Event: Red Bull X-Fighters 2014 – Osaka
Photographer: Jeffrey Johnston
Camera: Nikon D200 DSLR
Lens: Nikon 28-70mm & 80-200mm f/2.8
Flash: Nikon SB-800 Speedlite
Editing: Lightroom 5 & Photoshop CS6
The Red Bull X-Fighters 2014 tour made Osaka Castle and the Nishinomaru Garden the venue for the Japanese leg of the X-Fighters tour for the second time in a row, giving FMX fans the thrill of a lifetime. Japan’s most famous castle is located in the heart of Osaka and is easy to access for every fan.
Nishinomaru Garden, designated as a special historical site, is about 6.5 hectares and lies west of the castle and is full of greenery with some 600 cherry blossom trees, which are attracting numerous viewers throughout the year.
The park, which offers a magnificent view on the castle tower and the stonewalls, was opened to the public in 1965 and is the former residence of Kita no Mandokoro, the General Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s wife. Hideyoshi built the castle in the 16th century and was a preeminent warrior, general, and politician regarded as Japan’s second “great unifier”.