Shinjuku Station

The amazing part about the number of people who use public transport in Japan is not the staggering numbers themselves, but the ability for the system to continue working with so many users, and for it to have procedures in place that actually work smoothly for when things go wrong.

The Yamanote Line

During the time of the Tohoku earthquake last year, JR and some other railway companies were criticized for their handling of matters. I am sure there were manuals being checked for what to do at that time, however, just thinking about trying to manage 4 million people or more at that time must have been very difficult.

Next time you are riding the trains consider yourself a part of the many millions in the system and enjoy.

Related posts:

1. Nagoya Station I visited Nagoya a while ago and traveled to Ise...
2. Kyoto Station With such a great train culture, there are also some...
3. Station Concert Passing through Shinkiba station (新木場) I saw this classical music...

Kyoto Station Building

Kyoto Station

With such a great train culture, there are also some interesting stations to visit in Japan. Tokyo Station still has some of the red brick buildings left, but here at Kyoto Station, you can see modern Japanese breezy station building with plenty of character. Dark polished surfaces surrounded with rich colors. Modern Kyoto.

Related posts:

1. Nagoya Station I visited Nagoya a while ago and traveled to Ise...
2. Kyoto View It is always nice to climb the many towers that...
3. Nijo Castle, Kyoto Nijo Castle (Nijojo) in Kyoto is a great place to...

Makuta Station in Chiba

Do you like the bigger stations in Japan or the small ones?

I came back via the Aqualine and took a photo of these concrete blocks at the Umihotaru rest area.

Umi Hotaru blocks

You can maybe just make out the buildings of Tokyo in the distance. Have you ridden the Aqualine?

Related posts:

1. Railway Construction There has been a lot of railway construction going on...
2. Japan Railway Tracks ...
3. No more Smoking at stations It’s April 1st tomorrow, the start of the new financial...

Nagoya Station at night

I visited Nagoya a while ago and traveled to Ise Jingu on the train. My stay in Nagoya was short so I only managed to take a few photos around the Station before getting on the train.

Nagoya Station hotel

The night view on the street

Meitetsu department store

This structure in front of the station caught my eye at night with a nice blue reflection

Always nice to look at the train tracks from above

One of the new distinctive buildings surrounding Nagoya station

Same structure as seen in night shot before, but from a higher angle in daytime

Department store building at the Station

Can't remember the name of this mannequin statue. I think it is Jane?

a pikachu car at the feet of Jane

Each area of Japan seems to have a different feel about its train system

Getting ready to go to IseJingu

Local commuter train coming in to the station

I liked these barrier poles on the train

Nice colors on this train

Related posts:

1. Okayama Station I took a few snap shots around Okayama Station when...
2. Kyoto Station With such a great train culture, there are also some...
3. Shibuya Station Live Around the railway stations at night in Japan, you often...

Down the lines

Looking back at Shimokitazawa station

Anyone for a walk on the tracks?

Waiting for the express train to go by

The Romance Car smoothly passes by

Related posts:

1. Railway Construction There has been a lot of railway construction going on...
2. Japanese Railway Stations I was out in Chiba today to play golf and...
3. Japan Sea Mural This cheerful sea creatures mural was on the side of...

Anpanman and friends traveling somewhere outside Okayama, Japan

Snapped this shot from the train window the other day, showing an Anpanman train.

Related posts:

1. Anpanman Museum Had a great day at the Anpanman Children's Museum with...
2. Pokemon Yamanote Train Each year at summer, Nintendo and JR hold a stamp...
3. Sushi Train at home If you have eaten sushi you probably experienced the conveyor...

The TWR Gachapin Campaign

The TWR, Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Line, is celebrating its 500,000,000th passenger, which rates it right up there with Facebook !

Not sure whether Facebook are having similar celebrations, but I bet they didn’t invite Gachapin to their party.

Related posts:

1. DS Gachapin Protector Click on Amazon Japan for more here. A new case...
2. ABCLoop Launch Party, Roppongi I just came back from the launch event for ABCLoop.com...
3. Conbini Monday Wk14 Calbee make some great potato chips and this weeks to...

