Hi,

Any recommendation on Leica shops that specialize in gear and books? Any recommendation on sites in the area to shoot?

Thanks.

-- Anthony Yau (tonyy88@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002

Answers

I don't know about Tokyo but I've always wanted to shoot the Imperial Gardens in Kyoto.

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 27, 2002.

I wasn't looking for Leica gear when I was in Tokyo, so I'm not sure. But, you might try Bic Camera if you don't find a specific Leica dealer.

As to places to shoot - almost anywhere. The Imperial Palace is only a few blocks from downtown, and presents an interestingly peaceful contrast to the usual Tokyo hustle and bustle. You might also take the train to the zoo. In addition to the animals, there's an interesting park nearby. The trains there are great, and easy to figure out if you have a map with both Romaji and Kanji location names. None of the photos I took when there (in the early '90s) were with a Leica, so I won't post any of them here, but there are a couple up on my site. If you walk around any of the major parts of the city, you'll find lots of interesting things to shoot. One of the usual tourist books will give you all the major spots to look for.

Also something not to miss if you haven't been to Japan before is the canned coffee (hot or cold) from the vending machines sprinkled around the train stations and neighborhoods - it's actually good coffee. Sounds strange, but try it if you like coffee.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), January 27, 2002.

Tsujiki Fish market. Awesome. You have to get up really early, tho.

-- Ken Kwok (kk353@yahoo.com), January 27, 2002.

Lemon Camera in the Ginza has lots of used and new leica equipment. They also stock some accessory items they seem to get just for themselves, like their own (reasonably priced) lens hoods and half cases made of cordovan leather. Some information about them is at:

http://www.photo.net/photo/japan-buying

My favorite neighborhood for photography is Asakusa. Some side streets show an older and more traditional side of Tokyo.

-- Michael Okada (mokada@wsgr.com), January 27, 2002.

bic camera next to the ginzha has nearly all actual cameras you could think of, even a few MF, on display for you to play around with it as long as you like. all, but leica, they are behind glass. it seems that japanese salesperson trust contax, hasselblad and nikon to handle more than leica. there are some of the really big nikon and canon lenses on display. every digital camera on the market. i think i spent 4 hours there. unfortunately pricewise japan is pretty off. yi you dive deep into the ginza you find some pretty well equipped shops, but buying in germany and probably the US is way cheaper.

traveling to japan nearly took me off my dream of a leica. i was so annoyed by ever so many oldish men with camera wests and a leica baseball cap and at least 3 leicas around their neck. it looks that if you are more than the usual family snapper you need to go professional (at least F5).

japan is a great place to take photos. one of my most memorable travels.

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), January 28, 2002.

Lemon Camera in Ginza is a used Leica treasure trove. There is little you will not find there, all prominently displayed in walk around narrow glass cases, so you can look all you want before you ask for it to be taken out.

It is easy to miss the store-follow the map in the web link above, but ask the guys for the Leica department. It is on the 7th or 8th floor (I forget which) of the building 10 feet away from the street level Lemon camera store, separate from that 3 level store.

You can find multiple examples of almost any camera or lens you might commonly need, and almost certainly one example at least of rarer stuff.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), January 28, 2002.

Dear Anthony,

The really good Leica deals are in Osaka, especially around Umeda. But you asked about Tokyo....

The Ginza is quite good--do a little wandering up and down that street and check out some the smaller shops (the little dingy ones often have the best deals, some off-beat stuff, and really nice people running them). Lemon (what a name!) Camera have nicely pampered old Leicas, but I find them a little too dear for my tastes. These days with the dollar-yen ratio it cheaper for the first time I can think of to buy new Leicas in Japan than in the US. As a tourist (which, alas, I am not) you don't have to pay sales tax.

Shinjuku is another place you should check out. Back getting your bearing there if you are not used to it is a horror!

What to shoot. That is all a matter of taste. If this is your first time probably you should shoot the Imperial Palace and as many shrines and temples as you can stand. I find young people with their dyed hair and weird clothes a gas. They are everywhere. The Ginza is a great place for candids as is Shinjuku and Shibuya. Bring wide angle lens. Everything is squashed together, at close quarters, and comes at you.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), January 28, 2002.

Hving recently visited Japan on business, with a side trip during the weekends there to find the main (new and used) Leica shops in Tokyo and Nagoya, I can report the following leads:

In Nagoya, try Matsuya Camera, Hattori Camera and Aikoudou Camera. These locations sell new M and R equipment, as well as CL and CLE gear.

In Tokyo, first try Lucky Camera (near the Shinjuku region), and then focus in the Ginza region, which has Suzuki Camera, Katsumi-do Camera, Gin-Ichi Photo Shops #1 and #2, Camera no Doi, Sukiya Camera, Sankyo Camera, LEmon Camera, and Miyami Shokai. A great map of these camera shops can be found on the Web if you search for "PhotoGuide Japan/Ginza PhotoMap", which has a link for the "NTT English map of Ginza", as well as for other cities in Japan. You can also find info and maps to the Leica-related stores in Osaka and Nagoya.

The Tokyo stores in the Ginza district sell every imaginable kind of Leica (and other) equipment, and everythinbg looks like it has never been touched. The rarest items have been covered in shrink-warp for protection. Prices are pretty high, however, and the current exchange rate swing has not done much to make the real $dollar price any more affordable. In Japan, what you get, however, is the hugh selection of multiple choices of new and barely used gear, plus, all the very rare and collectible pieces of M and R equipment. The same is true for Rollieflex TLR, Rollei 35, original Contax, and so forth.

I was indeed lucky to find my used M6TTL (0.85) with a current 50mm Summicron, and a CL version 90mm f/4 Elmar, for about $1,000 below anything I saw new or used, for sale back in the US. I also paid no Japanese sales/consumption tax, since I showed the store my airline ticket and passport, stating that I was not a Japanese resident, but was only visiting the country on business. The store gave me a small form that I showed at the Japanese Customs office upon my departure.

-- Steve Brantley (sbrantley@nccommerce.com), January 29, 2002.

Thanks for all the advices.

-- Anthony Yau (tonyy88@yahoo.com), January 30, 2002.