blog-L by Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon, Images Through Glass, Tokyo (2012b)

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blog-L - (2013b)

2013/05/18

"1990 Izakaya, Bubble Era, Here and There, Etc.; 2013 Hamamatsucho Etc."

There's more of 1990 than 2013 in this one, with many short videos of various places in 1990 central Tokyo. This captures some of the energy and optimism of the era, contrasted with the yet to be (at the time) rebuilt backdrop of the Showa Era train system, etc. I'm not sure how important it is, or even if it's important at all, but I think many people have the wrong idea of what the bubble economy years were like from watching fictional accounts of it. It goes something like this:

Step-1: 1987-1991 television dramas and movies utilize the most modern type of apartments as cool backdrops for their supposedly "contemporary" fictional tales. At the time, people living in typically much smaller and older apartments shake their heads a little and say "What's with all the dramas showing ordinary people living in sparkling palatial apartments?"

Step-2: Fast forward to post 2010 years. At this point, even the people who were shaking their heads about the sparkling palatial drama apartments at the time, after watching countless dramas and movies depicting things that way, and seeing real-world apartment design - some two decades later - looking as it was depicted before it became the norm, come to think that the fictional over-the-top depictions in the 1987-91 dramas was more or less accurate (through the brain's memory management distortion of overwrite-save), even though they knew it wasn't accurate at the time.

Step-3: Young scenario writers for a - say - 2012 movie about the bubble era in Japan, reference the television dramas and movies that were made in that era depicting supposedly contemporary life. Not having (other than as small children) personally experienced the era themselves, they're in an even worse position than the Step-2 people, so they write a script showing a sparkling era that they think is accurate, but since they're basing it on over-the-top fictional dramas from that time frame, they amplify the fiction that everything was sparkling then.

Step-4: The actors. They basically do the same thing the scenario writers do, and compound the error-prone process by mimicking the things they see actors of the period doing in fictional movies made at the time. This has some (or maybe I should say "a lot of") merit of course, as actors in a contemporary film are going to be speaking - to a certain extent at least - in the style of the time. The problem though, is that popular actors often get that way by having peculiar and interesting ways of speaking! People don't become fascinated with them because they seem ordinary (read "real") after all!

Step-5: Step-2 people, with their largely shifted memories (due to too much exposure to fictional accounts of the era) see a new movie about the era they lived through and, since there is enough overlap with the truth (or what is perceived as the truth anyway), they see it as basically accurate, although naturally a bit over-the-top in the way movies always are.

Step-6: Young people in their twenties see a modern movie about the bubble era, with its depiction of sparkle and shine, and tell people who lived through the era as young people themselves, "I envy your experience of that wonderful era".

And here's where it gets complicated. The fictional accounts are shallow - obviously - they're fiction after all. And so on one hand, the era was actually *better* than people think, but not in ways that they recognize. And the parts of it that they admire in the fictional accounts were not as good as they think. All of this makes me think - if we get things from such a recent era (just over two decades ago) so wrong, how in the world can we have anything approaching an accurate understanding of more distant things in history?

Now. You may well ask how it is that I would not fall victim to Step-2 memory overwrite-save myself. The answer is I *did* fall victim to it, although maybe less than some people, due to my not watching many TV dramas or movies (although I have seen a fair number of them). The difference for me, is that I recorded my surroundings and myself via video camera at the time, and in re-watching scenes I saw first-hand, a lot of the moment comes back to me, and then I realize - with a shock - that my memory of the era had been corrupted! Through new overwrite save of images and sounds that I took of my experiences then, I'm correcting the errors, but it's a shocking realization of how people's memories get changed and are not necessarily accurate.

1990 Noontime Tamachi 午後の田町 (900528)
http://youtu.be/ASZfcZ-FaFU

The sounds of trains vary from model to model, so the combination of the sounds of the trains combined with the visual element really bring back memories. It was just the background to riding on the train at the time, but now that they are running the next generation of trains on the Yamanote Line, suddenly the old sounds bring on feelings of nostalgia.

At the 0:31 mark, is a view looking out from the north exit of Tamachi Station - before they built out an elevated plaza there.

At the 0:41 mark, you can see early stages of construction work. Something that is often forgotten about the bubble era years is that the era was primarily one of demolishing old things and making big plans for large scale construction projects. The construction projects themselves weren't completed until many years later - after the bubble years.

1990 Ginza and Yurakucho 銀座と有楽町 (900528)
http://youtu.be/aDFf6TA5DjA

This begins in Ginza, and then I walk into Yurakucho. There's overlap in the atmosphere of the two districts, so for this video, I'd say it's basically Ginza-Yurakucho, as one area.

This video is fairly rough, and the video camera I used (C1) for this one didn't do very well at night, so it's on the dark side as well. Actually, the camera was capable of more exposure than it generally gave the picture, but the automatic exposure system was ultra-sensitive to florescent lighting, of which there are vast quantities in Tokyo, so with just a hint of florescent lighting in the picture, the camera would pick up on that and darken the picture.

From the 02:42 mark, there's a long segment showing the opening of the big clock in Yurakucho, that runs to around the 05:15 mark. I considered cutting that part out, but ended up leaving it in, on the off-chance that it might be interesting to somebody, somewhere, sometime.

After that I walk through the outside yakitori places in Yurakucho (and that is very definitely Yurakucho, not Ginza!). Incidentally, the next video is one short segment contained in this longer video - showing the under-tracks yakitori places that still (some of them anyway) exist in lesser form. They were still going strong when this was taken. It's (unfortunately) the age of chain store everything, and independent shops are (seemingly) going extinct.

At the 09:55 mark, you can see large, garish, colorful flashing signs that used to be all over the city, but are now almost all gone. When this was taken, people would actually look around them while outside. Now, of course, people stay tuned into their micro-computers and don't pay any attention to what's around them in the real world. I'm sure there are many reasons for the demise of the large colorful advertising signs, but one of the reasons is likely that people don't look up any more.

1990 Under Tracks Izakaya ガード下の居酒屋 (900528)
http://youtu.be/BWTOGNjw9n8

Part of this still exists - in much reduced form. The under-tracks izakaya tunnel was much more exciting in 1990 than it is in 2013. The open-air street part is more-or-less the same, although now people have gone soft and they put out heaters, roofs, tents, etc.