Looks like the advertising is going to get hidden out by the new doors. Wont be long before that advert might have to be attached to the new safety doors instead of the train doors.

The Yamanote Line auto doors are due to start operation soon. I wrote a few weeks ago about the electronic doors being installed at Ebisu and Meguro. This is an update showing the door panels now in place at Ebisu station.

The panels look a bit strange without the doors attached.

The gap here is where currently the 6 door train carriages stop. Most Yamanote Line trains have 4 doors on each side of the carriage, but they tried out 6 door carriages with fold up seats for a while. Those carriages are going to be retired, but until they are, there will be no safety doors for that portion of the platform.

Looking back at the doors that have been installed at Ebisu station.

This device looks like it will be used by the JR platform staff to check that all doors are closed properly.

An advert explaining how and when the doors will be working.

All of the carriages and doors are numbered. The safety doors highlight this and also give some warning tips about not getting caught in the automatic system.

This portion is one of the 6 door carriage sections.

Do you have safety barriers like this in your part of the world?

Related posts:

1. Yamanote Line Automatic gates The Yamanote Line is going to have automatic gates installed...
2. Yamanote Line Zero Post Down on the platform at Shinagawa Station you can find...
3. Pokemon Yamanote Train Each year at summer, Nintendo and JR hold a stamp...

Looking back at the Yamanote Line train as it approaches the platform and the test gate section.

The Yamanote Line is going to have automatic gates installed on all its platforms over the next few years in an attempt to prevent passengers falling on the rails and delaying services. The installation of the gates will be done in parts starting with Ebisu and Meguro Station.

Ebisu and Meguro Stations are going to be the first to have the automatic gates installed for the Yamanote Line.

You can see the platform has already started to be changed for the gates to be installed.

The work at Ebisu and Meguro will begin this month and finish by the end of June 2010 and August 2010 respectively. JR have released a schedule and details (pdf document in Japanese).

Note the markings near the edge of the platform ready for the gates.

A test section of the gate set up at the end of the platform in Ebisu station.

The train lining up to stop at the right place for the gates to open.

Got my camera settings wrong here, as I was waiting for a shot of the train moving away from the station. Suddenly realized this train was a special test run to check the distances between platform and train in preparation for the gate installation.

The test gate section is not in use yet and is actually at the end of the platform away from where the train stops.

The Yamanote Line leaves the station passing the test gate section.

The door section that opens will be a glass panel rather than just steel. This will allow passengers and staff to see whether any objects have been caught in the doors when they shut, a regular occurrence when trains are busy.

It will be a shame to see the structures go up and block the view of trains coming into the station, but hopefully this will help to prevent accidents and other incidents where passengers end up falling on the tracks. The Chuo Line, which suffers a high proportion of suicides, may also want to consider implementing such a system.

What do you think about these automatic gates being installed?

Related posts:

1. Yamanote Line automatic doors The Yamanote Line auto doors are due to start operation...
2. Yamanote Line Zero Post Down on the platform at Shinagawa Station you can find...
3. Pokemon Yamanote Train Each year at summer, Nintendo and JR hold a stamp...

Sleek lines and cool colors on this Hayate Shinkansen at Tokyo Station. I wonder who gets to choose the paint colors?

Ticket gate at Tokyo Station.

A few of the schedule boards in the lower area of Tokyo Station before going up to the platform. There are about 30 platforms at Tokyo Station (for all trains, not just Shinakansen) so you have to check carefully which one you need to go to.

Taking a look at the Shinkansen schedule to Akita. I am catching the Komachi train.

Platform 23 is where my train is leaving from today. Start of an Akita adventure.

Heading up the escalator at Tokyo Station.

Coming up on to the platform the train timetable is shown clearly. Can you spot my train on the board?

There are lots of places to buy bento and drinks on the platform. This was one of the kiosks selling bento. It is strange how once people board the train, the first thing they do is break open the bento box and start eating. Everyone in the carriage started eating at the same time, almost like a ritual dining session.

