Erk's 2014 Pacamerican Circle

[cove]

Great train rides in the cold Erkpod are getting us in the mood for a Sydney train ride. Loving your pictures.

 

[erkpod]

Some AM peak photos



One of the many entrances at Shinjuku.



Lining up for the train (every 2 minutes) on the Yamanote platform.



One of the less busy moments onboard.



Getting busier...



Being taller & having an extended reach gives me a view most Japanese people don't.

 

[drron]

We will be taking that Shinkansen in September.Breaking the journey in Sendai then continuing a few days later to Shin-Sapporo via Shin-Aomori.
Doubt we will see the snow though!

 

[cove]

Don't you just love those wearing masks. I must buy some 3M shares !

 

[erkpod]

Time to fight to get off the train at Tokyo. The doors on the left will open.



People leave the platform at Tokyo. Multiply that by x number of platforms, y number of platform stairways & escalators & a train every 2 minutes.



Yet another train arrives.



Some train carriages don't have advertising on the outside.



A different type of flying altogether on the Shinkansen.

 

[cove]

Are the windows scratched like we have in Australia?

 

[erkpod]

Open doors.



Closed doors.



Note the guy's name (no John, Jane or Annabelle Citizen here!) and the expiry date.



The next train on platform 23 goes to Campbelltown via airport. Um, no. Shinkansen platform at Tokyo.



Platform indicator at Shin-Aomori after my train arrived. It looks like my train is going to go off to a nearby depot. Deadheading is a term that I associate with air crew.

 

[Hvr]

I found that the Japanese seem to run the trains the way an airline should be run. Platform (gate) numbers easily available (essential when there are dozens of platforms in some stations), number of cars so you can line up next to the correct door.

Lots of accurate signage about what is happening, cleaning at end of line and so on.

I really wish Australian public transport personnel took some ideas from Japan on how to run their respective systems.

Imagine having a card that worked quickly and could be used everywhere? Suica and Pasmo cards are awesome and can be used across the country.

 

[erkpod]

I found that the Japanese seem to run the trains the way an airline should be run. Platform (gate) numbers easily available (essential when there are dozens of platforms in some stations), number of cars so you can line up next to the correct door.

Lots of accurate signage about what is happening, cleaning at end of line and so on.

I really wish Australian public transport personnel took some ideas from Japan on how to run their respective systems.

Imagine having a card that worked quickly and could be used everywhere? Suica and Pasmo cards are awesome and can be used across the country.

It's going to be so hard to go back to my system. Maybe I should apply for train driver refugee status...

 

[Bofter]

One thing I find interesting about Tokyo public transport (especially JR above ground) is that they run such an efficient and high capacity system on what is not gleaming new infrastructure or even seemingly designed for anything near current loads. You can see that from some of the shots of the platform sizes, shelters, etc. Having visited other Asian countries prior to Japan, my expectation was for everything to be shiny and new, so it came as quite a shock the first time, but does make sense.

 

[Bofter]

It's going to be so hard to go back to my system. Maybe I should apply for train driver refugee status...

The Yamanote drivers even look a little like airline pilots - well, airline pilots with white gloves if my memory serves correctly

 

[amaroo]

I found that the Japanese seem to run the trains the way an airline should be run. Platform (gate) numbers easily available (essential when there are dozens of platforms in some stations), number of cars so you can line up next to the correct door.

Lots of accurate signage about what is happening, cleaning at end of line and so on.

I really wish Australian public transport personnel took some ideas from Japan on how to run their respective systems.

Imagine having a card that worked quickly and could be used everywhere? Suica and Pasmo cards are awesome and can be used across the country.

Very impressed with their ticketing system - you pay the minimum or guess the fare when entering the station and at the destination they have the "adjuster" ticket machine that calculates the balance if your guess was wrong.

 

[smit0847]

View attachment 24982I'd done some quick research & decided that I waited to head north on the fastest Shinkansen.

Was that a Nozomi Shinkansen Erk? I went on one from Shinjuku to Nagoya a few weeks ago. They're very, very expensive but very comfortable for a train.

Did you consider buying a JR Pass if you are doing lots of train travel in Japan (I note the JR Passes do excluse Nozomi though)

 

[drron]

doing research for our September trip that Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori is available on the JR pass.

 

[erkpod]

Was that a Nozomi Shinkansen Erk? I went on one from Shinjuku to Nagoya a few weeks ago. They're very, very expensive but very comfortable for a train.

Did you consider buying a JR Pass if you are doing lots of train travel in Japan (I note the JR Passes do excluse Nozomi though)

This was the page that I ended my research at.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018_tohoku.html

The total return fare including seat reservations was 30860¥.

I thought about a rail pass but I am only here for a short time with probably 1 return trip.

As noted, there are exclusions & a lot of fine (and not so fine) print to read.

More info about the actual train

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/E5_series

 

[erkpod]

The Yamanote drivers even look a little like airline pilots - well, airline pilots with white gloves if my memory serves correctly

When I was here in 2011, I went to The Railway Museum. There was a 3 yr old boy on the simulator complete with white train driving gloves.

 

[erkpod]

Tuesday 18 February
Day 49
Shinjuku & Shibuya

Slow start this morning & a sleep in after yesterday's trip & so many early (for me) starts.

My plan today was to go to The Railway Museum but I found on the website which said it was closed today. I've got a late flight tomorrow so I'll dump my bags at the hotel after checkout & go visit it then.

I needed some physical Yen this morning but the 7/11 across the road from the hotel wasn't accepting my cards which it had before. A trip to Shinjuku & the Citibank across the road from the station & I was all good.

I was surprised to see a 4 track level crossing just up from Shinjuku was a surprise.

I caught a Yamanote line train up the road to Shibuya. Young, hip & seemingly busier than Shinjuku, there were people everywhere. I spent a good hour in Tower Records - it has been some years since I spent some serious time in a music store.

After more people watching, I headed back to the hotel & got a massage from a place across the road from the hotel. I asked the guy for a female massager & he said ok. After I got changed, he proceeded to massage me - I was too tired to argue.

 

[erkpod]

There's something missing on this train. Do you know what it is?





I could have spent so much time at this Shinjuku level crossing with on average a train every minute while I was there.

 

[erkpod]

More trains

 

[erkpod]

It's so hard to do building photography in Tokyo - there's so many buildings!