Tag Archives: Tokyo

Toden Arakawa Line is Special

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The cutest public transportation in Tokyo

At the Northern area of Tokyo, there is this streetcar line that passes through secondary streets and stopping in neighborhoods where the atmosphere is different from our usual mental model of futuristic Tokyo.

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Are we really in Tokyo?

Running through Tokyo side streets makes this line somewhat hidden (hence it is special) unlike the very visible tram in Hong Kong where its tramway traverses the Hong Kong Island from east to west (or west to east) as it cuts through the busy districts and major roads and looking very tall (double-decker trams).

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Tokyo tramway (Toden Arakawa Line) is relatively short in distance having less than an hour of travel time from one end to the other end, taking into account the traffic.

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Lady crossing the street as the streetcar leaves

Yes it is indeed special for there is traffic factor here, seeing that streetcars follow the rules of the road (unlike trains), hence the term “streetcar”, I suppose.

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Road barrier in place as the streetcar crosses

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At dusk

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Minowa station is the last station on one end of the line

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Seems like majority of the streetcar passengers are elderly

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Inside the streetcar

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Streetcar stopping at a station

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Streetcar as seen from a side street in Minowa

Bamboo Shoots

Minowa: Covered Street

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Joyful Minowa

Neighborhood such as this with its small time shops, the presence of locals only and the typical homes nearby are what interest me most.

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I’ve chanced upon this place as my primary purpose of getting here was to ride the streetcar (yes there’s a tram line in Tokyo).

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Lined with shops from food to dry goods

So I walked until the end of the street. Side tripping in the alleys every now and then, and after that, bought torikatsu and sat down in a tiny park just off from the mid-section of this elongated covered street – to eat.

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Sometimes I'd wander in the middle of the street, forgetting it's an open one until I hear a vehicle behind me

At the park, an elderly man tried his best to converse and practice very few English words he knew. Hopefully he understood a few of the things I said.

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Just one of the several side streets branching out from the covered street

I do have a warm fellow feeling for these elderly denizens and I like seeing them. Especially those cute elderly women who are still riding streetcars, some still working as storekeeper, some out in the streets to shop for essentials. Independent and not sedentary at all.

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Where I got my breaded chicken lunch

Tokyo Station

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Such a beautiful railway station structure , a terminal hub for several lines from the Tokyo Metro to regional lines (JR including shinkansen).

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Tokyo prefecture itself is vast already but I’ve noticed that there are quite a number of employees who work in Tokyo but live outside the metropolis, in Chiba Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, among others.

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Travel time is more or less an hour for nearby prefectures in the Kanto region and everyday, every train arrive and depart as scheduled.

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Even though train fare (or transportation fare in general) is expensive as compared to food in Japan, however its efficiency and predictable arrival time to one’s destination (including multiple transfers between subway and JR) is all worth it. Only a fool (or stupidly rich as what one Japan article refer to) would ride the terribly expensive taxi (even from Narita airport). Unless maybe you’d want to pay for the experience of taxi doors opening and closing by itself (yes I’ve seen it myself without riding one).

Weekend Farmer’s Market

What it is like to be in a Sunday farmer’s market in Tokyo…

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Not too crowded and a very pleasant day

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Colorful packaging/wrapper is so Japan

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Tomatoes in different colors

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Bicycle coffee

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Lovely carrots and a genuine smile

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Kimono lady

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Gives me an impression of sanitary food handling

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Their specialty is katsuobushi

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Shaving katsuobushi block

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Presence of several food trucks such as this

Utility Bicycles in Japan

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Typical basket and child seat bicycle left in the street by the crosswalk

Utility cycling is a big thing in Japan. On the contrary it seems personal motorbike usage in Japan is a rare thing unlike in Indonesia and Vietnam. In Tokyo I’ve seen a few motorcycles for business purposes such as food delivery.

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Typical bicycle configuration for the cycling mama

What I have here are few snapshot collections of typical Japanese utility bicycles parked almost anywhere unless there’s a “no parking sign” indicated.

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Cycling postal guy

Related to this, I do have a post on the cycling Japanese using these typical utility bicycles.

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I like this trike

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Bicycle parked in front of house or business establishment

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Bicycle parked in garden park

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High tech bicycle parking area in an apartment building

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Paid bicycle parking area in Minami-senju train station

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Bicycles parked in front of a closed store

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Bicycle as personal transport

Flushing Sink Water

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Water from the faucet with installed sink fills the tank for flushing purposes. One can then wash hands in the sink without wasting water.

Therefore I conclude that apart from those state-of-the-art toilets every visitor in Japan talks about, they also have humble but environmentally conscious ones – and of course the brand is still Toto.

Japan Dustpan

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There’s even a holder for tongs.

One can commonly see this type of dustpan in public places such gardens, parks and railroad stations.

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Manners Campaign

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I love the illustrated signs in Japan. At Tsuchiura train station they have this manners campaign poster and this is just one example of the many illustrated signs that are seen in public places.

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Roadside Ramen Bar

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To walk aimlessly in Tokyo evenings, and when hungry and cold, to eat some big bowl of ramen in white broth on a roadside ramen bar. That’s my kind of thing to do in Tokyo and not the Donki thing nor the Uniqlo or GU thing.

More Manhole Covers

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Kajiwara

I have a few collection of manhole cover snapshots from Tsuchiura City and Kawagoe (both outside of Tokyo) in my previous post.  And today, while exploring the other side of Tokyo along the Arakawa Line, I found a couple more.

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Minowa

Of Running and Gundam

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Suggested 5K run course map in this turnaround point post in Odaiba

There are countless of running friendly places in Tokyo and if you want to run in elevated walkways, then try Odaiba in an artificial island at Tokyo bay and you can even pay courtesy call to Gundam, that is if you’re a fan.

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Life size Gundam viewing is perfect for one who is both a running fanatic and a Gundam fan. Located at Diver City, just by the 5K turnaround course post

Unmanned Stores

Vending machines are way of life in Japan.

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Milk vending machine

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Coffee vending machine

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Gachapon (toy vending machine)

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Condom vending machine

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Cigarette vending machine

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Hot and cold drinks vending machine (red label means hot otherwise cold)

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Ice cream vending machine

Sweet Sales Pitch

Utility Cycling

Bicycle as means of transport in Japan.

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Cycling in pedestrian overpass

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Lots of senior citizens doing bicycle commuting

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Cycling men in suits are a common sight

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Cycling mama on the right

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Cycling lady in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture

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Students waiting for the pedestrian crosswalk green light

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Cycling with transparent umbrella

Tokyo Snapshots: People

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Work days mean suit days for Japanese men

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Men in black at lunch hour

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Ladies in Kimono at Hama-rikyu Gardens

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Hipster in Ginza

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Schoolgirls at the train station in mustard color randoseru

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Schoolboys at Kitanomaru National Garden in black randoseru and yellow hats

Tokyo Snapshots: Spring

Facade Garden

Japanese Yakult Lady

Tokyo Snapshots: Necessities

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Train to metropolis from Narita airport

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Still plenty of telephone booths such as this

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Barber's poles. Haircut cost ¥2,500

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Vendo everywhere dispensing hot and cold drinks. Strolling in a cold night made me buy a ¥100 hot arabica coffee in can from one of these