Travelogue | Trains  | Video | Tips | Memories

Between January 20th and February 2nd 2001, I took my first overseas trip, to Japan. It was also the first trip back to Japan for my wife, after she moved to live in Australia in June 2000. This page is a recollection of the various aspects of those two weeks, particularly from a rail enthusiast's viewpoint. You can read about the various activities that we did, see a list of all the trains used, and get some handy hints if you are planning to go yourself. Because of the excellent timetable service that all Japanese railway companies provide, you can plan your journeys in advance down to the minute !!! Probably for a month before we left, I was spending time with maps, timetables and internet pages for several hours every day making sure everything fitted together. The only time we came unstuck was due to our own mistakes, or unforseen events like people jumping in front of trains :-( 

Click on any of the underlined text to see a relevant photo. Please note that they were all taken with $1 Kodak disposable cameras, so the quality is not 100%, but they are easy to carry around and quickly snap something you see, that you might miss if taking time to set up a shot with a 'proper' camera. Also they are not good in underground stations or under covered in platforms, as the flash is not very strong.

Day-by-day Travelogue

19/01/01 Friday
Left Sydney late in the evening with Qantas. After they serve you a meal at midnight, and then put on some banal movie, you finally get to sleep at about 2-3am, and then you are woken up at 5am for breakfast.

20/01/01 Saturday 
I was disappointed when flying into Narita, as you approach from the east coast and hardly see any land at all until you are nearly touching down. Besides, it was still dark then anyway. The airport is so large that you have to take a little unmanned shuttle train from the arrival building to the main terminal. After collecting our luggage and easily getting through customs, we had plenty of time to look around the shops, collect our Japan Rail Pass and book reserved seats for the rest of the days travel, as the first Narita Express was not due to leave for at least half an hour. I also managed to buy a ¥3000 Passnet card from a Keisei ticket machine. 

We then made our way down to the platform, and I saw my first Japanese train - a JR E217 15 car set, followed by the Keisei Skyliner! Finally Narita Express #2 arrived and we stored our luggage and found our seat. The seats are arranged in fours around a small table, and fortunately we had a forward-facing pair. After exiting the underground line from the airport, I had my first ground level view of Japan, and even though it is a fairly rural area, every bit of land can be seen to be used for something. Where there are no buildings, the land is all sectioned up for when it is the rice season. And it is not too long before you see how small and closely-packed all the buildings are! The more we got closer to Tokyo, the more my eyes opened wider! The train is non-stop from Narita to Tokyo, and we travelled smoothly and quietly, except for a couple of times where we slowed, or stopped for a short time. It also has a lit-up graph in each car showing how far you have progressed, and soon we had arrived at Tokyo station, which is underground for this line. 

By using a myriad of stairs/escalators/elevators we went all the way up to the Tohoku Shinkansen platforms, where I then had the memorable experience of seeing my first Bullet train! We boarded Max-Yamabiko #117 bound for Sendai, and it was one of the new double deck E4 sets. Riding on the top level gives you a lot better view, as in many places the noise reduction barriers for the residents next to the line are quite high. On the lower level, you would always see nothing, and on a normal train, sometimes you can see out and sometimes you can't. Again my eyes were wide open, seeing the continuous expanse of buildings that seemed to stretch to the horizon in every direction. Also the size and number of high-rise apartment blocks is amazing. About an hour out of Tokyo, you get to see more open areas and farm land and also by this stage we were seeing traces of snow for the first time. Also there are many tunnels, where of course you see nothing.

Eventually we arrived at Sendai and while waiting for my wife's sister to meet us, visited the Yodobashi Camera store next to the station. Another eye-opener, as this store has not just cameras, but everything electrical from domestic appliances, hi-fi, computers, CD's, videos, games, batteries, and of course cameras and film. There was a very large range of items on display and all at good prices. All the while we were lugging around 2 large suitcases and 2 other bags. Once her sister arrived to collect us and we squeezed everything into the car, it was time for lunch, and we went to a nearby family restaurant, where I learned the difference between a 'hamburger' and a 'hamburg' (see memories section following). After that we drove off to Yamagata using a toll road that cost a fortune, went through a long tunnel and also another unexpected fortune as we were pulled over by the police for speeding. There was still plenty of snow around, and when we arrived at Akiko's father's house, it was nearly hidden behind a mound of snow that had been cleared from the main paths. It was time to meet the family, which went OK considering they did not speak English at all.

Sunday 21/01/01
Had a rest after the long hours travelling, and looked at the interesting differences in Japanese houses, like the Tatami-mat floors, sliding paper screens etc. Even though there was heaps of snow outside and also piled up on the roof, it was warm inside, as all the rooms have underfloor heating. Other than just resting at home, playing in and shovelling snow and looking around Yamagata, the highlight of the day was visiting a small hobby shop with a model train section, and seeing the amount of stock they had. There were items that I had not seen in stock anywhere else for a long time, and just goes to show the extent of the items available if you have local contacts.

