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Following on from the great success that was TAMASHIMA Instameet TOKYO HACHIJOJIMA ISLAND, held in Oct. 2017, TAMASHIMA Instameet TOKYO OKUTAMA was held on Sat. Nov. 11th. The aim of the event was to show to a wide audience that you can experience great nature, not just a great metropolis when visiting Tokyo. It was limited to foreign visitors, especially those from east Asia. We visited various spots with abundant nature, including beautiful autumn scenery - making us feel like "Is this really a part of Tokyo?".
As guests, we had the well known Japanese Instagrammer @moonlightice - who has more than 500k followers - and the globe trotting photographer and popular Instagrammer, @PEKTRON participating . We had many people from various nations, let us introduce how the cultural exchange went down.
Finally the event day is here, the skies were fair, the trees were a beautiful colour – it was the perfect autumn day. Participants of various nationalities gathered one after another in front of the the meeting place JR Okutama train station. Some of them even brought their parents along. 34 people participate in the opening ceremony, everyone joined in for a group photo, and then we headed off to photograph Okutamas autumn leaves.
While traveling on a private bus, event staff explained the schedule and precautionary items. For those who do not understand Japanese, interpreter staff for English and Chinese came along too. Everyone became more closely acquainted in what was a harmonious trip. Participants were told about the Okutama area, and the history of Okutama Lake before arriving. Participants keenly listened to the guide.
We arrived at one of the main attractions; Okutama Lake - a popular tourist spot. While taking in the beautiful colours of the mountains and autumn leaves, we crossed Uki-hashi Bridge.
Whilst taking a walk up a mountain path, the guide let us know about the Okutama area and plants that grow in the area. With many photogenic spots, everyone was in a trance, taking lots of photographs like a pro photographer.
At the the end of the mountain path we arrived at "Yama no Furusato Village". We sat on fallen Maidenhair leaves to eat our bento for lunch, with the participants feeling the harmony.
A round us the autumn colours were at their peak. We photographed the vivid red and yellow colours, whilst receiving a lecture from our fellow pilgrim – a well known Instagrammer. It was a truly valuable experience.
Each participant enjoyed taking commemorative photos in their favourite spots. We also took a group shot here with the beautifully coloured maintains in the background.
Next up, we walked up Hikawa Gorge. On both banks of the mountain stream beautifully coloured, vivid trees were in full leaf. With so much nature, it's hard to think you are in a part of Tokyo!
We took a commemorative photo on the suspension bridge over Hikawa Gorge. Participant, @moonlightice, chose this best spot to take the photo from. This photo is just like a painting. Isn't it rare to capture such a group photo? You can see the fun on everyone's faces as they wave from afar.
After the walk around Hikawa Gorge, everyone gathered together, and the closing ceremony was held. Participants were given a souvenir on their way home. (There was a special extra present gifted to those who had uploaded images to SNS). Everyone had smiles on their faces at the end of the event. Thank you for your participation and co-operation!
The day after the event many wonderful photos of Okutama were uploaded to SNS using a hash tag. We held a competition and had the two popular Instagrammers choose prize winners. They were hard pressed to decide given the quality of the entries.
#tamashimainstameet
The below prize recipients' photos were shared by the Tamashima official account and by @moonlightice – and were therefore seen by many people. A unique opportunity!
