A Week of Film Photography and Travel in Japan's Kyushu Countryside with Grandma

Teo Crawford

Summary:

The video documents a week-long film photography trip through Japan's southern island of Kyushu, alongside the creator's grandmother.
The journey commences in Beppu, where they explore the city and enjoy local cuisine.
A day trip to Yufuin involves a scenic bus ride through mountains, where the creator captures charming streets and natural landscapes on film.
They visit Beppu's famous bubbling hot springs (Jigoku Meguri), photographing the striking misty and atmospheric scenes.

Teo Crawford's grandma standing near a bubbling hot spring in Beppu, with sunlight filtering through the steam [ 00:11:30 ]
Traveling to Kumamoto, the duo explores Aso, photographing its distinctive soft, green mountains and a volcanic crater.
The trip continues to Sashibu, the grandmother's hometown, where they discover the historic Tsujun Bridge, Japan's largest stone aqueduct, and capture the local charm.
The creator also meets and photographs a kind local resident in the countryside, gaining insight into rural Japanese life.
The journey concludes with a Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo, reflecting on the diverse experiences and numerous film photographs taken throughout Kyushu.

Journey to Beppu and Background [0:10]

Teo Crawford's grandma in Aso, Kyushu, Japan [ 00:00:10 ]

Introduction of Grandma and family history [0:15]
- The creator's mom is from Japan and grew up in Tokyo. [0:27]
- Grandma lives in Tokyo but grew up on Kyushu island, specifically near Nagasaki in Sashibu. [0:35]
- The creator wanted to visit Sashibu with his grandma, who he hadn't seen in that region since he was young. [0:56]
Trip planning and initial stops [0:54]
- They decided on a Kyushu round trip to explore other places in addition to Sashibu. [1:02]
- The trip took place in November of last year, after the creator finished a lot of work in October to take time off. [1:28]
- Instead of going straight from Tokyo to Kyushu, the creator stopped by in Osaka and Onomichi before meeting Grandma in Beppu. [1:38]
Sonic Limited Express Train Experience [2:35]
- The creator got to ride the "Limited Express Sonic" train, which had a very interesting design. [2:35]
  - The outside of the train looked somewhat industrial. [2:46]
  - The inside design had a funny mix with a wooden floor giving a luxurious feeling, and seats looking like something from a Star Wars set with a funky line design. [2:48]
- The creator did not shoot anything on the train due to the lighting being quite tricky, deciding it was not worth spending precious film on mediocre conditions. [3:01]

Beppu Exploration [3:25]

The unique Sonic Limited Express train at Beppu station, featuring an industrial exterior and a futuristic interior [ 00:03:20 ]

Evening stroll and dinner in Beppu [3:26]
- In Beppu, the creator and his grandma met up, checked into their hotel, and went on an evening stroll to explore the city. [3:27]
- They aimed to find a place to eat before it got dark. [3:32]
- They ended the day with a great find, coming across a restaurant that served incredible food. [4:07]

Yufuin Day Trip [4:30]

Scenic mountain landscapes visible from the bus ride to Yufuin [ 00:05:20 ]

Bus ride through mountainous landscapes [5:05]
- They took a bus that was going to take them to a small town in the mountains that Grandma wanted to check out. [5:06]
- The creator was not expecting to board a normal city bus and then end up driving through some beautiful landscapes. [5:11]
- The creator began shooting again to simply document the pretty scenes he got to witness, stating the photos aren't necessarily good but capture the memories. [5:19]
Exploring Yufuin [6:32]
- They arrived in a town called Yufuin, which felt like a random place but was quite touristy and cute. [6:32]
- The creator liked a photo showing the proportions of shapes, landscape, and sky, feeling very pleasing. [7:37]
  - He appreciated how vegetation is embraced in Japan, contrasting with Austrian cities that lack plants and feel artificial. [8:04]
  - He also liked the car in the photo, describing it as a "squashed car" and appreciating Japanese small car culture. [8:34]
- He took another shot because he thought it was cool how the road and the house were in such a balance with grass, bushes, and trees. [8:46]
- He took a cute portrait of his grandma as she stood in a pocket of light, holding up a red leaf. [10:08]

Beppu's Hot Springs (Jigoku Meguri) [10:45]

Teo Crawford's grandma standing near a bubbling hot spring in Beppu, with sunlight filtering through the steam [ 00:11:30 ]

Visiting the famous "bubbling hot springs" [10:45]
- After their morning activity in Yufuin, it was time to return to Beppu for the afternoon activity: seeing the bubbling hot springs that Beppu is famous for. [10:45]
- The creator liked one photo a lot, noting the nice composition, interesting lighting, and how it creates a pattern with the fence's round shape. [11:20]
  - The backdrop with trees and steam glowing up thanks to the sun was also interesting. [11:28]
  - He loved that his grandma was wearing her vibrant red jacket, making her stand out nicely. [11:35]
- Another photograph turned out pretty cool, especially with the fog, for which the creator has a big fondness. [12:25]
  - The two people in the frame added a perfect bit of extra life without crowding the composition. [12:37]
  - He liked how one person looks over, adding a sense of tension, and the mildly diffused sunlight looked incredible. [12:42]
- He was very happy with another shot, calling it "kind of epic." [12:56]
- The creator got very lucky with a bit of sunlight coming through in another photo. [13:33]
- He liked a photo because the composition was "kind of weird yet so simple," featuring geometric shapes, lines, and circles. [14:42]
  - Grandma appears in the reflection, but "way off to the top of the photo," which felt a little off but in a good way. [14:52]

Travel to Kumamoto via Aso [17:18]

A train car interior with passengers, including Teo Crawford's grandma, looking out the window at the scenery. [ 00:17:40 ]