Monday 22/01/01
Up early to get to Yamagata station for the first of three days sightseeing alone, as my wife had several days of business to finalise after permanently moving to Australia! I was to catch the Tsubasa #116 to Tokyo and it was one of the new style E3's and very comfortable. The journey from Yamagata to Fukushima is on a winding scenic line, however everything was covered with heavy snow, so all you could see was covered in white. At some points the level of snow next to the line was up to the bottom of the windows. The week before we arrived, this line had actually been closed for 2 days. I got off at Omiya, as I had planned a quick trip to Takasaki to ride on an E1, however after getting off and looking around the platform for a minute, and then checking my watch, I saw an E1 set heading north into the distance - 'my' E1 !!! My first lesson - make sure your watch is set to exactly the right time. So I hung around the local line platforms for a while and took some video of the many trains arriving and departing. Omiya is also the end of the Keihin Tohoku line. I also managed to get a quick glimpse of the Hokutosei on its way to Tokyo. I then took a Saikyo line 205 to Shinjuku, which is a good trip because it parallels the Tohoku Shinkansen line. 

At Shinjuku, I also spent some time videoing all the arriving and departing trains (more than one per minute !!!). After getting back to schedule, it was time to get on a Keio train to Tama Centre on the Sagamihara line. Luckily I caught an express, however it is quite an experience going at high speed through the stations and the rows of crowded building so close to the tracks. At Tama Centre it is a short walk to the monorail station. The Tama City monorail is quite new and has some steep gradients because the area is not completely flat - it even goes through a tunnel. I got a seat looking out the front and videoed the whole line to the other end at Kamikitadai (around 16km). Then I caught it back to Tachikawa, where there is a JR Chuo line station. Because I did not leave the station at the end of the line, the ticket machine thought I had only journeyed from the start of the line to Tachikawa - quite a saving !!! 

From Tachikawa, I caught a Chuo Rapid line train to Ochanomizu, where the Chuo and Sobu lines split. At this location, there is a quite famous photo spot from the Hijiri Bridge over the Kanda River where you can see these two lines, plus the Marunouchi subway line as it crosses the river and goes back into a tunnel. If you are lucky you can see trains on all three lines in quick succession. Unfortunately, at the time there was some sort of construction barge right in the middle of the river. Just over the river is the famous Yushima Seidou Temple, so I had a quick look around there as a break from train activities. In the courtyard were many young couples enjoying a little private time quietly together. Also, Japan the land of many contrasts was evident there, as outside the temple building that must have been many hundreds of years old, was a line of brightly lit up vending machines !!! After seeing the smallest shops I had ever seen, I found a McDonalds nearby, and as it was well after lunch time, I decided to get something there to eat, as I calculated that I had a enough time for a quick visit to the LAOX store in nearby Akihabara before having to get back to Tokyo to catch the train to return to Sendai. After choosing from the menu, where everything was different except for the Big Mac, I managed to convey my order to the poor girl serving. While eating my meal, I was surprised to see the variety of bins available for the different types of rubbish. 

Walking through the streets of Akihabara is quite and experience, as it is full of retailers selling every kind of electrical gadget you can imagine (and some you cannot !!!). It was also just starting to get dark and the maze of flashing neon lights and signs were starting up. The LAOX company has many stores in this area and the hobby division is in a separate building, fortunately fairly easy to find. It is a narrow building with separate floors for computer games, radio controlled toys, robots etc. and the model trains are on the 4th floor. You can get an escalator up but there is only a lift down again. The floor area is quite small but there are lots of products on display. After a quick browse, I bought a couple of items and then had to leave. It took a while to find the entrance to Akihabara station, as it is in a side street but I was able to catch a Keihin Tohoku train back to Tokyo. My Shinkansen back to Sendai was Max Yamabiko #49, again one of the new double deck E4 sets.

My wife was eagerly waiting my return, and we lugged all our baggage to our accommodation in Sendai for the next 4 nights, a furnished apartment which was on the 8th floor of a building overlooking the Shinkansen and Tohoku main lines just south of Sendai station.

Tuesday 23/01/01
Once again, up early again for the journey to Tokyo for more sightseeing. The trip was on Yamabiko #30, one of the 200-2000 series 16 car set, with 2 double deck green cars and cafeteria (not in operation). No one was using the green cars, so I was able to sit on the top deck for a while and enjoy the extra view afforded by the higher elevation. Being my first real time at Tokyo station, I spent some time on the Shinkansen platforms taking videos of the many arrivals and departures. Then it was time to catch a Yamanote line train to Hamamatsucho to ride on the Tokyo Monorail. This was the first commercially successful monorail and goes to Haneda Airport (mainly used for domestic flights). Once again I got a front seat, however not too long into the trip the driver decided to pull down the blinds between the drivers and passenger compartments :-(  So I could only see outside the side windows as the ride progressed through industrial areas and along the waterfront. At Haneda there is a working N scale model of the monorail, even with operation switches !!! 

I had intended to return back via the monorail, but because of the rude driver I decided to boycott them and use the Keihin Kyuko line instead (my favourite private line). Waiting for the train to leave (an old 1000 series), I was surprised to see the variety of trains arriving and leaving, because of the through running on the Keisei and Hokosu Kodan lines, which means you can now travel directly from Haneda to Narita airports. I got out at Keikyu-Kamata which is where the Airport line joins the main Keikyu line, and spent some time there watching and videoing the frequent services. After that I continued to Shinagawa and then on the Yamanote line to Shimbashi where I was to ride on the Yurikamome through the new Odaiba waterfront area. A lot of construction around the Shimbashi station area made it difficult to find the Yurikamome station. But I got there and managed to get a front row seat, in this case because there is NO driver !!! I started to video this journey as well, but the batteries ran out as I got to the Rainbow Bridge. The Yurikamome is a guideway type train which runs on rubber tyres and is very smooth. The area it passes through is very new and quite empty compared to the rest of Tokyo, and has many large and strangely shaped buildings in it. At one place there is a huge red saw poking out of the ground. At the end of the line you can get on the Tokyo Rinkai train which makes a connection with the Keiyo line back on the 'mainland'.

