a bridge that runs over several train tracks. Because Shinagawa station is a huge transit station there are many train lines that go through here. Making the area near Shinagawa an amazing spot to capture trains and their light trails. This spot especially is unique cause it has a separate line above the multiple lines below, meaning you can capture light trails coming towards you in two directions which will result in a very dynamic picture. Remember for light trail photography you are capturing movement and brining in life into the image. If you stand at a corner and take a picture this results in an epic picture. The above and below pictures are composites of the trails captured within 30mins.
We stumbled upon this spot while walking on the southern west side of Tokyo. Mounting the Gorillapod on to the railing, we took several pictures and composed them into one. You will need to wait at least an hour for all the tracks to get lit up by the passing trains.
THE EYE
This location is located near the big station and the stairs itself is very small so its most likely that you will pass by it without noticing. The staircase is shaped like an eye and because the outline of each stairs is a zigzag it makes the location even more cooler. It is one of those stairs that is located in a busy area but hardly anybody uses. Because it is located partially outside, the lighting changes dramatically depending on the time of day you shoot this. Above picture was taken at night white the bottom pictures were taken during the day. The picture taken during the night is our favorite because the orange light in the middle looks similar to a pupil inside an eye. Make sure you know what style of picture you are going for before planning what time of the day you will visit this spot.
Named after it's shape, The Eye is an ovular staircase that is scarcely used. Depending on the time of day, the lighting here changes drastically so choose wisely when to visit this spot. This image was taken minutes before sunset. You can see the image has a strong blue hue to it.
THE PEEK TOWER
Many of the canals of Tokyo can be found on the south-eastern side of the city due to its proximity to the sea. This canal is too located in that area. The canal is directly connected to the Tokyo Bay and the surrounding area was reclaimed decades ago when Tokyo underwent a major redevelopment of the bay area. The unique point about this location is that you can see the peek of the Tokyo Tower from this location. The reflections of the buildings onto the water and the water body itself represent a side of Tokyo that is under-rated and often not talked about. This is the kind of spot that is less explored by tourists and yet beautiful.
Tokyo has many rivers that run through the city, especially on the south east side. But not all rivers have a beautifully designed river-side with a view of the Tokyo Tower’s peak.
THE URA HARBOR
During the Edo period this place was used as a fishing spot. The fishermen here during the Edo period were tasked with the job of fishing and taking the fish they caught to the Edo Castle. You will see old Japanese houses in line all made of wood, this area remains a reminiscent of era gone. Even today you catch people taking the boat out for fishing. The contrast between this hundreds years old harbor with the modern buildings at the back is something worth photographing. It is a great spot to capture the old and the new of Tokyo.
The picture was taken on a bridge, the top picture is the view seen on one side and the bottom picture is the view on the other side of the bridge. Taking the picture at night is also high recommended as the area lights up with multiple colors adding a flare to the picture. A nostalgic, retro and unique neighborhood and photogenic spot in Tokyo.
This area was an thriving harbor during the Edo period and has a long history. It is a unique sight not found in any other parts of Tokyo. One of the most under-rated photography spots in Tokyo. Where the neighborhood feels nostalgic giving a feel of Tokyo in the 80’s and even earlier.
THE CONCOURSE
There are two exits in the Shinagawa station, the Konan and the Takanawa exits. The Takanawa exit which is located on the east side of the station houses newly built hotels and entertainment like cinemas and restaurants. The concourse to the station is sleek and modern, and contains some upmarket shops. It makes an interesting picture because of the leading line and the height of the ceiling giving the picture a grandeur. It is an excellent spot to take wide angle pictures.
THE GLASS ENCLAVE
Although this particular picture was taken during the day, we especially recommend going to this spot at night. This is because the lights on the escalator light up during the night making this space even more alluring. The light and the escalator reflect on all sides due to the glass creating leading line that covers the whole frame.
Another cool escalator that is not used as much as you’d think, considering the location of the escalator. Perfect for a photo shoot cause you are less likely to get distracted.
