I took a lot of pictures in Japan. Sure, I did daily travel postings with “highlight” photos that more or less capture the mood of the day, but after having been back for quite some time and filtering and going through the some 4k+ images that I took on my phone, I finally narrowed that number down to what I would consider my “Godly” photos.

Out of that 4k+ pool, I somehow manged to narrow down 133 photos which I would consider the best of the best, not just from a technical visual quality perspective, but also a storytelling perspective that paints a picture of the experience and what it was like at that moment in time in Japan. I’m talking about shit that is worthy of being printed and being mounted on a wall kind of level. It also goes without saying that none of these photos have myself or my sister in them, cause what kind of fraud artsy photographer would say the best of the best has a picture of themselves in them? Probably none.

And because they are so godly, I had to divide them into two posts, first part encompasses the first half of our trip, all Tokyo, while part two is Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo again.

Let’s go through this treasure trove of god like quality.

First real full day in Japan, coming outside of our Hotel in Asakusa it was raining but it was only minutes and steps away from the main tourists spot. There was hardly anyone out at this time on a rainy Saturday morning, the ambience was cool.

Not to far from the Sensoji shrine and the main tourist attraction hustle and bustle are long narrow alleyways with red buildings. The rain and umbrella add to the atmosphere but the women walking makes it picture frame worthy especially since she is still wearing her mask.

I can’t remember what kind of shrine or statue this was but it’s really cool, the rain makes everything more ambient.

Another shot of the red building and the alleyway. What makes this photo different from the other one is the man about to open his shop, just about to lift the shutters. I have a few more pictures of this scene, one with the man looking at me but in the end this one painted a far better picture of the moment. Godly.

I took alot of pictures at Sensoji shrine outside and to be honest, most of them were trash, which is unfortunate but that’s what happens sometimes. This one however made the cut, as the main structures are showcased with the umbrella people below. The gloominess and rain made for a sparse population which is a rarity in this place and I think that is noteworthy.

Our first real sit in lunch meal with this Yakiniku Like, we didn’t know it was a self grill place, we thought it was take out beef or something based on the picture but yea good shit. The picture itself is wonderful especially with he passing by tourists and the well framed lighting of the restaurant as a focal point.

A return to the outside of Sensoji shrine enterance as we see that the traffic has picked up considerably even though it remains pouring rain. I had several pictures of this scene, all very noteworthy but what makes this photo godly is the bike uber eats guy just so happen to pass by me and the petty cab in the background going the other direction. Godly.

Nice street scene with clean perspective, extra bonus is the two dudes on the right moving some shit or something, not a single other soul in sight other then these two guys. Godly.

Our first ride using Tokyo subway system and I just had to take a photo of the moment. The randoms with masks just minding their own business paints a picture of the reality of Japan in March 2023, in that everyone was still full on mask wearing and with covid protocols still active. The lack of people on this train is also noteworthy since it brings the attention to the randos even more focus.

Nice building architecture, I believe this is supposed to be a very popular museum, one of the best in Japan I think but unfortunately it’s closed for several years due to renovations. Too bad, but this shot was still cool especially with the cherry blossoms in full bloom out in front. Just a daily life shot in Tokyo I suppose.

I have no idea what this women is doing, nor where she is going with that bag and luggage but what I do know is that where’s waldo flag seems out of place and there is no one else really around, this is a formula for Godly, and it is.

A beautiful empty street. Perfect framing and perspective, not a soul in sight, the rain, while stopped, still dampens the streets in a light sheen. Godly.

When we arrived at Tokyo Skytree I knew we had to take some photos like this, what I didn’t realize is how good they turned out. In a way the gloomy skies matches better the gray of the tower itself and minimized the glare had it been a day of blue skies. Good shit, pretty bait, but still Godly nonetheless.

Inside Skytree, or rather in the shopping complex known as the Solamachi right beneath it has a large amount of character good shops and stuff to buy, for one thing, a Sumukko Gurrashi shop. This arrangement of plush toys just seems so perfect with the smaller ones stacked on top of each other. The fact that you can see the prices and labels also give a historical context of prices, one of the things which makes a photo like this interesting many years in the future looking back.