While waiting there at Shin-Kiba, I was surprised to see 103 series sets still in use. I wanted to ride on a 205 series, but they were all express services so I had to settle for a 201 series. The ride to Chiba is interesting as this area has many wall to wall high rise apartment building areas, and also goes past Tokyo Disneyland, the largest Ferris Wheel in the world and the massive Shiodome indoor ski slope. At Chiba-Minato the monorail station is very close to the JR station. This was my first experience on an overhanging type monorail, and the sensation is quite unusual, as you seem to be floating just above the traffic on the road below. The Chiba Monorail has two lines - one from Chiba-Minato through Chiba to Kenchoumae and a longer one from Chiba to Chishirodai. Because I was running late in my schedule, I only had time to ride the shorter route. The construction around Chiba is quite massive, with the two different lines separating and the huge supports needed for the lines. At one point the line goes over the JR lines on a bridge, except that the line is at the top of the bridge, not the base !!! Also the shorter line that I travelled on is over water (river/canals) a lot of the time. By the time I arrived back at Chiba, it was getting quite dark, and it was time to ride an E217 set on the Sobu line back to Tokyo. My train to Sendai this time was Yamabiko #25, an E2 coupled to an E3 Akita Shinkansen. Dinner most evenings in Sendai was chosen from the maze of shops and restaurants underneath the main station, where you can do window shopping looking at all the plastic models of the foods available, before choosing which place to eat at.

Wednesday 24/01/01
Up early again to Tokyo on Yamabiko #30, a 200-2000 set again. Today's main activity was a meeting with various JRForum members, both residents and other overseas visitors. However I had a little time planned before the meeting to do some more railfanning. From Tokyo I went via the Keihin Tohoku to Shinagawa to change to the Keikyu line. I travelled via that line to Kagetsuenmae, where I stayed at the platform to take videos. At this station the Keikyu line is right next to the JR lines, and the frequency and variety of trains that pass on the Keihin Tohoku, Yokosuka and Tokaido lines is amazing. There is a JR freight line as well. A level crossing across all these tracks is nearly always closed and it takes ages for the local residents to get from one side to the other, with the bells ringing constantly. Fortunately the bells for the Keikyu line sound different to the JR ones, so you can tell which line the next train is on. Also Japanese level crossings have an arrow indicator to tell you the direction of the next train. All of this is very good for getting the video ready in the right position !!!

Another reason to look around this area was that after seeing a photo in a magazine (you can see the photos on my 'Shin Yamanote' pages) of a narrow row of houses between the JR and Keikyu tracks, I had to see them in person. I walked from Kagetsuenmae to the next station, Namamugi, and on the way saw a vending machine with the large letters 'DORINKS' on it :-)  The distance between the two sets of main lines would not be more than 10m at the start and because one track is going over the other, it eventually gets down to nothing. There is no road into this area, just a narrow footpath. If you weren't a railfan, living along here with fast trains going past every couple of minutes would be hard to bear.

I then continued on Keikyu down to Yokohama, where I changed to the Yokosuka line to go back to Shinagawa. I made a brief exit at Shin-Kawasaki where there is a freight yard and large loco terminal. There were many electric locos stored and also moving around, as well as freight trains arriving and departing. Then it was back on the Yokosuka line to Shinagawa, which parallels or is under the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks for most of the way.

Thanks to the efficiency of JR's timetable operations, I arrived at Shinagawa right at the appointed minute, and all the other correspondents were already there. Our groups consisted of a native of Tokyo, an Englishman who had lived there for many years, an American serviceman on a tour of duty, an American visiting on business and an Australian visiting on holiday. As it was lunch time, we found a nearby hotel with a reasonably priced menu, and with the help of our Japanese speaking locals, ordered our meals and got to know each other. Unfortunately, one person had an unexpected engagement, so after lunch, the remaining 4 decided that a visit to Shinjuku to the Sakuraya hobby store would be a good idea. So it was off on the Yamanote line to Shinjuku, and then a walk through the maze of streets that seemed no trouble to our guides. The store was another like LAOX, with a floor dedicated to model trains, and lots of them !!! We then decided that we had enough time to get to Akihabara to LAOX as well, so it was off on the Chou line, as I had done on the Monday. After visiting there, our Japanese friend had to leave, so the 3 that were left journeyed back to Tokyo on the Keihin Tohoku, where we made our farewells. An enjoyable and interesting afternoon. My train back to Sendai was Yamabiko #137, one of the original 200 series. Later on during the evening whilst walking through the streets to get provisions from one of the many convenience stores, we briefly visited a pachinko parlour. The noise inside was so much that we didn't stay long !!!

Thursday 25/01/01
No need to get up early for a change :-)  However we had made arrangements to meet some of Akiko's friends, so it was off on the Sendai subway line to Asahigaoka, were we were picked up and driven by car to their place. The husband had a large collection of Railway magazines, so I was able to keep busy looking through them while the others reminisced. Then we were taken back to Haranomachi to ride on the Senseki line to Nakanosakae. This relatively new line uses refurbished 103 sets and has push button operated doors. Once again we were collected and driven to another friends house, where we had an authentic delivered sushi lunch. After that, it was back to Sendai on the Senseki line again.

In the evening we travelled on the subway again to meet some of the same friends and have dinner at a sushi train restaurant, and then finished off the evening at a karaoke place and amusement parlour.

