Cars
Daikoku
Night Photography
What’s the Story?
For some, Japan is the holy land of the automobile, where JDM is not just an acronym for Japanese Domestic Market—it might as well be a religious symbol. In the dark industrialized outskirts of Tokyo lies hidden a mecca for all the gearheads, tuners, grease monkeys, and anyone else devoted to the mighty gods of RPMs, widebody kits, and carbon-fiber wings. We will venture into this consecrated ground with the aim of photographing the sick creations of Japan’s modification community, likely seeing builds from top modders such as Liberty Walk, RWB, and many others.
What We’ll Shoot
We will be photographing cars, lots of cars. As we explore Daikoku parking area, we will encounter all kinds of four-wheeled works of art, ranging from 60s and 70s classics to titans of the 90s golden area and modern icons from the 21st century. Though most cars at Daikoku are pure examples of JDM, there are also plenty of foreign models present from Europe and the US, making for an eclectic parade different from night to night. We will work on ways to shoot cars in a way that emphasizes their engineering and style, while also being creative with our images in terms of framing and concepts. For example, we will work on panning shots to capture motion. Our goal will be to convey the energy and feel of the unofficial nocturnal meet up (before the cops show up and kick everyone out).
Where We’ll Explore
On this photo workshop we will travel by car to Daikoku, a large parking area nestled under a major junction on the Shuto Expressway in the industrial zone south of Tokyo. Once there, we will explore the parking area on foot and photograph any cool rides we come across.
In the unlikely event that there are no tuners hanging out at Daikoku (or if the cops arrive to end the party early) we will proceed to the Kawasaki industrial area nearby and spend some time photographing among the refineries. Not only are the industrial scenes visually captivating, but this is also a popular spot for tuners to bring their cars for their own personal shoots, particularly on nights when Daikoku gets shut down.
After the workshop, we will travel back to the city by car.
Featured Reviews
While in Japan, I did four of their tours: Daikoku Night Run, Tokyo Cyberpunk Street, Inari After Dusk, and Kyoto Zen Temples. I couldn’t be happier with these photography workshops. Adam, Charles, and Alberto are all fantastic tutors. EYExplore really stands out by keeping group sizes small, so you get the professionals’ undivided attention. I learned so much and captured photos I never would have taken on my own. I will definitely look up their other workshops should I ever return to Japan.
Chris –
While in Japan, I did four of their tours: Daikoku Night Run, Tokyo Cyberpunk Street, Inari After Dusk, and Kyoto Zen Temples. I couldn’t be happier with these photography workshops. Adam, Charles, and Alberto are all fantastic tutors. EYExplore really stands out by keeping group sizes small, so you get the professionals’ undivided attention. I learned so much and captured photos I never would have taken on my own. I will definitely look up their other workshops should I ever return to Japan.