heads up

This coming Saturday and Sunday, they will be doing work around the JR Tamachi station.

So there are closures on the Yamanote line and Keihin Tohoku lines between Osaki and Ueno.

Both days have different closures, so be sure to check the signs before hand.

skyline

While I was in Hawaii, part of the rail system was given the green light to be used.

Kualaka'i to Hālawa, 9 stations running from the West side of Oahu (Kapolei to the Aloha Stadium in Hālawa).

If you have ridden the rail systems in Japan, Skyline is similar, but there are more differences too.

For example, not all stations have entry/exit on both sides of the stations, Pouhala, the station to go to Tanioka’s in Waipahu, does not have an entrance/exit on the Farrington Highway side, so you have to go all the way down to ground level on the mauka (mountain) side then physically cross the street to go to any of the businesses on the makai (south) side of the tracks.

(this photo is the view from Tanioka's, it would've been nice to go straight and be able to enter the station. Instead, I needed to cross the street to the right side of the photo, to enter the station)

In Japan, there are fare machines inside the wickets as well as outside of the wickets, so if you didn't have enough money on your card, you could add money to pay for your fare.

BFF pointed out, if you don’t have enough money on your HOLO card it wouldn’t let you into the station to ride in the first place.

It would've also been nice to have a little "counter" in front of the fare machine, to put down your bag of groceries/stuff, while you loaded up your card, instead of having to put your bag of groceries/stuff down onto the ground.

The Bus is not coordinated with Skyline.

I ended up waiting 20 minutes for the bus driver for this bus going to Waikiki.

Unlike other riders, I had time to spare, but another woman that was also waiting with me, ended up being late for work.

In Japan, we pay our train fares according to distance, the farther the ride the more you pay.

Also, in Japan, you pay for each way that you travel.

A Skyline/The Bus fare is $3 for 2.5 hours (no matter what distance you travel) you can go and come back on one fare in that amount of time.

During my stay in Hawaii, I rode Skyline 3 times. 

The first, when they had rides for free during the 4th of July weekend, once to Tanioka's and once to Kaka'ako.

I think that if they don't coordinate better with The Bus, more people will only continue to ride The Bus or just take their cars.

Still, I look forward to being able to use the rail stations to the airport and to town in the years to come.

Did you get a chance to ride Skyline? What did you think of it?

this and that

There is construction happening all over Tokyo so that they will have more hotels and such for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Our station is also getting a facelift.

This is what it looked like last November.

This is what it looks like now.

Hopefully they will make it in time for the Olympics.

First time for me to see red bartlett pears at the market.

Hoping they will be sweet.

it's that time of year

It's that time of year for my physical.

It's the first time since we moved to Tokyo.

I was impressed by the origami-like pee cup...after peeing into this cup, you pour it into a plastic capped tube...TMI (too much info)? sorry.

I was also impressed by the size and efficiency of the medical center.

They had a central staff member watching a computer with the 30-something of us and the tests we needed to get done.

As one test was taken, the central staff member would instruct the "escorts" to take us to the next.

Kind reminded me of a coach monitoring their team playing a sport.

Everything was so efficient a lot of us that started at 8:30 were out of there by 10:00.

Speaking of pee...I wanted to share with you the Manneken Pis statue on the platform of the Hamamatsu-cho station. (click on the photo if you want to view the video)

Apparently they dress him up during different times of the year...Happy Halloween everyone!

coin lockers

I haven't used a coin locker in awhile now, and was amazed at how high tech they are now.

You can pay for the locker with an IC card now. Apparently IC stands for Integrated Circuit.

In Japan these IC cards are popularly used to pay for train fares as well as for shopping and meals in many train stations.

I'm glad they had an "English" button to explain things too (I think they also had Korean & Chinese choices too).

I thought having the crab on my receipt was a nice reminder as to where I had left my bags.

Have you used coin lockers in Japan? How was your experience using them?

kawaii

There is a character by San-X called Rilakkuma. If I'm not mistaken his name comes by combining "relax" with "kuma" (bear).