Personally, I think the whole reason for going to a place like this is that you're outside, basically. Putting up plastic walls and heating the space with electric heaters destroys the cool atmosphere of the area. That said, it really does seem to me that a lot of people are seriously anemic these days and their bodies appear to be unable to self-heat. Here's something that was definitely better before. People were healthier before. In 25 years, Japan has gone from overuse of air-conditioning and under-use of heating, to overuse of heating and under-use of air conditioning....

1990 Yurakucho Izakaya 有楽町居酒屋 (900528)
http://youtu.be/cbpnZdKrML4

Taken while inside an izakaya in Yurakucho. It's pretty much the same as scenes in izakayas today, except for smoking, fashion, wanting to be on camera, etc. I hesitated to post this one.... I had consumed a fair number of beverages [cough] and got overly bold with the camera. If this were a current video, I don't think I would post it, but since it was taken 23 years ago, I'm thinking it is sort of ancient history and has some historical value... and so here it is.

1990 Yurakucho to Ikebukuro (Yurakucho Line) 有楽町駅-池袋駅有楽町線 (900528)
http://youtu.be/l75PMTXj3KA

Another video that was you probably wouldn't want to try recording in this way today.

Regarding taking video outside in general. People are getting hyper-sensitive to video these days. I was taking a video out a window last week, carefully shielding the lens so as not to record the inside of the train via reflection, and while taking it, a woman got a real serious expression on her face and intently watched my monitor - apparently to see if I was taking her picture(?). Sigh. The way things are going, the only people who will be able to take pictures in public will be banks, convenience stores, apartment buildings and police, etc. So you'll be safe from someone's YouTube video, but your every move once you set foot outside is recorded by organizations. Oh well, GO-1984 is the society we live in now... I guess.

1990 Transfer to Seibu-Ikebukuro Line 西武池袋線までの乗り換え (900528)
http://youtu.be/6ttszLcWvHg

It's a long transfer (then and now) from the subway, JR lines, etc. to the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line. I wouldn't take this video in quite this way now, but - again - after 23 years has passed, it's ancient history and I think it has some historical meaning, and so here it is.

Ogawa to Hagiyama (Post Construction) 小川駅-萩山駅西武拝島線 (130514)
http://youtu.be/jtsoVcDydrw

The construction to elevate (most of) the tracks between these two stations is complete now. Here's a video (from last year) of the same stretch while the elevated part was still under construction (but nearly finished):

Ogawa to Hagiyama 120710
http://youtu.be/4rVQNrXPcWw

Seibu-Shinjuku Line (Side Window View) 西武新宿線左窓風景 (130514)
http://youtu.be/1rKS_KGHrqY

Looking out a left-side window on the way to Takadanobaba.

Takadanobaba Seibu-Tozai Transfer 高田馬場駅で西武線-東西線の乗り換え (130514)
http://youtu.be/F_QPIeoDfE4

Waiting for Tozai Line at Takadanobaba 高田馬場駅で東西線を乗る (130514)
http://youtu.be/ViXZdaTUyqA

Tozai Subway (Side Window View) 東西線地下鉄の窓トンネル風景早稲田駅まで (130514g)
http://youtu.be/4bIh5OOaVpE

I like the double-exposure effect, but a huge part of this record of riding from Takadanobaba to Waseda is the sound. Nothing defines subway travel more than sound I think - the way the sounds of the train echo around inside the tunnel.

Tokyo to Yotsuya - Chuo Line Night View 東京駅-四ッ谷駅中央線夜の窓風景 (130514g)
http://youtu.be/j8DvOtCZJIM

Just another nighttime ride on a train, but I like the way it looks. It seems really clear... maybe the windows had just been cleaned?

Shinjuku Chuo Line to South Exit 新宿駅中央線から南口まで (130514)
http://youtu.be/saJg5Jha43s

Shinjuku South Exit Jazz Band (Very Short View) 130514
http://youtu.be/D9XOJWJqmb8

Just as the title says, a "very short" view of a jazz band performing on the street in Shinjuku (just seven seconds). They just played two melodies and as they began passing out fliers, I headed off down the street - passing a couple of policemen hurrying in the opposite direction about a minute later. Hopefully the police weren't rushing over to kick the nice jazz band off the street (they were finished at that point anyway), and if they were, I hope the band got packed up in time. The crowd (including me) really enjoyed the short concert, and I can't see how it could hurt anything for them to play a couple of melodies like that....

Omoide-Yokocho Shinjuku West Side 思い出横丁-西新宿からの散策散歩 (130514g)
http://youtu.be/4msLtR29DPk

Beginning in front of the west side of Shinjuku Station - I walk over to and through the Omoide-Yokocho izakaya street. This street *looks* much as it has for many decades, but while it was a back street filled with traditional Japanese izakaya places before, now many of the shops are run by (or staffed by in any case) people from southeast Asian countries. I bring this up, because the change in nationality changes the atmosphere.

One mismatch with Japanese culture that I've noticed, is that it used to be that you could walk through the street verbally and visually unmolested, and shopkeepers would only call out to you if you were peering into their shops, looking like you were thinking of entering, but now woman from other south-east Asian countries stand like sentries in the doorways (of some shops) and stare at you intently while you walk by and (often) call out in an irritating way. That's not the way it's supposed to be done here.

At the 02:51 mark is a shop with a Japanese flag and several sheets of paper saying that the shop is authentically Japanese, etc. It shows there's some friction about the direction the alley has taken.

Ochanomizu to Hamamatsucho (Tokyo Transfer) 御茶ノ水-浜松町東京駅乗り換え (130516)
http://youtu.be/CqHA7jKTAKo

Midway to Hamamatsucho, I transfer from the Chuo Line to the Yamanote Line at Tokyo Station. Typical 2013 video of the Tokyo train system, but sort of a strange thing happened at Tokyo Station on one of the long escalators leading down to the concourse area from the elevated Chuo Line platforms. Beginning at about the 03:49 mark, everyone on the escalator is walking, but the people on the left are walking faster, and I fall in with them and speed past the slowly moving line on the right. This is rather strange for two reasons. Since road (and escalator) traffic uses lest-side travel on two-way paths, and right-side passing lanes for same-direction traffic, it was unusual to be passing people on the left. Also, usually there is a line of people standing motionless on the left, so the only place you can usually walk is the right. Thought I better mention that in case someone got the wrong idea from watching people zooming past on the left. That was freakishly unusual.

Venue for Kiki Performance in Hamamatsucho 浜松町Kikiライブの場所 (130516)
http://youtu.be/wAKaLPvvJ6g

A look at the interesting outside (but covered) space in Hamamatsucho that has live performances from time-to-time.