I took alot of Skytree photos, but this one at night is also pretty ace. In contrast to the one taken earlier that was gray and stoic, the tower itself is lit up with colorful lights and the further up you go it gets brighter, with the topmost piece shining brightly, so much so that you can see the mist and clouds in it’s illumination. Godly.

Waiting for Kura sushi was kind of a pain in the ass, it was a really long wait but at least while we were waiting we saw this ace level scene of the patrons doing their thing. What makes this photo is the curtains that hang above each seat and the seemingly all wood interior. The worker walking away with this back turned just makes it Godly, almost as if he’s saying’ “Damn I’m tired, I wanna go home.”

I think this is the second day and for some reason it’s raining again. This is our day to move to our longer term hotel in Akihabara so that kind of sucks. What doesn’t suck however is this corner shot, the perspective of the street with the foreground with the burger king and bikes, the yellow street markers guiding you to the intersection with the people with the umbrellas, Godly.

It is certainly quite busy on the train on a Sunday, what’s interesting here is that small group of women who decided to go unmasked, so brave. This contrasts greatly with the man on the bottom left, with a mask and looking like he is praying, almost as if praying that he doesn’t get covid or something. The handle grips also provide some ace framing and slight perspective.

First sights of Akihabara in the rain, with folks with umbrellas walking and waiting to cross the road. Could you ask for anything more at the moment?

Much in the similar vein to the other Akihabara photo, this one is just as good but with the view of Akihabara station and the main entry street to it. This is like literally right in front of our hotel entrance. Godly hotel and Godly location.

Just a slight turn to the left of the former Akihabara photo as you see this Namco game center. Godly views and angles everywhere.

Radio Kaikan building in itself is so iconic to Akihabara, just taking any half decent photo of it is good, but because of the rain and the lineup to get in, the booths in front showcasing figures of Uma Musume make this a historic godly level photo because it automatically becomes a period shot, that shows historical trends and what is popular. Godly.

Inside of a Go Go Curry, the one not on the main road of Akihabara has this nice setup on top of the ticket machine. Because it shows a plush gorilla, a fan, retort curry pack, price of it and a plastic model example of the curry dish itself not to mention that all of this seems a bit dirty and beat up, shows that this place has been around for awhile, an almost vintage ghetto dive feel, making it Godly as a historical photo.

It’s super busy on Sunday in Akihabara cause everyone is off but even so, the rain doesn’t lessen tourists and the locals in any meaningful way. The lack of cars and busy streets and tall buildings with signage and angle make this photo worthy of putting up on a wall.

Right in the heart of busy Akihabara is the well known Go Go Curry with it’s bright yellow colors and gorilla sign, right besides one of the last remaining doujin/manga shops on the main street, ZIN Comics with it’s anime themed billboard above it, changing every month or so with the newest anime, game, manga or visual novel. The people below with the umbrellas frame the shot even more especially since they are women with masks. Godly.

Known as the iconic “Gashapon Hall” on the side street of Akihabara, it looks really nice here especially in the rain with the one guy standing there looking at one machine. It’s super busy inside despite it not looking being so, but honestly gashapons places are so common there are better more modern places to go for your gacha needs. God tier photo however for historical purposes.

Inside of the iconic Taito Station in Akihabara we get a ace historical photo of what was popular during our time visiting here. Looks like Uma Musume and some nice Made in Abyss plushies. The angle and lack of people in this shot make it noteworthy of quality.

Supreme God tier photo. Waiting for the traffic light, a horde of office worker salary-men in suits wait for the signal to depart the street. The cars, whizzing by underneath the above the train overpass. Godly composition and subject matter of the times.

The next day at the outer streets of the Tsukiji Outer Market, covid has no power here to detract tourists and the like. Even with masks, you can tell the women in the foreground is happy about something or being here. Noteworthy because of historical humans being documented live.

Godly display of premium Wagyu beef for tasting at a very high cost. While they are most definitely just plastic replicas, I’d like to think that they do an outstanding job of showcasing what you are getting and the vast price differences between the different cuts and grades. Also historical prices make this an ace photo.