From July 18 until August 31, Rilakkuma has teamed up with Hankyu trains and has trains running on the Hankyu lines to Kyoto, Kobe and Takarazuka.

The times that the trains are running are not advertised, so you need to be in the right place at the right time, I guess.

We were lucky to come across the one running to Takarazuka and jumped on board. The advertisements inside the train car are all illustrations of Rilakkuma.

The sign at the very front and back of the train are illustrated with Rilakkuma as well. Takarazuka's color is pink, Kyoto is green and Kobe is blue.

Only in Japan are they able to make trains look so kawaii (cute)!

rush hour door

I recently saw this "rush hour door" on a Keihan train car.

Since I don't usually travel during rush hour, I don't really know the depth of how crowded trains can be during that time of the day.

Apparently it is more intense in Tokyo than it is in Osaka.

This particular door adds another exit, giving people 3 exits instead of the usual 2.

Getting caught up in taking a photo of the door, I ended up missing the train (because the door I photographed, didn't open)...

Oh well, live and learn!

shoes + rant

You know, most adults I see around Japan have shoes WAY too big for their feet.

It isn't like you're gonna grow into them.

It makes you walk funny because you're sloshing around in them.

And then there are days when they (your shoes) "fly" onto the railway tracks because they don't stay on your feet.

Saw this and took a photo. (kinda blurry because it was with my iPhone)

In order to get her shoe back, she told someone in the station office and they picked it up for her.

Can you believe the person she was with was actually stupid enough to want to jump down onto the the track to get it?

The station worker quickly shouted at them not to...sigh.

It is Friday, all sorts of natural disasters going on all over the world. Hope next week will be better.

tetsudo fan

Since it is Culture Day today, I thought I should share with you some Japanese culture.

When you live in a country with trains, you'll run into people who are train fanatics...they are called "tetsudo fan" (literally railway fans).

The nickname for males who love trains is "Tetsuo", and for females it is "Tetsuko".

(If your name or middle name is Tetsuo or Tetsuko, it doesn't necessarily mean you were named for a liking of trains, but you may possibly have been.)

Within the realms of being a train fanatic, there are different types...

There are many who love to take photos of trains...these people are called "tori-tetsu". In this case, "tori" means to take and "tetsu" means literally means steel, also means rails.

You'll usually see these people at the far end of the platform, waiting for a special model to roll into the station.

There are those who love to ride different trains...these people are called "nori-tetsu". In this case, "nori" means to ride.

These fans usually ride different lines and take notes on what they ride and when they ride certain trains.

There are those who love the different songs that play before a train enters a station or just before a train departs a station....these people are called "oto-tetsu". "Oto" means sound.

I've actually seen people walking around with a long stick pointing their attached microphones to the speakers in order to catch the various songs that play before the train arrives or departs.

There are also those who love trains because they bring their children to see the trains...these are "mama-tetsu".

With everything, there are rude fanatics that do not have any manners, telling people to move to get out of their shots or that the car they are riding in are only for railway fans.

There was even an incident (or more) where fans would come so close to the tracks, there was fear of someone getting hit by the train!

I think it is good to have a hobby, but not lose your life over it...

wha??

People watching especially on the trains can be entertaining. Sometimes though I get irritated by the lack of manners some have...

If you ride the train in Japan, one thing you should try to do is keep your packages on your lap or on the rack up above and not on the seat next to you.

Even if you've bought a lot, there are others that probably would like to sit down.

Plus, sitting is safer than standing.

If you ride the train in Japan, please put your "face" on before boarding the train. I know we Americans do this while driving in our cars during morning rush hour, but when you're on public transportation...we're face to face.

Though it is pretty interesting to watch you use 4 different types of mascara during a 15 minute ride and I often wonder how long it will take you to take all the mascara off at the end of the day.

Or the guy who concentrates on zhooshing his hair, which no matter how much he touches it, still looks like he's just woken up.