Friday 26/01/01
We had originally planned a trip on the Akita Shinkansen to Akita and then back to Shinjo on a local train and then to Yamagata on the Yamagata Shinkansen, however with the cold weather and lots of snow still around, we decided not to do the trip. We spent the morning visiting various shops in Sendai, and then in the afternoon used the subway to go to Nagamachi-Minami, where there was a large Kinokuniya bookstore, and was close to where Akiko's sister could pick us up for the drive to Yamagata. Two incidents happened today that are worth noting ...
1) Today was Australia Day, the day commemorating the birth of the country - but I completely forgot all about it !!!
2) The TV news told the story of a drunken man who fell to the tracks at Shin-Okubo station just north of Shinjuku on the Yamanote line, and a Japanese man and a Korean student who jumped onto the line to try and rescue him. Unfortunately, the next train was just arriving, and all three men were killed. The story of the bravery of the two men, particularly of the student in a foreign country, who lost their lives trying to help a stranger, struck a chord all around Japan.

Saturday 27/10/01
Sunday 28/01/01
Nothing much done except relaxing at home, seeing local sites (non-railway related!!!), and watching strange shows on TV like food eating contests, dating shows, and sumo. One night we went out with the family for a magnificent meal at an expensive tradition Japanese restaurant. We also heard the news on TV how there had been a near-miss involving two passenger jets over Tokyo !!!

Monday 29/01/01
It was back to getting up early again, as this time we were going to Tokyo together and using a different route for variety. First we caught a 455 series 'Green Liner' from Yamagata to Sendai via the Senzan line. The 455 is like a multi-voltage version of the 165's, and was full of school children and commuters. The route goes through the mountains but there was too much snow to see much of the countryside. At Sendai we had an hours wait for our next train (one bad thing about Japanese timetables - sometimes the connecting services are not co-ordinated as well as could be), so we looked around the shops again.

Then it was off to Tokyo via the Joban line on a 651 series Super Hitachi #30. The first part of the journey was in a 4 car set, which later on couples up to another 7 car set at Iwaki. A very nice train to ride in, with 2x2 seating and a display telling you the current speed (max=130km/h). Along this line in many places you can see the coastline, along with the many concrete wave breakers like you can see in the Greenmax catalog. Also a lot of this area is more rural than along the Tohoku line to Tokyo. 

After arriving at Ueno, it was off to Gotanda on the Yamanote line to our Ryokan (where you had to put in ¥100 to watch TV), conveniently close to the station. We dropped off our luggage, and continued to Ebisu, where we used the Hibiya subway line to go to Kamiyacho, where a short walk down some streets gives you your first view of Tokyo Tower. Nearby is a famous Russian restaurant. Although it is expensive, especially if you go to the highest viewing platform, the experience is worth it just to see the endless expanses of buildings. You can also see the trains coming and going on the Tokaido line (binoculars are very handy here). As it was getting late in the afternoon, we were able to see the lights coming on, and areas like Ginza were particularly bright and colourful. A short walk from the Tower takes you to Akanebashi station on the new Oedo line and we used that to travel to Ochiai-Nagasaki-Minami which is close to the Kato Hobby Centre. Unfortunately we had spent more time than expected at Tokyo Tower and they had just closed, however we were able to go in and have a very quick look around and to purchase the items I had gone there especially to buy. So it was back to Shinjuku and then on the Yamanote to Gotanda again.

Tuesday 30/01/01
Using the Yamanote again, we travelled from Gotanda to Shinagawa, and transferred to the Tokaido line for a quick run down to Ofuna. The train was a 373 series Wide View Tokai which was very nice inside. The area behind the cab is all glass, so you get a great view along the line, which I videoed all the way. At Ofuna we put our bags in a locker, and transferred across to the Shonan Monorail station. This is another suspended type system that takes you down to the coast at Enoshima. It is only single track, however crossing movements are made at every second station or so. At Enoshima you have to walk a short distance to the Enoshima Railway station, and the area is older, with a lot of quaint little wooden shops and houses. This is actually a railway company, but the line environment and the 2 car rolling stock sets make it feel more like a streetcar tram. The line actually starts at Fujisawa on the Tokaido line. Our 'train' was a 4 car train, with 2x 2 car sets coupled together. First the line travels through the streets at Enoshima, and then has it's own dedicated tracks, however the right of way is a very narrow space between the houses.

At Hase we got off, as that is the closest station to the Great Buddha, which is about a 10-15 minute walk along a narrow road with lots of souvenier shops. It was early in the morning and they had just opened, so there was only a few other tourists and a small junior high school group there. This statue is massive and you can actually go down inside it as well. Certainly well worth a visit. There are also a lot of other temples and other things to see in the general area. However we had a lot to do, so it was back to the station and on to the end of the line at Kamakura, which is right next to the station of the same name on the JR Yokosuka line. 

At Ofuna we had to jump off to collect out bags and transfer to the Keihin Tohoku line to go to Tsurumi. A 5-10 minute walk from the station (Keikyu-Tsurumi is closer) is a Greenmax store, where I had arranged to collect a special production kit not available anywhere else. Imagine our surprise when we arrived, to find it closed !!! Of course it was the shop's day off, and we had not checked :-(  Actually what had happened was that before we had left Australia, I had planned to be there Monday, but our flight dates got changed by one day, and so did the rest of the schedule. Moral of the story is to always check a store's day off before you go there, as sometimes they change them without notice. Anyway it was back to Tsurumi station and the Keihin Tohoku line back to Yokohama, where we transferred to the Yokohama line to get to Shin-Yokohama. All the while lugging all our bags !!! 