I can’t exactly remember what this shop sold, I think it was tea? But the key thing here is the women in the front looking at some shit and the background of some multicultural bros doing some bullshit waiting to go inside with the hand sanitizer as a post. The times, they are real.

Almost every large intersection in Tokyo and probably even Japan for that matter is worth taking a photo of, not just because it’s a full multi-directional crossing but also the segment of people who are in it and the signs and stores that are currently being displayed. So ace, so history documented.

I can’t remember where this gacha store was but it was really modern and new looking with clean wood floors and many multicolored machines with the latest shit. Godly because of rainbow colors and period documentation of the kind of toys and stuff you can get here at the time, the angle of this shot too adds a bit of mild perspective too for value and interest.

On a floor in Tower Records is a floor dedicated to Japanese and Korean pop boy bands and male idols with all of the patrons visiting being women and girls. It’s something that has to be seen to be believed. For this very Japanese situation and environment, plus the women in the mask walking by being quite well dressed makes this photo pretty Godly indeed.

Looking down from above the stairs, I see all the people, like ants bustling about their daily lives. The tree is also very green and seems quite healthy. This is one of those photos you use if there is a earthquake or war/post apocalyptic ruinous event and everything is destroyed; you use this photo to reference what this place looked like before the fall and ruin. Godly future history prospects.

This crane game shop called ME Tokyo certainly has their branding and color scheme on point with the yellow and black. It’s so striking and unique it’s hard to forget. What makes this photo especially special is the people on the left with no masks, quite a rarity in this space indeed.

I can’t exactly remember where this crossing was or this city area but I think we were heading towards Kabukicho during the evening. The lights just beginning to turn on in the buildings, the empty street with just a bus and the tower framing, godly.

Pure god-like fantasy future blade runner shit. A masterpiece. Between the alleyways the focus is on a lone man walking towards the distant and mysterious unknown of the night. I took several pictures like this, there is even this exact shot except landscape but ultimately the portrait one just hits better because of the tall framing works to bring a sense of scale to the everything. Godly.

There’s not a whole of photos that I took that were godly when I was at Disney Sea, but when I do, you bet your ass that it’s some mock European Italian scene and buildings. Putting this on a wall no one would know from a distance that this is in a theme park, lest you look at the mass of Japanese people wearing masks under microscope. Godly mirage fraud.

Everything about this weird Disney mermaid palace thing is surreal. The lighting and angle, the people walking about, is just so good, especially the time of the day, rapidly becoming the evening soon. Mermaid house godly level.

Insanity mermaid godly level. The lights, the spinning of the shells, the colors, godly insanity.

I don’t often take pictures of Arabic architecture, but when I do, it’s in Disney Sea with Japanese tourists in the foreground. A simple photoshop removal of the humans and you would think this is from the set of some brown Aladdin movie. So blue, so crisp, godly.

Lookup up at some pyramid of some Indiana Jones ride and I must say, they built this thing wonderfully. Everything about this is excellent, from the rocks and the lighting. Even the dark skies looking ominous adds to the overall effect of this photo. Even better yet is no eyesore humans.

This castle restaurant was truly classy from the outside and inside as well. The group of girls looking at the menu is a weird contrast to the scene, adding to it is the couple on the left doing so as well.

Taking pictures of good cherry blossoms is easy, taking godly pictures is a bit more difficult. Luckily, this day had good weather and the photos of quality just never stopped on this day.

I am sure thousands, if not millions of people have this exact same photo above but what makes it special is the women on the bottom right, the mask and umbrella. Classy.

Absolute ultimate god-tier level photo. The water reflections, the sakura slightly over the water, the composition, the buildings in the back, the framing. Worthy of being framed.

Holy shit this scene. Not only does the tree provide atmosphere and presence, the man walking towards me with no masks adds to that sense of realism, of everyday life. The fact that you see people in the back wearing masks too adds to document this historical period in Japan. Godly historical quality.

In every sense of the word, this photos is pretty bait, but it’s done so well, I can’t help but call it Godly. Many people try to take photos like this with fancy ass SLR and big dedicated cameras, or even the latest Iphones with pro cameras but if you don’t have good lighting and framing/composition, your photos will still be shit. This photo is not ones of those.