Kiki Live in Hamamatsucho - Kiki浜松町ライブ 2-4 (130516)
http://youtu.be/SLdugq-TRQs

Kiki performing my favorite song of theirs "Tonight" in Hamamatsucho in May 2013.

Hamamatsucho to Zojoji Temple 浜松町駅-増上寺の散策散歩港区芝公園内 (130516)
http://youtu.be/Emte6KLnZWs

Walking by Tokyo Tower (Construction Work) 130516
http://youtu.be/p0xbtmqyACY

Yokoyama Mitsunobu よこやまみつのぶ Exhibition at Art Gallery Ishi アートギャラリー石 (130516)
http://youtu.be/dfYpif_7S20

Yurakucho to Tokyo 1020 PM 有楽町駅-東京駅京浜東北線 (130516)
http://youtu.be/8tfC5HwQAc4

Tokyo Station - Waiting for Next Chuo Line Train 東京駅夜の中央線ホーム (130516)
http://youtu.be/M_BPUSZDj14

Tanker Train Passing Through Takao Station 貨物列車高尾駅を通る (130516)
http://youtu.be/Vo9082r2R9I

You don't see that many freight trains in Tokyo these days, particularly ones that go right by a platform, so when you do, it stands out. I think the only type I've seen on the Chuo Line in the last several years are tanker trains like this one.

大月駅行きの電車が高尾駅から出発 Old Type JR Train Departing Takao Station (130516)
http://youtu.be/W3OLzHrw8P8

午前零時の高尾駅 Midnight at Takao Station (130516)
http://youtu.be/D4ny1Pz6fB8

Zojoji Temple Look-Around 増上寺の見回し (130516)
http://youtu.be/nMVDRBG-ulU

Rainy Evening Side Street in Hamamatsucho 夕方浜松町の雨横道 (130516)
http://youtu.be/akiHEFnbozc

Evening Hamamatsucho Station (North Entrance) 夕方の浜松町駅北口 (130516)
http://youtu.be/XQ1qWy7hH0M

Hamamatsucho to Yurakucho (Evening) 夕暮れ浜松著駅-有楽町駅京浜東北線 (130516)
http://youtu.be/E7zRivAwsds

Evening Yurakucho Station 夕方の有楽町駅 (130516g)
http://youtu.be/0NLGaZ7UrGU

Train Coming In - Yurakucho Under-Bridge Passageway Etc (130516)
http://youtu.be/EblqhfoONPc

Yurakucho Night Rain Reflections 有楽町夜雨の反射 (130516)
http://youtu.be/6Ma3Z2i6hq8

Yurakucho-SB Zone in the Rain (130516)
http://youtu.be/omO8XSnwmHI

Yurakucho Station - Waiting for Late Night Train 有楽町駅夜のホーム (130516g)
http://youtu.be/jvi8eN-1igI

1990 Chuo Line to Nakano 中央線で中野駅まで (900529)
http://youtu.be/9qGznUxswpY

1990 Nakano New Bicycle Parking 新自転車駐車場中野 (900529)
http://youtu.be/v5Jea_GlJHk

1990 Nakano Walkabout 中野散策散歩 (900529)
http://youtu.be/zWqQY6PccOo

1990 Nakano to Shinjuku (Right Side) 中野駅-新宿駅中央線の右側 (900529)
http://youtu.be/iUBcsZbExjc

1990 Shinjuku Station (Chuo Line and Lower Concourse) 新宿駅 (900529)
http://youtu.be/oMps8Jh-YRk

1990 Chinese Restaurant in Shinjuku 新宿の中国料理 (900529)
http://youtu.be/Vmvx0dLccY0

It was a really good meal I had on the evening I took this. One of the people I was with was Chinese and he really knew how to order! He studied the menu carefully and called the server over a few times to ask questions about ingredients, etc. The result was the best Chinese food I'd ever had. The building this restaurant was in was torn down not many years after this, and I don't know what became of the restaurant (maybe it reopened within whatever building replaced the old one?).

1990 Shinjuku South-Entrance 新宿駅南口 (900529)
http://youtu.be/45ipAKZvJG0

1990 Saikyo Line from Shinjuku 新宿駅からの埼京線 (900529)
http://youtu.be/oF_t3p6saXA

1990 Kanda Station Bubble Evening 神田駅バブル時代の金曜日夜 (900601)
http://youtu.be/RfvzN7HK8c0

Saying good-bye to some work acquaintances at Kanda Station. It was an optimistic time. Notice the manual ticket gates - they were automated a year or two after this was taken.

1990 Inside Old Type Saikyo Line Train 昔の埼京線車両内部 (900530)
http://youtu.be/UDMGY-hIFp8

1990 Shinjuku Station - Lower Concourse 新宿駅下の通路東口 (900530)
http://youtu.be/1jil9comeUw

1990 Shinjuku (East Side) 新宿東口側 (900530)
http://youtu.be/nhFrYxH0QOs

1990 Shinjuku Bookstore ある新宿の本屋 (900530)
http://youtu.be/c_2RkDyXIxA

With the Internet and various electronic ways to read things, there are not nearly as many people in book stores these days. It used to always be crowded, as it appears in this video. For many years, when I wanted to read something in English, this is where I came to buy it, and since a lot of other people had the same routine, I often ran into foreigners I knew here.

1990 Shinjuku Night Walkabout 新宿夜散策散歩 (900530)
http://youtu.be/xwuJ61LkPTg

A nine-minute video of various things seen while walking around in Shinjuku. Since I'd had that great meal at that Chinese restaurant, I went back there, but without that Chinese guy to order, the result wasn't so good.

The camera drifts in and out of proper exposure due to its faulty over sensitivity to florescent lighting, but still there are some interesting moments in the night stroll.