Because we were early, we had time to buy an ekiben lunch box before our train arrived, a 300 series Hikari #223 service to Kyoto. Upon opening my bento box, which was advertised as a sandwich lunch, I found I was lucky enough to also get ONE chip !!! The weather was clear and at the right moment we were able to see Mt Fuji out the window. I was also surprised to see a dinosaur at one point as well, out in the middle of nowhere. If you are lucky to look out at the right time, you will see preserved portions of the STAR-21 and WIN-350 Shinkansen trains at the Maihara test centre. From Nagoya onwards, you will probably see other trains on parallel tracks, including freight trains. After arriving at Kyoto, it was only a short walk to our Ryokan. I didn't think it would be possible, but this one's bathroom was smaller than the previous place.

We did not have time to visit the Golden Temple, as we had originally planned, but could get to some of the closer ones. We had to get a bus, and that process is certainly a lot harder than catching a train, even with a Japanese 'guide'. We got off the bus at the right stop, and found a long street stretching up a hill to where we could see a temple right at the top. Kyoto is a city of contrasts, maybe more than other places I saw, as it has a lot more older type buildings due to no bombing during WW2. There is a lot of Japanese heritage to see even though most of the shops were now used to sell modern souvenirs. Eventually we got to the top of the hill and were presented with a mixture of small to large to massive temples and shrines. From the top is also a great view across the city, with the seemingly endless stretch of buildings going as far as the horizon. The Kiyomizu Temple perched on the side of a hill was particularly impressive, and some of the buildings looked restored and repainted and some were still very 'original'. Everywhere you go are little boxes for you to put in your 'donation' as you make a wish or say a prayer, so I was glad I am not a Buddhist !!! The suggested route took us past many different temples, shops and eating places, however as it was now late in the afternoon, most places were closed. Our route took us to Higashiyama on the Tozai subway line, where we caught a train to Karasuma-Oike, and changed to the Karasuma line to return to Kyoto. I was surprised in the evening to be able to watch "Animal House" in English on the multi-lingual TV. 

Wednesday 31/01/01
As my wife was not feeling well, and I had planned to do some train watching in the morning, we decided that she would stay at the Ryokan and meet me for our planned afternoon's activities at Nara. So I caught a 100 series Kodama service to Shin-Osaka. I got in the first car, but then decided to go back and have a look at the 2 double deck cars. By the time I had gone there and come back to my seat, we had arrived. I spent about an hour videoing the departures and arrivals there, and then changed to the local line platforms to do the same there. My next train was the 281 series Haruka to Kansai airport, and as I did not have a reserved seat, the cars were packed and I had to stand all the way next to the smoking area :-(  I was befriended by an English guy on his way home from Australia (!) and got to talk English for a while !!! At Kansai airport, I had enough time to look around before buying a ticket on the Nankai Railway's Rapi:t Beta. This is the most amazing looking train, like something from Star Wars. It is also very modern and comfortable inside, however there were not many passengers.

Fom Nankai-Namba station it is a short but confusing walk to Kintetsu-Namba where I was catching an express service to Nara. This is a nice journey, because as you gain height to cross the range between Osaka and Nara, you get a very good view back over the city. Kintetsu-Nara is underground and after I met my wife (who travelled direct from Kyoto on a JR 117) we had lunch at McDonalds, in the very modern looking Nara shopping area. There are so many shrines and temples in Nara that you can get "templed-out" !!! The most impressive is the Toudai Temple, which is huge and I believe the largest wooden structure in the world. Also the many hungry deer in the area are cute at the start but after you feed them and then they chase and butt you looking for more food, you wish they would go away. 

We walked back to JR Nara station, which is quite unusual looking, and caught a 221 EMU set back to Osaka. For the first time we were not in the front car looking out, but in the back car seeing where we had come from !!! At Osaka we changed to the subway for a short ride to Esaka, where it is just a short walk to the Kato Hobby Centre where again I had some special items put aside for me. Not as large as the Tokyo shop, but still worth a visit. Then we caught the subway back to Shin-Osaka and a 300 series Hikari #134 back to Kyoto. 

Thursday 01/02/01
In the morning it was raining, the only time this had happened in our two weeks (a couple of times in Yamagata and Sendai it snowed quite heavily). We took a 300 series Hikari #212 from Kyoto back to Shin-Yokohama, and it was raining most of the way, so we couldn't see anything much. At Shin-Yokohama we waited a while on the Yokohama line for a train to come along, and then there was an announcement that the trains were delayed due to a fatality (apparently an old person has walked in front of a train at a level crossing further north). As we were on a tight schedule, we rushed to the Yokohama Subway station and caught it back to Yokohama. 

We left our bags in a locker, as we had to do the trip to Tsurumi again on the Keihin Tohoku line to visit the Greenmax store. This time they were open and I was able to spend not enough time looking at the displays of models made by customers. I was lucky to get a Greenmax mug from the appreciative owner, after I thanking him for his service by giving him a Sydney Olympics pin. Back to Yokohama to collect our bags, and I thought it would be quicker if I rushed off to collect them, rather than the both of us (we had 9 minutes spare). So off I went and because of construction work, and starting at a different place, I could not find the lockers. After racing around madly (and illegally running through a subway platform!!!), I was just about to give up, and go back so that my wife could ask someone for directions, when I walked past the right spot. However by the time I got back to the platform, the train we had booked seats on had left - Super View Odoriko #2, and I was very disappointed :-(  We had to wait for the next service, which was a 113 EMU and not as fast, so we just made it back to Tokyo in time to catch our Tsubasa #127 back to Yamagata. It was an E3 (+E4) again, unfortunately I did not get to ride in a 400 series (and there are only 2x E3 sets but 12x 400 sets).