Train journey to Aso [17:20]
- The plan for the day was to travel from Beppu to Kumamoto, which is on the other side of the island. [17:18]
- In between, they were going to make a stop in a place called Aso. [17:24]
- The creator thought one train photo turned out pretty cool, with sunlight shining into the train from behind looking really good. [17:53]
  - He liked how the right side of the window almost turns white, emphasizing the strength of the sunlight, and the simple composition worked well. [17:59]
Arrival in Aso and Kumamoto's bear mascots [18:50]
- They arrived in Aso and got bus tickets for a bus that was going to take them to some mountains. [18:50]
- The creator took a shot of cute bears, noting that "Kuma" is the word for bear in Japanese, explaining the mascots for Kumamoto. [19:02]
Bus ride through unique mountains [19:46]
- This bus ride took them into some really interesting places, a mountainous area. [19:46]
- The mountains here were so different from the ones in Austria, being soft and green, whereas the Alps are rocky and dangerous-looking. [19:50]
- One round hill was "especially cute." [20:01]

Hiking and Photography in Aso [20:41]

Teo Crawford's grandma walking in a vast, dry field under a wide sky in Aso [ 00:21:10 ]

Volcanic crater and open fields [20:42]
- They checked out the famous volcanic crater and then took the bus back to a big open space where they could just roam around the fields and enjoy the view. [20:42]
- The creator got an "epic" shot of his grandma standing in the grass, with the lighting being a little tricky but still alright. [21:03]
Wide landscape photography [22:21]
- With all the open space and people wandering around, the creator had a lot of fun shooting. [22:21]
- He enjoys shooting wide landscapes with little people in the frame, as it conveys the scale of the place. [22:27]

Journey to Sashibu [23:34]

Teo Crawford and his grandma on a train in Japan, traveling through the countryside [ 00:38:30 ]

Train ride to Sashibu [23:34]
- The creator and his grandma were on their way to Kumamoto City, riding another train. [23:34]
- He suggested that if someone is a train enthusiast and travels in the south of Japan, they would enjoy this experience a lot. [23:39]
Lost on the way to Sashibu's famous bridge [24:45]
- They took a bus to the Sashibu area because Grandma wanted to see a super old bridge. [24:45]
- The creator got a little lost while walking towards the bridge, taking a wrong turn. [24:47]
Meeting a kind local and taking portraits [24:59]
- While waiting for their pickup, the creator decided to explore a little place down the hill. [24:59]
- He met some cats and a kind lady who sometimes takes care of them. [24:59]
- They had a little chat, and he got to take her portrait, which he found turned out well. [25:00]
  - The lighting was really pretty, and despite being a bit chaotic, he enjoyed the little details. [25:00]

Exploring Sashibu and the Tsujun Bridge [26:13]

The historic Tsujun Bridge, Japan's largest stone aqueduct, showing its impressive arch [ 00:29:30 ]

The Tsujun Bridge: Japan's largest stone aqueduct [26:22]
- This was the bridge they were looking for, which is special because it's the largest stone aqueduct in Japan. [26:22]
- It was completed back in 1854. [26:32]
- It discharges water, a mechanical cleaning mechanism built into the bridge, which is a major attraction. [26:34]
- The water release was announced to take place at exactly 1 PM, attracting many curious visitors. [26:41]
- There were many school groups present, cheering and counting down while checking the time. [27:14]
- An impressive waterfall began shooting out of the bridge, which was quite a spectacle. [27:33]
- The creator loved the amusement everyone had, especially the kids. [27:37]
Portrait of the bridge master [27:08]
- Later, the creator got to see the "bridge master," the friendly guy who opens and closes the bridge's waterway. [27:08]
- After he closed the bridge, the creator was able to shoot a portrait of him. [27:08]

Travel to Kagoshima and Final Moments of the Trip [27:33]

Teo Crawford and his grandma traveling by Shinkansen, with views of the Japanese countryside passing by outside the window. [ 00:50:10 ]

Train ride to Kagoshima [27:34]
- After their little excursion to the bridge, they took the bus back to Kumamoto, and then a train to the south end of the island, Kagoshima. [27:34]
- They ended their day with dinner in Kagoshima. [27:34]
Sakurajima Island (Day 7) [27:46]
- The next day was a little gloomy with gray weather and some rain, so the creator wasn't sure about interesting lighting. [27:46]
- They were going to visit Sakurajima, an island close to the city, which they could take a ferry to. [27:54]
- On the ferry, the creator was fascinated by the color contrast of the vibrant green floor and the red chairs, and shot his first photos of the day there. [27:59]
- He loved how his grandma fit into the shot perfectly with her red jacket. [33:15]
- He didn't shoot too much on the island as the lighting was a bit too flat, but he did get a shot of a guy scanning the view with his binoculars. [34:21]
Meeting a local in the countryside (Day 8) [34:59]
- The next day, the creator and his grandma split ways, with Grandma staying in Kagoshima. [34:59]
- The creator traveled deep into the countryside to meet a local who lives a very interesting life. [35:04]
- He was able to document some parts of his life for a day. [35:12]
- The creator didn't film too much, as he was concentrating on the meetup and photography, and practicing his Japanese conversational skills due to a different accent in that region. [36:06]
- It was a great day, super interesting, and fun, and he got some happy photographs. [36:22]
Returning to Tokyo [29:50]
- The creator was back at the train station to return to Tokyo with the Shinkansen. [29:50]
- He found it quite impressive that he could leave Hakata at 5 PM and be home in Tokyo by 11 PM or midnight. [30:04]
Concluding thoughts on the Japan series [30:12]
- This video sort of rounds off the Japan series, with one more final video coming later this month. [30:12]
- He thanked the people supporting him on Patreon and mentioned his print shop. [30:35]