1990 Late Night Platforms 東京夜のホーム (900530)
http://youtu.be/H9h00LYRTDg

1990 Tamachi Station 田町駅 (900531)
http://youtu.be/bv7VXZFJhkk

1990 Evening Shinjuku Station Etc 夕方新宿駅など (900531)
http://youtu.be/ntr64J-lCQ8

1990 Walking into Nishi-Shinjuku 西新宿へ歩く (900531)
http://youtu.be/i_IO4R7rifM

1990 Shinjuku to Gotanda 新宿駅-五反田駅山手線 (900531)
http://youtu.be/rRGuEQRmVRs

1990 Ikegami Line (from Gotanda) 池上線五反田駅から (900531)
http://youtu.be/6gHzcLwOur0

1990 Akihabara to Ryogoku 秋葉原駅-両国駅 (900601)
http://youtu.be/GJQVBYzpAiM

1990 Ryogoku Walkabout 両国の散策散歩 (900601)
http://youtu.be/1L9ULZSQU98

1990 Ryogoku to Akihabara (Sobu Line) 両国駅-秋葉原駅総武線 (900601)
http://youtu.be/pbh6Sx0zlns

1990 Akihabara to Kanda 秋葉原駅-神田駅京浜東北線 (900601)
http://youtu.be/4rxViUkTMHY

1990 Kanda Station (Afternoon) 午後の神田駅 (900601)
http://youtu.be/UpBVLP0xlcM

1990 Nihonbashi Kanpai Etc 日本橋の乾杯 (900601)
http://youtu.be/jE9ERWABx3E

I was walking around after work taking video, when I ran into some business acquaintances, who I then went to a couple of izakayas with.

Lyle

2013/05/12

"1990 Night Trains, Etc., 1991 Tsukiji, Etc., Akihabara, Etc."

Looking back at material I recorded in 1990 and 1991, it occurs to me the atmosphere of go-go-go!, on-to-a-brighter-future! that was much in evidence during Japan's "bubble" economy years was still pretty much still near full strength in 1990, but less so in 1991, when it was beginning to sink in that things were really not going to go up-up-up forevermore. It's hard to pin down exactly, but while most people's lifestyles were not suddenly changed in those years of spiraling land prices, the dramatic strengthening of the yen and the many big projects put in motion at the time contributed to an energetic atmosphere that was evident even in the mundane act of transferring from one train line to another in the hub stations.

I'm not entirely confident that will be evident to everyone who sees the video records of 1990 and 1991 I've included below, but keep the thought in mind and see how much of the atmosphere of the time makes it way through the screen into the 21 century.

Trains at Ochanomizu お茶の水の電車 (130503hd)
http://youtu.be/13gz1q7G7Is

A short video, taken from the middle of a bridge, with the timing such that Chuo Line trains and Marunouchi Line trains were both running at the same time. (The Marunouchi Line is a subway, but it briefly comes out of its tunnels to pass over a river here.)

Shinjuku East Side Night Walkabout 新宿東口夜の散策散歩 (130507)
http://youtu.be/F4S1Xlxhpgg

Starting just across the street from Studio Alta and then doubling back and entering Shinjuku Station and walking by the east side ticket gates and back up to street level towards the south, ending after I arrive at the plaza by the southeast entrance.

新宿駅東南口 Shinjuku Station Southeast Entrance Plaza (130507)
http://youtu.be/2lFJYjqX-Q4

I go by here from time to time anyway, but I took a harder look than usual this month after watching the following video that I took of the area in 1991:

"1991 Shinjuku Old Squatter Area (910410)"
http://youtu.be/tcXWt8z4zeE

There's not a trace of what was there before, but I've gotten used to it... until watching the 1991 video a few times, after which I could sense the immense change that has taken place.

新宿夜の散策散歩 (思い出横丁など) Nighttime Shinjuku (West Side Etc) 130507g
http://youtu.be/1CRbNNu-6iE

For experiencing a lot of the trackside atmosphere of (mostly) the west side of Shinjuku Station, this video covers a lot - from the under-steel-bridge sounds of a rail bridge to the izakaya alley "Omoide-Yokocho" and then the concrete pedestrian tunnel that leads over to the east side, which has its own distinctive sounds while trains are passing overhead. A vital component to the overall atmosphere of Tokyo are the overhead trains - I hope they never put them underground (and indeed - in spite of the added transfer convenience - the Toyoko Line being underground in Shibuya now is kind of depressing).

１９９１年築地市場散策散歩 Exploring the Tsukiji Fish Market (910518) [Reload]
http://youtu.be/HneEzLX9zpU

As I say on the YouTube post: "This a higher (not 'High' with a capital 'H', but 'highER') resolution version of a video I previously posted of my May 18th, 1991 exploration of the Tsukiji Fish Market."

This came about due to my original post of this video having been of very low resolution. Normally I wouldn't worry about an old post too much, but I spent some time editing this one and wanted a better-looking version available, so I made a higher resolution version (with the same edit points), which is what this version is.

Keio Line Train Passing Park in Hachioji 京王線電車春公園を通る (130428g)
http://youtu.be/kembqaU-okw

No big deal, but I thought the appearance of the train through the green on a beautiful spring day was nice to see.

Takao to Takaosanguchi (Keio Line) 高尾駅-高尾山口駅 (京王線) 130428
http://youtu.be/LreYVFOc230

Takadanobaba to Seibu-Shinjuku (Seibu Line) 高田馬場駅-西武新宿駅西武線 (130507)
http://youtu.be/sVloYtCtzZQ

Seibu-Shinjuku Station Platform Walk and Stroll into Kabukicho 西武新宿駅 (130507)
http://youtu.be/rSJXpItaL3A

歌舞伎町の散策散歩 - ある風が強い日 Walkabout in Kabukicho One Windy Day (130507)
http://youtu.be/ZYlKPEVKZGY

Kokubunji to Nakano (Chuo Line) 国分寺駅-中野駅中央線右窓の眺望 (130504)
http://youtu.be/ZB5s22SWyek

Speeding along in an afternoon Chuo-Tokkai (中央特快) from just after Kokubunji - looking out a right-side window until the train arrived at Nakano Station. Some of the angles are a bit wild, but this video conveys the speed of a Chuo-Tokkai (rapid) train fairly well I think. (They're not particularly fast early in the morning, by the way, since the tracks are crowded then.) I'm not sure how this one plays for others, but I rather like it.

1990 Tokyo Evening Crowds Etc 東京夜の人々 (900524)
http://youtu.be/hyK3-w1TIyg

1990 Shiinamachi at Night 夜の椎名町駅あたり (900524)
http://youtu.be/0BaPmCLy2j4

The analog camera I took this one with didn't record dark scenes very well, so this looks a bit darker than it actually was at the time. It was also overly sensitive to florescent light tubes, which are used in many signs for small shops and restaurants.

1990 Late Night Trains 夜遅くの電車 (900524)
http://youtu.be/GNvlp4S61H4

One thing that stands out to me when I watch this - is how many windows were open. In May, when the temperatures are nice, it's a perfect time to open windows, but even though the newer trains still have a few windows that can be opened, people seem to prefer to suffer in a stuffy sealed box. I can never quite figure this aspect of people out - it's as though they think fresh air is dangerous or something....