Friday 02/02/01
The morning was spent packing our bags and trying to work out how to fit everything in, and then in the afternoon it was time to say goodbye and catch the Tsubasa #134 back to Tokyo (E3 again !!!). From Tokyo, it was Narita Express #37 to Narita airport for the overnight flight, this time to Brisbane, with a plane change to Sydney.

Saturday 03/02/01
After arriving in Brisbane, we were told there was delays because of bad weather affecting the incoming transfer, and eventually, after a 3 hour delay in which we could not leave the terminal, we were off again and back home. Leaving the airport in Sydney, the heat was a shock after getting used to the Japanese cold for 2 weeks.

Summary
A totally unbelievable eye-opening two weeks and something I could do again and again very soon (hopefully next April actually). To see a lot of the places I had only before seen in books and on the internet was a moving experience. Seeing how the Japanese people live in such crowded areas and the facilities they devise to make the most of every available space is amazing. If you have any excuse whatsoever to go to Japan, for any reason at all - DO IT !!!

Train Schedule

This table lists the actual journeys taken on various trains and other means of transportation, mainly using the Japan Rail Pass, but also a Passnet card. You can find out more information about these on the Tokyo Area Rail Network page. For a 2 week pass costing ¥45,100, I managed to rack up well over ¥140,100 worth of travel, so it is certainly worth getting and using as much as possible.

Video

Here is a table containing a summary of the 7 hours of video footage I took during this trip. I am planning to convert all of this to MPG files, and then load a selection to this page so it will be available for everyone to view. If you want to see a particular segment, please ask ...

Samples

1. View from window of 500 Shinkansen at 300 Km/h. (click here) 3.56M - 11 seconds.

2. 500 Shinkansen crossing a bridge and then into tunnel (click here) 2.44M - 10 seconds.

They look OK even at full screen size, but I could make the files smaller by using either a smaller resolution, no sound, or both !!!

If you have trouble downloading large files, use this tool - it is excellent !!! GetRight is a very full featured downloading tool for both the serious downloader and novices alike and lets you Pause and Resume your downloads. Advanced features include scheduling downloads, dialing your modem, shutting down your computer when downloads are done, many items to try and speed up your downloads, and much more.

Tips & Hints

If you have to use a ticket machine, it is the reverse to the way you would normally expect (compared to the ones here in Sydney anyway). Instead of selecting your destination, and then putting in the amount of money that it tells you for your ticket, you have to work out how much your journey will cost, and put in notes or coins for that amount of money (or higher) first. Then you are able to select any ticket up to that value (you may have put in a ¥1,000 note, and therefore can buy a ¥210, ¥340, ¥580 or ¥700 ticket). Just use the value button from the ones that are lit up, and your ticket will pop out and the change will be returned to you. To work out how much you think your journey will cost, there is usually a large system map on the wall above the ticket machines, showing every station and how much it will cost from the one you are currently at.

Be warned that as of early 2001, there was a new ¥2,000 note and a different type of ¥500 coin, and many ticket (and vending machines etc.) could not accept them.

Reserved seats - if you have the Japan Rail Pass, then you can book a reserved seat for free, rather than paying the normal fee, or queuing up for an unreserved seat. Just present your Pass, along with the details of the train number, and the starting and ending stations and times. Write them down if you are not confident of your Japanese. You can also ask for non-smoking (kin'en), or a window seat (madogawa) on the left side (hidarigawa) or right side (migigawa). You can book as many trips as you like, and well in advance.

If you are travelling on a train and want to jump out at a station to take a photo or maybe watch the train coupling/uncoupling to another set, don't take too long. In some cases the stopping time can be as little as 30 seconds. Even if you are running alongside the train, they may not hold it for you. Of course you can jump back into any car, and make your way back to your seat.

There are two types of timetable books - the normal 'book' size one and a mini pocket size one. I would suggest that you get the large one before you leave and plan your journey with it, as the larger pages make it a lot easier on the eyes deciphering the times and Japanese characters, and also each line has the station name in Hiragana (a lot easier to work out than Kanji). Also there is a lot more information on lines and services in this version. If necessary tear out the applicable pages (there are some great area maps and station diagrams) to take with you, as the book will be out of date next time you go anyway. Get the latest pocket version to carry around with you while you are travelling, but be aware that there are several different companies publishing these books, and their format may not be the same, and also they may concentrate on a particular area e.g. Tokyo or Osaka.

You will always find something interesting to look at, or maybe a train you did not expect to see when travelling, so allow a little 'waiting' time at each station you get out or change trains at. Of course if nothing happens you may be able to continue your journey on an earlier service.

Except for the special airport services (JR Narita Express or Keisi Skyliner at Narita Airport, or JR Haruka or Nakai Rapi:t at Kansai Airport) most trains do not have much luggage space. Even the Shinkansen services can be difficult to use with a lot of bags, especially the double deck ones (E1 and E4). You may find some space behind the last row of seats or between a row if you rotate the seats. Suburban trains often have overhead racks, but they are not suitable for large items. There are always lockers at most stations where you can leave everything except for a light bag while you do your sightseeing.