Great shape on the nosecone here. Pity the barriers make it hard to get a good photograph. The Yamanote Line in Tokyo will be introducing barriers at all stations over the next few years also.

The double decker MAX train. Love that yellow strip down the middle section.

Looking back down the platform as the MAX and Hayate trains make a stop at Tokyo Station.

Once out of Tokyo, we made a few stops including this one at Sendai Station. I was going to jump out, but didn't want to risk being left behind. Once you get out of Tokyo the announcements on the platform for trains departing don't seem to have the same consistency. Sometimes the doors seem to just shut and the train leave without any announcements at all.

The scenery outside the window is quite peaceful although looks a little cold.

We stopped here for a while so I decided to get off and take a few shots. The whole trip took 4 hours one way, so it was nice to stretch the legs a bit and breath in some fresh air.

You don't see any of these mini snow mobiles at Tokyo Station, but here in the country areas this machinery probably gets a lot of use. Luckily today, it is bright sunshine and no snow on the platform.

Great exhibit awaiting passengers here at Tazawako Station. This was another stop the train made before we got to Oomagari, where I changed to the local line for Yokote.

I imagine when it snows here, it can get really deep. I was glad to be passing by Tazawako on a sunny day.

A lake I think with snow around. Would be nice to jump off and take some photos around this area.

Kakunodate Station, just another stop on the way.

The welcoming committee at Yokote Station letting all passengers know they had arrived at the home city for Kamakura and Yokote Yakisoba. Welcome! Welcome!

Nice to see some snow between the tracks, but the platform perfectly cleared. Coupled with the sunny weather, this was a great scene.

Older style architecture for this pass over bridge. The snow running underneath gives it a soft touch.

Yokote Station, Akita-ken

One of the signs and decorations at the station promoting Yokote. Anyone know this character?

Really liked this cute kamakura sign. Last stop for this JR line, kamakura is waiting for you.

Quite a different feel to Tokyo Station here at the local Yokote Station. The board still gives good information, but if y9ou look at the clock and then the board, you will see it is 1 hour's wait before the next train.

A kamakura decoration on top of the post box outside the station.

A small kamakura that had been built in front of the hotel.

Related posts:

1. Shinkansen Cleaning The trains in Japan always look clean, particularly the Shinkansen....
2. Pokemon Shinkansen The Pokemon decorated Shinkansen series was started last year during...
3. E5 Shinkansen + Quiz answers The first media test run of the new E5 Shinkansen...

The ferris wheel at Kasai Rinkai Koen makes a nice backdrop for this photo

As the sun sets you get a nice shadow cast across the ground and sky fades from blue to orange.

On the way back from IKEA to buy a bookcase for my room, I took these photos from the window of the JR Keiyo Line as it sped its way towards Tokyo back from Chiba. These were all taken near the Kasai Rinkai Koen area which is one station down from Tokyo Disneyland at Maihama.

You can see the camera info if you click on the menu over the photo. Could you guess what camera I took these with?

The sunlight through the clouds gives off a warm color in contrast to the dark ground.

Do you have beautiful sunsets in your part of the world? Where do you like to go to most to see the view when the sun goes down?

Related posts:

1. Japan Sunset Late afternoon provides a nice backdrop for coastal roads and...
2. Tokyo Sunset There are a number of places to see a great...
3. Shikoku Sunset The shibuya246 has been down for a few days and...

The look of the new machine split into 4 quadrants - tickets, season passes, charging your Suica card and getting a new Suica card.

JR are changing over some of their ticket machines to this new version. At Shinagawa Station, the staff were putting up posters and showing people how to use the machines on the weekend.

JR staff members putting up the poster for the new ticket machines.

Looks like JR is pushing ahead with the new technology and getting more people to use their SUICA cards. The old white or orange backed tickets may become collectors items.

Do you use electronic payment for transportation in your part of the world?

Related posts:

1. JR Suica Adverts SUICA, Super Urban Intelligent Card, was introduced in 2001 and...
2. Suica x Matsuya Suica, JR’s electronic payment card, and Matsuya, a popular teishoku...
3. Penguin Stadium The Suica Penguin character has a new store opened at...