1990 Nakano Late at Night 夜遅くの中野 (900526)
http://youtu.be/qN2w49qffP4

Two things that stand out in this video are the manual ticket gates and the buses in front of the station. For some reason, the buses have been moved into inconvenient locations and there's a huge area of unused space in front of the station now - for what purpose this was done I have no idea.

1990 Midnight Chuo Line (900526)
http://youtu.be/hhOw0T_D7Kw

Again I'm struck by the open windows. As the old type Chuo Line comes into the station, notice all the open windows. This is one aspect of the older trains that is vastly superior to the new ones - ventilation. There were also vents in the ceiling that could be opened up. The new trains have no vents in the ceiling and only some of the windows open... but people hardly ever open then - unfortunately.

Another general difference between videos from 1990 and 2013 is that in 1990, people read books, magazines, and newspapers on the train, rather then jabbing at little screens on electronic devices with a finger or thumb.

1990 Musashi-Sakai Station 武蔵境駅 (900526)
http://youtu.be/kXKSOhQlgxA

1990年夜中の武蔵野市 Late Night Musashino-shi (900526)
http://youtu.be/cJHsyb0yvT0

Keio Line - Right Side Window View 京王線右窓からの景色 (130428)
http://youtu.be/JPYuh7-L1v4

Chuo Line - Left Side Window View on Inbound Train 中央線左側窓からの風景 (130428)
http://youtu.be/Z3hju7g204I

Takaosan Bound - Golden Week Crowds 高尾山向きのゴールデンウィーク人々 (130428)
http://youtu.be/pLVE0J4oD-k

Spring Green Near Takaosan 高尾山近くの春緑 (八王子市) 130428
http://youtu.be/-56w8_AH1MA

A very short clip (26-seconds), but it shows the spring green of early May near Mt. Takao.

Bosozoku Near Takao in Hachioji 八王子高尾近くの暴走族が通る (130428)
http://youtu.be/PWI7UUb7tEI

A group of bosozoku motorcycle riders goes by - making their signature sounds.

春の緑 Green Leaves - Spring Closeup of Maple Leaves in a Breeze (130428)
http://youtu.be/tV3S4bPGFDg

Riverside Green in Hachioji 八王子の川隣の緑ゴールデンウィーク (130428)
http://youtu.be/Wn6JmvRUU4c

Takaosanguchi Station Golden Week Crowds 高尾山口駅GWの人々 (130428)
http://youtu.be/IIZiqW8_HzU

高尾山口駅ホームからの風景 End of Platform View from Takaosanguchi Station (130428)
http://youtu.be/udZTqaUCwrA

Takaosanguchi to Hazama (Keio Line) 高尾山口駅-狭間駅 (京王線) 130428
http://youtu.be/_Iwr33PFjhg

Akihabara - Golden Week Scene 秋葉原夕暮れ道の様子ゴールデンウイーク (130503)
http://youtu.be/yjUE8yJbAlk

I went to Akihabara twice over the Golden Week holiday period and was a little surprised at how many people were there.

Akihabara Walkabout - Station Area GW-Stroll 秋葉原電気街散歩駅辺り (130503)
http://youtu.be/D1oIaW8C_74

Akihabara Plaza Twilight View (Golden Week) 夕暮れの秋葉原駅前広場 (130503)
http://youtu.be/hP7yTHZjMA8

Akihabara Station - Plaza to Platform 秋葉原駅 - 広場からホームまで (130503)
http://youtu.be/zWmRkXStzOU

Twilight Views - Akihabara to Ochanomizu 夕暮れ都市眺め - 秋葉原駅-御茶ノ水駅 (130503g)
http://youtu.be/xvDA1qySOPU

Ogikubo to Asagaya (Chuo Line) 荻窪駅-阿佐ヶ谷駅 (中央線) 130509hdc
http://youtu.be/x2zLhO0o328

Koenji to Nakano (Chuo Line) 高円寺駅-中野駅 (中央線) 130509hdc
http://youtu.be/E9p2cLSQee8

Yurakucho-YSB View (130509)
http://youtu.be/D7NbMPuaZyA

Yurakucho-YSB Night Dance (130509)
http://youtu.be/G8mkWhiwCbs

Yurakucho to Tokyo (Yamanote Line) 有楽町駅-東京駅 (山手線) 130509
http://youtu.be/BNxu-1osCho

Nakano to Shinjuku (Chuo Line) 中野駅-新宿駅 (中央線右側風景) 130509
http://youtu.be/UvYtrfEZTaY

Shinjuku to Kanda (Chuo Line) 新宿駅-神田駅 (中央線右側風景) 130509
http://youtu.be/Dhefit7Ys-U

Kanda to Hamamatsucho (Yamanote Line) 神田駅-浜松町駅 (山手線) 130509
http://youtu.be/F-iw5r9XiyY

Hamamatsucho - Walking Towards Station 浜松町駅へ向かう (130509)
http://youtu.be/eudeAI13RaE

Hamamatsucho to Yurakucho (Yamanote Line) 浜松町駅-有楽町駅 (山手線) 130509
http://youtu.be/bKHMBHiUXoE

Nihonbashi Night Walkabout 日本橋夜散策散歩 (130509)
http://youtu.be/mgEiiB7QWjg

Part of Nihonbashi appears to be a little like Kabukicho in Shinjuku. Maybe it's always been that way, but I never noticed it until a year or two ago.

中央特快が西荻窪駅を通る Chuo-Tokkai Passing Nishi-Ogikubo Station (130509)
http://youtu.be/yYmV9iMWDKk

In this video, you can see how smoothly the train is rolling on the tracks - with no sign of the cars rocking in either direction.

