This post was written in 2005. Some information may be out of date.
I went to Chiba Ginza, near Chiba Station.
It may be called Ginza -_-;; but it actually feels more like Harajuku or Shibuya than Ginza.
All the photos were shot with the 77mm at f/1.8. The AF was a total mess, so I shot
in MF and the focus is mostly off.. but the colors look pretty good, I think.
You can see the sign that says Chiba Ginza. -_-;; Ah.. why is Chiba so uncool… so dasai (tacky)..
An alley.. it’s the nightlife district. Lots of inns and massage parlors packed together. Not inside Chiba Ginza itself..
it’s on the outer side. Somehow it has a sketchy, crime-prone vibe..
Over by Makuhari-Hongo where I live there’s hardly any nightlife. A few motels at most,
but this place has a really scary atmosphere.. another side of Japan, I guess..
In front of Chiba Ginza there seems to be a Koreatown, with lots of shops and restaurants with Korean signs.
You hear a lot of Korean as you walk around.. there’s even a Korean-style massage parlor sign..
The Korean food at this place cost about 2-3 times what it does in Korea. I didn’t
check how it tastes..
A Korean grocery store run by a Korean. They sell food shipped straight from Korea, like Shin Ramyun, naengmyeon and kimchi,
and rent out videos of Korean TV dramas.. Prices are a bit high.. but for Koreans who’ve been in Japan
a long time, I think it’s a place worth dropping by now and then.. seems like a fun spot..
There seem to be more Koreans in Chiba than I expected. Seeing that there’s even a Korean town..
I’d always thought of Chiba as a really small town.. so it was a surprise..
A coffee shop with an orange sign.. the focus is off.. it seems a bit harder to handle than the 31mm.
Jajangmyeon for 800 yen.. how many times the price back home is that? ^_^;
Another out-of-focus shot.. manual focus really is harder than with the 31mm..
A crosswalk.. snapped while walking by.. a photo with no particular meaning..
Chiba Ginza street scene
The Starbucks near Chiba Station.. people look so relaxed, very Chiba..