Beautiful framing and slight reflections on the water make this photo great. The bright green and light pink, gud shit. Godly.

Wow, another one worthy of being framed and put on a wall, I mean, all of these photos are worthy of being put on a wall but this one especially so. It’s like so bait but it just works so well, especially with the couple walking away and the old women with the mask walking towards me. The contrast is great. Godly.

Here we are in Odaiba, in front of Gundam Unicorn waiting for the transformation. This wide landscape shot is great because it shows the building behind it and the stores in the complex. The few randos in front also provide scale of the Gundam. Good shit.

Holy shit here it is Unicorn transformed in all it’s lit up glory. While this is indeed worthy to be framed, I do admit this one requires a bit of touch up and some filters applied to sharpen the image and such before printed. Either way, still godly.

I think this shot of Unicorn from behind is just a little bit more godly than the front. I mean, everyone takes a photo from the front, not everyone appreciates the back and the scale. Looking up and the perspective just shows how big this is, it almost seems like it’s real, as if it just finished a battle and resting.

Oh shit inside the Round One at Odaiba, the best crane game location in Tokyo no doubt. This place is godly and so is this photo. The empty rows and the lone dude checking on the machine, so good. You can almost hear him sighing in this photo, so real. Godly prizes, godly wins.

I took quite a lot of photos at Enoshima, but obviously one of the best photos is from up above, while at the top of the Enoshima sea candle. I mean, this place is just made to look nice. Perfect framing, clouds, green, beach, crescent, city, ocean. Godly shit man.

Heading towards the Enoshima caves and everywhere you look is basically a nice picture. This particular one I wasn’t quite sure should be included but because of that nice structure on the left and the rocks, I can’t help but include it as well, frame worthy.

And now the same photo, minus the structure and just the rocks. I am not sure which one is better. While this photo is more pure in it’s intent, especially the little yellow flowers in the foreground, the previous one is also interesting so I can’t really say which one is better, thus both are in godly tier level.

Shiettt, this is some gud photos. Nice rocks man nice rocks. What makes this picture great is all the people scattered about, especially the two people sitting on the rocks in the center, probably fishing or chilling something. Excellent ambience and feel. The only thing that I would adjust editing is the horizon of the ocean, it’s not level, not a problem with a bit of photoshop tho.

Holy shit…Godly.

This one is equally Godly, damn, that setting sun and the sea and people. The only thing that I would edit here is that natural lens flare in the smack dab center. God shit.

I don’t know what it is but I find any picture of people fishing god tier photo material. And it is. The fact that these mad lads are still wearing masks with no one else around is kinda insane. A perfect historical photo of the times, history godly.

Everywhere we go we see nice rocks and cliffs and shit but when some mad lads go into areas that are more difficult and are jumping around the rocks, is when it gets godly. Excellent framing and composition, the colors from the greenery is really good here too to contrast the ocean water. Worthy.

Mad lad picturesque god tier. Some Japanese dude, looking out at sea, looking at nothing, maybe a ferry that will never come, fishing poll and gear, smoking a cigarette. Godly.

As we slowly walk away from Enoshima as the sun sets, this godly photo emerges on the path to crossing the bridge back to the mainland. Looking out at sea we see a glimpse outline of Mt Fuji in the distance and the illumination of the islands shops and streets on the left as the lights turn on with the sea on the right. Godly.

Back in Akihabara we actually get to see the main buildings lit up with relatively little people on the streets, well, most of the people out at this time of hour are here for dinner or late night arcade/crane game hopping. Excellent framing, lighting and atmosphere, historical picture too since you see all the buildings and the billboard ads. Godly.

The next morning we see the other site of the street with the main Gigo 1, formerly Sega 1 as the main focal point. Excellent photo for the times and history.

And with that, that ends Part I of Japan 2023 Godly photos, the next part will cover the remaining half of the trip from Osaka, Kyoto and back to Tokyo again. Not sure when I will have it ready, but I guess you can say at least before 2023 ends, that’s my goal at least in that regard.