Tokyo Station - Train to Yurakucho 東京駅八重洲口-京浜東北線で有楽町 (130509g)
http://youtu.be/u5JbiVi8YcU

Yurakucho Night Stroll to YSB 有楽町夜散歩YSBまで (130509g)
http://youtu.be/OvX7BQAUi2Y

1991 - Newspaper Tour 新聞のツアー (910516)
http://youtu.be/CiIHOG-NRsw

1991 - Ginza to Tsukiji Walk 銀座から築地までの散歩 (910516)
http://youtu.be/nmwh7EkYCk0

1991 - Edge of Tsukiji Market 午後の築地市場の様子 (910516)
http://youtu.be/hecLF1IKxdA

1991 Tsukiji to Ginza (Hibiya Line) 築地本願寺から銀座駅まで (910516)
http://youtu.be/xtzMRtpyBs0

1991 Ginza to Ikebukuro (Marunouchi Line) 銀座駅-池袋駅 (丸ノ内線) 910516
http://youtu.be/fODnQaoL9T4

1991 Ikebukuro East Side Quick View 池袋駅前の様子 (910516)
http://youtu.be/U0rlTDGPtRs

1991 Ikebukuro to Hibarigaoka (Seibu Line) 池袋駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 (910516)
http://youtu.be/lgUcDd3vqVw

1991 Basement Grocery Store in Tokyo Suburbia (910516)
http://youtu.be/rfrUPIGH4NI

1991 Sumiyoshi-cho Suburb 保谷市住吉町 (910516)
http://youtu.be/4FmTLTGEvcg

1991 Hibarigaoka Early Morning View 朝早くのひばりが丘 (910518)
http://youtu.be/Oqcu7EhvbNY

1991 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅西武池袋線 (910518)
http://youtu.be/12ZWfC8zCnY

1991 Ikebukuro to Shinbashi (Yamanote Line) 池袋駅-新橋駅山手線 (910518)
http://youtu.be/oKi4w48X5iY

1991 Shinbashi to Tsukiji Walk 新橋駅-築地までの散歩 (910518)
http://youtu.be/BUl08ABv8PM

This starts off at Shinbashi Station on the Yamanote Line platform, and then I walk through a fairly boring stretch, during which I stop and spend too much time looking around at things, but by the end of the video, the pace picks up with the amazing amount of activity I ran into when I got to the Tsukiji Fish Market.

Not far from Shinbashi Station, I look back and it's a little startling from the viewpoint of 2013 to realize there's no trace of the Yurikamome Line, as they hadn't started constructing that yet. There is also no trace of the Shiodome office towers - just a large open space with some temporary things (model homes, etc.) where there used to be a freight rail yard.

Lyle

2013/04/30

"1991 Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Mukojima, etc; 2013 Minami-Senju, Etc."

This batch of videos starts off with several views from April 1991, from general going about town views (Hibarigaoka, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, etc.), to views of Ueno, Asakusa, and Mukojima. Jumping forward to 2013, there are views of Akihabara, Ueno, Ogikubo, Minami-Senju, Musashisakai, Akasaka-Mitsuke, Shinjuku, etc.

1991 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅 (西武池袋線) 910410
http://youtu.be/YbXS1wqTWHg

1991 Nishi-Ikebukuro Walkabout 西池袋散策散歩 - 東武デパート新工事 (910410)
http://youtu.be/yhP9o0R4i1Q

The big difference between now and the views in this 1991 video are the Tobu Department Store (section) under construction. Also, in closely watching the video, it seems to me that the 1991 people in the video are feeling futuristic as they experience the modern new structures of the day. A generation on, the current young crowd experiencing the same places takes them for granted - and why shouldn't they? They've known them all of their lives and yesterday's sparkling new things are getting old now.

1991 Ikebukuro to Shinjuku 池袋駅-新宿駅 (埼京線) 910410
http://youtu.be/ngO2M-wgbs0

1991 Shinjuku Walkabout 新宿散策散歩 (910410)
http://youtu.be/xDcyg9DIceQ

1991 Shinjuku Old Squatter Area (910410)
http://youtu.be/tcXWt8z4zeE

This old area - just outside the South-East Exit of Shinjuku Station - looks so out of place even 22 years ago... There's no trace of it left now, so this video really feels like something from long-long ago. In the video, as I look on, an expensive car drives up, a man in a suit gets out, who then goes to one of the ramshackle buildings. Considering I was reading a contemporary book at the time that stated they were trying to clear the area, I now imagine that business-suited man from the expensive car was connected with that somehow? "Listen, if you agree to move, we'll pay you..." etc.?

1991 Shinjuku to Hibarigaoka 新宿駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 (910410)
http://youtu.be/kOJyQitGfTg

1991 Ueno Station Underground Old Layout 上野駅昔の地下 (910406 910413)
http://youtu.be/A8jutEH5vJ4

I put together views from two days for this one; from April 6th and 13th, 1991. Since the footage consists of many short clips, it's a little hard to piece together how the basement of Ueno Station used to be, but there's still a lot to see if you carefully scrutinize the material. If I had realized it would so radically change, I would have recorded it much more carefully! Still, it's a glimpse in moving pictures with sound of a bygone era.

1991 Tobu Store Under Construction 東武百貨店の工事中池袋店 (910410)
http://youtu.be/JOqBItihEAo

1991 Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space 東京芸術劇場 (910410)
http://youtu.be/fcrZvEuyctg

This building is basically the same, but now it's just something that everyone is used to, while it seemed ultra-modern in 1991, so the atmosphere generated by the people using the structure has changed. Here's a look at when it was kind of exciting just to enter the space.

1991 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅 (西武池袋線) 910413
http://youtu.be/b81i3UHkZdc

1991 Ikebukuro to Ueno 池袋駅-上野駅 (山手線) 910413
http://youtu.be/xiSPrKe4FNE

1991 Ueno Station Basement Restaurants 上野駅の地下レストラン (910413)
http://youtu.be/WWlJ6262I9k

If you watched "1991 Ueno Station Underground Old Layout 上野駅昔の地下 (910406 910413)" above, then there's no need to see this one, which is basically the April 6th, 1991 part of that material (I edited this one first and then realized there was more material I could add, and so created the other video).

1991 Ueno to Asakusa 上野駅-浅草駅 (銀座駅) 910413
http://youtu.be/PXIbdQcWSP0

1991 Asakusa Underground Shopping 浅草駅の地下商店街 (910413)
http://youtu.be/83Rg9GFE8cc

This looks quite old even for 1991, so I'm really curious what has become of it. Probably they remodeled the space, but the last few times I went to Asakusa I went straight up to the surface of the earth and forgot that this area existed (and still exists?).

1991 Asakusa Sumida Riverside 浅草隅田川隣 (910413)
http://youtu.be/02WwluEe0jk

1991 Mukojima Walkabout １９９１年の向島散策散歩 (910413)
http://youtu.be/5mqWanNjptI

A long video - 45 minutes of walking around in Mukojima (two or three hours at the time, with the recorded scenes adding up to 45 minutes). Something I don't think I realized at the time, is how close this area is to Kyojima. When (re)watching the material while editing it, one type of old pre-WW-II building caught my attention and I thought "Wait... that looks like the buildings I thought were unique to Kyojima!", so I took a good look at a map and was surprised to see that Kyojima and Mukojima are basically right by each other.