Sometimes while people watching, you come across some interesting fashion choices...

If you're a guy, I think you should know that M.C. Hammer went out with the 90's....so why would you want to dress like him now??

I just can't understand how comfortable it is to have your crotch hang by your knees.

And even if plaid is in, why would you want to wear all of them together??

Oh and leggings and skirts are apparently in for guys too...

(this skirt photo is from the internet).

While I don't knock men who wear kilts, when your "skirts" are from a shop called "cross gender" but you profess that you aren't...

I caught this guy crossing his legs on the train and could only think of one thing....ow!

People watching....fun, yeah??

eco-train

The train system in our area run by Hankyu, has come out with an eco-train. I think the figuration is similar to the Toyota Prius (Toyota's hybrid)--whenever the train conductor presses the brakes, the train generates electricity to be used by other trains.

Inside the train, where the advertisements are usually for magazines or sales at department stores, they are instead all about ecology. (This photo was taken on another train line. I've always wondered how they change the advertisments, there is actually "someone" who does it.)

If I'm not mistaken, Hankyu plans to have 1 eco-train for each of their main lines (Kyoto, Kobe & Takarazuka) by July of this year.

I couldn't tell if the ride was any different, but I love the cute drawings on the outside of the train.

sending you a smile

Just wanted to share this train with you. Everytime I see this train it usually isn't being used, but it always seems as though it is smiling (can you see the smile??)...watching me go on my way.

Hope your week is going well.

culture shock

There are a lot of people in Japan who ride bicycles. I don't because I am afraid I will be run off the road or broadsided by another bicycle or car. (I have actually seen many people broadside or clip each other with their bicycles.) If you've ever ridden a bicycle in the area where I live, you'll realize that there are no road rules.

Walking through the shopping arcade can also be quite scary, people are supposed to get off their bicycles and push it through the arcade, instead, they speed through and think that by clanging their bicycle bells we'll have time to jump aside...just get off your bicycle and push it.

The other night, Satoshi and I were walking before dinner. Most areas in our neighborhood do not have sidewalks, so we have to "share" the road with cars, other pedestrians and bicycles. So, as Satoshi and I walked, a high schooler came behind us on his bicycle. There was lots of space to go around us, but no, he wanted to go straight. So he came really close behind us and clicked his tongue and gave us a "tsk" and a sigh...because we were in HIS way. As he pedalled on, I was yelling at him in Japanese, "Dude, doesn't your bicycle have a bell? I guess you don't have a mouth either." Cowardly, he sped off, looking back every so often. I figured if he came back, I would then yell at him in English.

When I studied here during college many moons ago, I was amazed at how many Japanese said "please", "excuse me", "thank you" and "I'm sorry"....they had manners! Nowadays, I am truly saddened. No one uses their mouth anymore, they just push their way off the trains and buses. No "excuse me" I need to get off the bus, no "I'm sorry" for stepping on your foot, "thank you" for letting me pass...nothing. It is sad that people are in such a rush or involved with text messaging/cell phone/hand held games that they do not have time to at least be civil with each other.

It is also sad that they only think about themselves. Like when riding an escalator, as soon as the person in front gets off, they stop and talk to their friends or just stand there. They don't think that maybe they are in other people's way, that there are others behind them riding the escalator...get off and step away from the escalator...and when you do realize that you are in the way, at least say, "sorry".

Getting on and off the trains are the same way. Once I had to shout and push someone out of the way to get onto the train because as soon as she got onto the train, she stood right in front of the door...move away from the door and move in towards the back of the train car! there are others behind you that want to ride the train too!

This type of attitude is quite a shock for me because growing up, I was often told, "if you want something, ask, you have a mouth". So, I use my mouth to say "I'm sorry" when I bump into someone, or "excuse me" when I want to get past someone, or "thank you" when someone lets me pass.

I could go on and on. I guess I'll just keep using my mouth and hopefully other will catch on and start using their mouths too.