Lee Filters at Wadakura Fountain Park in 2017
I bought a Lee Filters 100mm x 100mm Super Stopper neutral density 4.5 filter in 2016. Do you know what they are? They are a piece of dark material, often glass, but can be plastic. They fit in a holder that goes over the camera’s lens. That reduces the amount of light that passes to the sensor. You could compare them to sunglasses. They have an interesting effect.
Reducing the amount of light available means the shutter needs to be open longer to get a good exposure. The result is those silky-smooth pictures of waterfalls we see on the internet. Or there are pictures of people walking like ghosts through a scene. You can get some other cool effects using them too. Whoever invented them was a clever person.
I was eager to try my new Lee Filters on the Fujifilm X-T2. My first target was Wadakura Fountain Park near the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda ward! Thanks to its fountains and a waterfall, it is a great Tokyo photo spot. Lots of water fly around making it perfect for long exposures.
It wasn’t the best day for photography when I arrived. The skies were overcast, but I wanted to try the filters. Still, I was pretty happy, though less cloud would have been welcome. After roughly four hours of shooting, I went home with forty-two pictures. In the end, I only deleted two.
How did the Lee Filters perform?
Everything screws in, clips in, or slides in. They are easy to use. The filters and holders have carry bags so they fit into your camera bag. I can’t imagine anyone having problems with them.
Lee Filters are of the highest quality. That’s their reputation and I trust them fully. I doubt I’ll ever use anything else.
Wadakura waterfalls photography problems
Waiting is the hard part. Even though there are two sets of fountains, they don’t operate often. Those in the middle go off twice an hour. The modern art waterfall and its fountains go off only once per hour. I didn’t know until I talked to a security guard.
So, I set up the camera, checked the amount of light for the filter every so often, and then waited. Once a fountain stopped, I’d move to a new position and repeat the process. It was pretty boring without something to pass the time. If you ever go there, take a book.
A Brief History of Wadakura Fountain Park
- Wadakura was built in 1961 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Akihito to Michiko Shōda.
- In 1995, a second set of fountains and a waterfall were added. These were to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Naruhito to Masako Owada.
- The canals symbolize two generations of royal weddings.
Where is Wadakura Fountain Park?
Address: 3-1 Kokyogaien, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
It is between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace.
Here it is on a Google map:
Closest train stations:
- Nijubashimae on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Lines
- Otemachi Hibiya on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda, Hanzomon, Marunouchi, and Tozai Lines
- Tokyo on various JR (including the Yamanote) and Metro lines
Opening hours
The park is open 24 hours a day, but the fountains are lit up from sunset to 8 pm winter and until 9 pm in summer.
What else is there?
The park contains a restaurant and another enclosed area that anyone can use for free to enjoy a break. It is an excellent place to go if you need a break and is quite popular with office workers. And the Imperial Palace and Marunouchi area are close too.
The park is open 24 hours a day, but the fountains are lit up from sunset to 8 pm winter and until 9 pm in summer.
Conclusion
I can’t wait to return to Wadakura Fountain Park. Hopefully, I’ll get better clouds for photos. A night visit would also be good as the park lights up.
This park is great to have in the middle of the city. Tokyo needs more of these unusual places for photographers. Anyway, I’m looking for any excuse to use my Lee filters these days! Leave questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related websites:
- Lee Filters (official website)
- Wadakura Fountain Park (official website)