Akihabara Back Street (Quick View) 秋葉原電気街一見 (130423hd)
http://youtu.be/SQPYdJFn9CQ

Akihabara - Avoiding Street Dolls 秋葉原 (130423hd)
http://youtu.be/LgA3W0eCx0U

I hadn't wanted to turn down that alley - but there were a team of irritating young women on the street trying to entice men into one of those theme coffee shops, so I couldn't walk down the street I wanted to without recording them. Frankly speaking, I find it highly irritating that the streets of Akihabara have been taken over by armies of young women out noisily trying to get young men to spend their money at one of the many (many-many-many) theme coffee shops. That the shops are there doesn't bother me much (although I think it's not particularly constructive or healthy for either the people working those kinds of jobs or the people spending money on that kind of thing), but what gives them the right to take over the streets like that? They're ruining Akihabara. Come to think of it, I guess I can just boycott the area and shop elsewhere. There are fewer and fewer quality computer places in "Akiba" anyway.

Akihabara Main Street Stroll 秋葉原大通り散策散歩 (130423hd)
http://youtu.be/E32uYBwsugA

Akihabara Station Bound 秋葉原駅向き - 夕方散策散歩 (130423hd)
http://youtu.be/nkdg4_rcd_E

Trains Passing in the Night (SST) 夜の電車が通ります (130423hd)
http://youtu.be/mwtsyVGS6tA

Shinjuku to Yotsuya (Chuo Line) 新宿駅-四ッ谷駅 - 中央線 (130423hdc)
http://youtu.be/XuKfj49IqNg

Kanda Station Under Construction - Platform to Exit 工事中の神田駅 (130423hdc)
http://youtu.be/ELXTaesbpMI

With the extension of some long distance trains (some combination of the Takasaki, Utsunomiya, and Joban lines) from Ueno to Tokyo, they will presumably be adding a new platform to Kanda Station. Considering the current state of the under-(re)construction station, it's probably a safe bet to assume that the station will be fairly radically different once construction is finished (although construction in Tokyo never, ever ends, so I probably shouldn't say "finished").

Ueno Station - Main Concourse (Platform to Ticket Gates) 上野駅中央色々 (130423hdc)
http://youtu.be/4VPJkK6xdzE

Akihabara to Tokyo (Yamanote Line) 秋葉原駅神田駅 - 山手線 (130423)
http://youtu.be/Wkc2Fl-5qRI

Tokyo Station (Tokaido to Yaesu Side) 東京駅 - 東海道線-八重洲口 (130423)
http://youtu.be/8xixPrUI4Wo

Performance Art (GOBP-306 April 2013) 奥野ビル306号室パフォーマンスアート (130423)
http://youtu.be/dJxXQppIfJU

A very short clip, but it shows the jovial atmosphere of this performance art installation.

Tokyo to Kanda (Late Night Chuo Line) - 東京駅-神田駅 - 夜遅くの中央線 (130423g)
http://youtu.be/-q-dddTYmjk

Walking Towards Late Night Chuo Line Train (Shinjuku) 新宿駅 (130423)
http://youtu.be/KxRrYe9g9GA

Mysterious Old Structure (130423)
http://youtu.be/jcMoRq_bwAE

I don't know what this is/was, but it's near a freight rail yard and I wonder if it was some kind of grain storage facility?

Ogikubo Station Walkabout 荻窪駅ホームから上の改札口まで (130423)
http://youtu.be/fQctGO8Rl2E

Ogikubo Station Area - North Side 荻窪駅から上荻まで (130423)
http://youtu.be/Zdul0TiAzb4

Ogikubo Walkabout (North to South) 荻窪散策散歩 - 上荻一丁目-荻窪五丁目 (130423)
http://youtu.be/dAMJePUYgm0

Ogikubo Walkabout (South Side to Station) 荻窪五丁目から荻窪駅までの散策散歩 (130423)
http://youtu.be/85j3Aa5Z5pY

Ogikubo Platform and Ogikubo to Asagaya (Chuo Line) 荻窪駅-阿佐ヶ谷駅 - 中央線 (130423)
http://youtu.be/r8ijsiwGAr8

Ogikubo to Shinjuku (Afternoon Chuo Line) 荻窪駅-新宿駅 - 午後の中央線 (130423)
http://youtu.be/xpzbKke_e3U

Ochanomizu to Kanda (Chuo Line) 御茶ノ水駅-神田駅 - 中央線の左側 (130423)
http://youtu.be/UFGBmmSd-G4

Kajicho Stroll - Near Kanda Station 鍛冶町散策散歩 - 神田駅の近く (130423)
http://youtu.be/pNp1fq3me44

A walk along a street in Kanda. Nothing really amazing, but it captures the atmosphere in afternoon Kanda somewhat.

Entering Kanda Station (Under Construction) 工事中神田駅を入る (130423)
http://youtu.be/DConkovU7ss

Kanda-Ueno via Yamanote と Keihin-Tohoku 神田駅-上野駅 - 山手京浜東北 (130423g)
http://youtu.be/hff0xlj2QQo

Ueno Upper Concourse to Joban Line 上野駅上の通路から常磐線まで (130423)
http://youtu.be/ykX8ehj4YgQ

Vertical Gated Communities and A Discount Store (130423)
http://youtu.be/53aJUupV1ec

There isn't much horizontal space for creating US-style gated communities in Tokyo, but the same effect is created with residence towers that always have (every one I've seen in any case) restricted access, creating a vertical gated community. Some have convenience stores, etc. within them, so people can go shopping, etc. without leaving the tower. I thought the huge 100-yen store at the base of some of these expensive towers was an interesting juxtaposition.

Nippori to Minami-Senju (Joban Line) 日暮里駅-南千住駅 - 常磐線 (130423)
http://youtu.be/yrAnhWVl_BQ

Minami-Senju Station (Platform to Exit) 南千住駅 - ホームから出口まで (130423)
http://youtu.be/4tLAlFxvyQw

Minami-Senju - Station to Bicycle Parking Lot 南千住散策散歩 (130423)
http://youtu.be/zDLRT3bJpdE

Bicycle Parking in Minami-Senju 南千住有料自転車駐車場 (130423)
http://youtu.be/M6X6yxxdMDQ

This video shows the machines that handle paying for a parking space in a bicycle parking lot near Minami-Senju Station.