Definitely use the Japan Rail Pass and Passnet farecard. You will save a LOT of money AND time, as well as not having to navigate some things that can be difficult to use for a foreigner eg. ticket machines. See the Tokyo Area Rail Network page for more information.

If you want to keep your ticket as a souvenir, unless you are using a pass, the ticket machine will keep it on the last leg of the journey. At every station exit, even though there may be a million ticket machines, there is always one gate with an attendant. So take your ticket to the attended gate and as you show it to him/her, say "omiyage ni kudasai". They may just let you though, or take it and punch or mark it before giving it back.

You don't have to learn Japanese to get around OK and enjoy your stay in Japan, but a basic understanding of the lettering systems helps. Get yourself a Hiragana and Katakana chart and keep it in your pocket. Station names on platform signs and in the big timetable book are always in Hiragana. Any Japanese word can be written in just Hiragana if necessary. Katakana is usually used for foreign words.

Even if you think you are only changing trains at the same station, allow plenty of time to change trains. At some stations, the platforms can be quite a distance apart, and at different levels eg. Shinkansen and NE'X at Tokyo. You may have many stairs/escalators to use and a maze of corridors/shopping arcades to navigate, not to mention crowds to push though (depending on the time of day). Also even though direction signs have English on them, it may take a moment to gather your bearings and follow one sign to the next to your destination. If you are able to get a map of the station, it will help in future planning. At some stations you can change from one line to another in a minute or less, at others it could be up to 10 minutes.

If you are using a PASSNET card and want to transfer from a PASSNET-accepted companies line to a non-PASSNET one, you must completely exit one station and enter the other. If you try to transfer from one to the other, the card will be rejected. Examples - JR/Keikyu at Shinagawa or JR/Odakyu and JR/Keio at Shinjuku.

Travel light by packing wisely - I lugged around a backpack full of books/maps etc, as well as a video camera, 35mm SLR camera and lenses, binoculars, and disposable cameras, and did not once use the SLR or binoculars. Also most of the maps and guide books were not necessary. 

Memories and unusual observations

(Please note that these are my personal observations and comparisons may relate to situations or practices here in Australia.)

In Yamagata, some of the footpaths in the main city area are heated so that snow and ice in winter do not make them dangerous and slippery. I actually saw one under construction, and the workers were laying a grid of pipes before finishing the surface. I don't know if these are electric or oil or water heated or some other way.

Of course saving space is a big consideration in Japan. In Sendai I saw 2 story bicycle racks - very difficult to manipulate your bike on the top rack. Also an eye-opener are the vertical parking stations. Even though I had been explained how they work, I could not visualise them until I saw one working myself. These are tall skinny buildings, usually with a large 'P' on them, where you drive up to the door, and when it opens, drive your car onto a platform. Then you get out and the car disappears as the platform is on a continuous belt (I have marked the position of two cars already starting to move around) that circles vertically up and down the building (think of an oval shaped Ferris-wheel).

Other than seeing 30 million people, I only saw 5 different animals in 2 whole weeks. 1 guard dog in a business premises yard, 1 pet bird (Peechan) in a cage at a friends house, several cows in the yard of a house somewhere between Tokyo and Fukushima, 1 large (pet?) cat posing on a large box in a Sendai shopping mall, and many large crows or ravens (everywhere - they are so loud you can hear them in many of my videos).

In some areas of Tokyo, every telephone box and power pole is adorned with colourful removable stickers advertising salacious times with pretty young girls! I cannot show you any samples as I was not allowed to souvenir any of these (of course !!!).

There is never a bin to be seen anywhere when you want to throw away some rubbish, but there is also never rubbish to be seen on the ground. When you do find a bin, particularly on station platforms, they are always in several sections depending on the type of rubbish, for recycling purposes. In McDonalds, you put your plastic straw and drink lid in one bin, the cup in another, food in another and the left-over ice or drink into another bin !!!

There is a very marked contrast sometimes between old and new buildings. You may find a small shrine tucked away between two modern glass structures, or an old wooden house or shop in a new looking residential area.

When you are going along in a train, none of the streets of buildings ever seems to be at right angles to the railway line. In fact, most streets seem to be in a random type of pattern.

Even right in the middle of residential areas, huge gas storage tanks the shape of a ball can be seen. I wouldn't like to live next to one if it started to leak or exploded !!!

No matter where you are on a train, I will guarantee that you can see a golf driving range somewhere. These HUGE structures can be seen for miles and are the only answer to the Japanese golf fanatic, as there is not enough space to spread out an 18 hole course, or the fees are astronomical.

There are no buttons at any intersections to work the pedestrian lights.

I think there are more vending machines than people in Japan. They sell everything from drinks (alcoholic as well) to cigarettes, videos and used schoolgirls panties. Some of these machines even talk to you as you approach them. And a small truck reversing down a narrow road even had a talking warning sound, rather than a beeping one.

Most stations have markings on the edge of the platforms to show where the train will stop so you can stand opposite the door. You can rely on this! Because most lines use the same type of rolling stock, the marks are always in the same place, but at stations where a number of different types of trains are used eg. Shinkansen, the variety and placement of all the different markings can be bewildering. Also there are usually lines marked on the platform to show where to queue up for each door, and people do it! At Shinkansen platform there are two queues, a green one for the next train and a red one for the following one.

'Love' hotels are very popular, and can be seen easily, particularly as you pass a station. They are obvious because of their unusual appearance, colourful surfaces and signs and unusual names eg. James Dean Hotel. This is where you can go for a set amount of time to spend some private time with the person of your choice :-)

Even in large cities there are very narrow streets full of shops and bars. Here are some samples (1- 2 - 3 - 4 - 5) right in the middle of the main shopping area of Sendai (which is mostly covered pedestrian malls).

Many houses are right on the street and do not have any yard as such. Many possessions are piled up around the house, but are obviously not stolen! One house I saw even had their washing machine right out front on the street.

Most areas do not have footpaths or gutters as such, and you have to walk along the edge of the street, negotiating people belongings as well as the passing traffic. 

Bicycles as very commonly used and you have to register it to park it near a station etc. But even in areas where there was large signs saying "No bicycle parking", there were hundreds. Apparently the council come around from time to time and just load them all into a big truck and dispose of them. Also popular a small delivery vehicles, often a motorcycle with twin rear wheels, and hooded cover and tray on the back. These are used for delivering parcels and also lunch boxes to officeworkers!!!

In some hobby shops, the type of sliding or fold out fittings used to display products is very ingenious, so that more items can be display in a cramped area.

The latest mobile phones now have coloured video screens, and can have attached miniature keyboards, printers and video cameras.

The majority of cars seem to have semi-transparent plastic shades over the tops of all the side windows, so you can open the window a little and not let the weather in. Advertisements for new cars do not show this, so I guess it must be a very popular after market accessory.

You will often see Pachinko parlours, particularly around stations and shopping areas. This is a gambling game like a combination of a poker machine and a vertical pinball table, where small steel balls roll though a circuit and if you can guide them into the right spots, you win. The noise of these balls rolling around, and the background music etc. can be quite deafening!

There are family restaurants everywhere, with many different chains represented - such as McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wendy's, MOS Burger, Denny's, Royal Host, Bikkuri Donkey and Gusto; and you can find one in nearly every block.

A chain of cake shops is called "Italian Tomato" !!! Japanese cakes are amazing - very attractive looking, and more attractive once inside your mouth. They are a very common gift when visiting people, and are alway beautifully wrapped for you in the store.

Also everywhere are the convenience stores, again with many different chains represented - such as 7-11, Lawson, Sunkus, Family Mart, Mini Stop and AM/PM. They sell a lot more things than the ones here do, including prepackaged food ready to eat.

Most station areas and many streets have the yellow raised stripes to assist visually impaired people to get around.

In Yamagata when we were there, there was a local election, and cars were driving around the streets all day with loudspeakers blaring advertising the various candidates.

Many roads from one place to another are toll roads and I don't know if there is an alternate route. The price of these are quite steep eg. Sendai to Yamagata cost ¥1,260 for just 60km.

I saw many unattended parking areas, where you park your car and attend to the times, payment etc at a nearby machine. An obstruction rises out of the ground under your car, preventing you from driving away without paying for the time used.

Most restaurants have very realistic plastic samples of all the items on their menus (food and drink) in a window display, along with the prices. This is very useful if you do not know how to order; just take the waitress out the front and point to what you want. There are streets in Tokyo that are full of shops where you can buy these samples, but they can cost more than the food itself!

Most large stations have an area (usually in a lower ground floor) where there are stalls selling various types of food and souvenirs and also restaurants and other eating places. You have many choices, usually at good prices.

Most train carriages are full of advertising, not only all over the walls and ends above the windows, but also in rows hanging down the middle of the car. I saw one line where even the hand-holds hanging from the ceiling had advertising wrapped around them! None of them would last a minute here before being ripped down or scribbled over.

Platforms seem a lot narrower than I would expect for the amount of trains and numbers of people using them. At some stations, it nearly tapers down to a point no more than a metre wide.

All train drivers give indications that they have seen signals, speed signs etc. by pointing at them with their white-gloved hands, but some also talk as well as they are driving along.

Most larger stations have little 'tunes' at stations that play as the trains arrive and depart. With them, the stations announcements about 'doors closing' and the drivers messages about the next station, times etc. there is always some noise while you are travelling, but surprisingly many Japanese manage to sleep quite well.

When in a restaurant, you can order either a 'hamburg' or a 'hamburger'. A 'hamburger' is a piece of meat, together with salad or other items, as you would expect in a bun. A 'hamburg' is the same piece of meat on a plate, maybe on rice and other items and also maybe with some chips.

Many cash registers I saw actually count out the change and dispense it automatically for the attendant to give to you.

Shop attendants will normally put your change and receipt in a tray (with a rubber mat) on the counter for your to collect. They vary rarely hand it directly to you.

Everywhere on the streets, particularly near stations, are pretty girls (sorry - didn't get any pictures of them!) handing out free pocket sized tissue packets, usually with some advertising on them. 

Many people wear a mouth and nose covering, to either stop giving other people their colds, or to stop catching other people's colds.

I saw many hilarious TV shows, even without understanding the dialogue - from dating shows to massive eating contests to weird physical challenge type game shows. I was surprised to not see much Sumo.

Most service stations have a car-washing machine - in that you do not drive though it; you park the car and it passes over the car - again another space-saving idea. The operator can select the type of car, accessories etc. so the brushes move in the right places.

Be prepared for a wide range of toilet facilities, from the traditional Japanese one, to the modern Western one (not my photo) with dozens of buttons, controls, and even a built-in 'flushing' noise, and often a hand washing basin on the top of the tank !!!

Last updated 14/05/2001
All contents © 2004 - Doug Coster