Crossing Main Road by Rail Yards (130423)
http://youtu.be/sOcAE4WdVUY

Minami-Senju - Areas on Both Sides of Station 南千住の駅隣 (130423)
http://youtu.be/R4SIhzMQh7Y

Minami-Senju Walkabout - Narrow Streets Etc 南千住散策散歩 - 細い路地など (130423)
http://youtu.be/iNRv_qwTZwo

Minami-Senju to Ueno (Joban Line) 南千住駅-上野駅 - 常磐線の右側 (130423)
http://youtu.be/YAiUP782NWs

Many angles explored in this one - from walking around on the platform while waiting for my train, watching an outbound train arrive and depart on a neighboring platform, to inside and window views on the inbound Joban Line train I boarded at about the same time the outbound train was departing.

Ueno Station - Walk to End of Joban Line Platform Next to Main Concourse Building (130423)
http://youtu.be/JWXVp--v5A4

Ueno Station - End of Platform View (Joban Line) 上野駅常磐線のホーム様子 (130423)
http://youtu.be/F0TCAJdrCso

This one might be interesting for rail fans, as it shows the tracks that will be upgraded to take current end-of-the-line trains in Ueno up to Tokyo Station, and is right next to the old high roof (with new translucent material covering it - creating one huge skylight) that is over the central entrance concourse area. Past the concourse area roof, you can see the side of the 1932 Ueno Station building.

Ueno to Akihabara (Yamanote Line) 上野駅から秋葉原駅まで - 山手線 (130423)
http://youtu.be/F_UjiJ6MjbI

Akihabara Stroll 秋葉原散策散歩 Walking into Akihabara from Station (130423)
http://youtu.be/9W2q17rQ_g8

Akihabara Station - Ticket Gates to Platform 秋葉原駅 - 電気街改札口とホーム (130423)
http://youtu.be/_4CSZBiLgnY

Minami-Senju - Walk by Rail Yards 南千住散策散歩 (130423g)
http://youtu.be/CgHbXYNTfOY

Tadpols in a Temple Pond 平成25年4月
http://youtu.be/YtOwir4yuxY

Walking Around at a Temple One Spring Day 平成25年4月
http://youtu.be/JeClW8E4Lg0

Spring Day at Temple ある春の日のお寺平成25年4月
http://youtu.be/BAln4bj6WGM

Tokyo Rural Scenery Rolling By (Chuo Line) 中央線からの風景 (130424hdc)
http://youtu.be/lueFlUL9r2I

Marunouchi to JR Transfer 丸ノ内線-JR線乗り換え (130425hd)
http://youtu.be/bNf-L6szG54

Shinjuku Station - West Exit Stroll 新宿駅西口散策散歩 (130425hd)
http://youtu.be/QIVe_dIfuD0

Trees in a Light Breeze 平成25年4月 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/Dnai85_7t1E

Lobby of Pre-High-Rise Era Building (130425)
http://youtu.be/RUwXb6y3ICo

Just an office building lobby, but the type of stone used for the walls and the sound of the elevator arrival bells/chimes/whatever-that-sound-is-called are nostalgic to see in 2013, as that's the style that was used in the former Iino Building and other buildings that have since been torn down to make way for newer buildings.

Incidentally, the confusing thing about building names in Tokyo, is that when they tear down a building and build a new one in its place, they tend to use exactly the same name as the old building! There doesn't appear to be (not to my knowledge anyway) a system to differentiate the different buildings built on the same area of ground. I think I'll start just putting a version number after the name. So the lobby of the old(ish) office building in the video is similar to the (former) Iino Building-I and the (former) Marunouchi Building-I, but not to Iino Building-II and Marunouchi Building-II.

Underground Passageway Between West and East Sides of Shinjuku Station (130425)
http://youtu.be/xra5VLEUMss

Edge of Kabukicho - Night Stroll 新宿歌舞伎町夜散策散歩 (130425)
http://youtu.be/DvECrEynvjw

Higashi-Murayama Station Platform at Night 東村山駅ホーム - 夜の様子 (130425)
http://youtu.be/nJ3gawDq4Uo

Higashi-Koganei to Musashisakai (Chuo Line) 東小金井駅-武蔵境駅 - 中央線 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/gdpdSE1PEB8

Musashisakai Station Plaza (Spring Day) 武蔵境駅前広場 - ある春の日 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/tTtSsPC7L7M

It was a truly beautiful spring day when I took this - not too hot, not too cold, and with a pleasant breeze blowing - rustling the leaves of the large trees in front of the station.

Musashisakai Station Area - North to South 武蔵境駅 - 北と南 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/LQ9TJhQQBM4

Musashisakai Station - North Side to Platform 武蔵境駅 - 北側からホームまで (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/tDP58e2Fi70

Musashisakai Station - Afternoon Platform Scene 武蔵境駅の午後の様子 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/mLhN-Y87K4c

The trains were off schedule when I took this - due to some problem down the line at Kichijoji Station apparently, so I walked around the platform a bit while waiting for my train. Incidentally, the two times I looked down over the edge in the middle, it looked black to a person's eyes adjusted for the brightness of the platform, which is why I aimed the camera down (since it adjusts to darkness more quickly than the eyes do) to see what was down there. Really seeing it for the first time at home on my monitor later, I wished I hadn't done that, as it doesn't look either nice or interesting, but at the time, it was a kind of semi-black void, and so I was curious....

At about the 01:03 mark, the automated recordings saying that the platforms are no smoking areas went off on both platforms - slightly out of sync. Before they automated the station announcements, there was an actual living person who made the announcements, and they only made them when they had something to say. Even though what they said you tended to already have memorized, each time it was slightly different, since it was live and coming from an actual living person. The thing about the d**n recordings, is that not only have they (for some strange reason) not bothered to make ones with someone that has a nice voice, but since announcements like the no smoking one are exactly the same at all the stations on the same system, by the time you've heard precisely the same announcement several thousand times, it becomes an audio version of the Chinese water torture. The more you hear it, the more irritating it becomes.

I really wonder if the people responsible for the recordings at most of the railways have any idea how horrible their recordings are. From harsh voices that are unpleasant to listen to in the first place (probably they thought the voices were "professional" by being cold and robotic?), to amateurish readings and obviously cheap methods (one recorded sentence with inserts of different locations sloppily inserted), and truly horrible English announcements. Some day, some day... probably the country will stop torturing its train riders and produce better announcements - I hope that day comes soon.

At the 01:59 mark, you can just make out a train stopped between stations down the line. There was also an express train stopped on the same track between stations in the opposite direction.

武蔵境駅 - 特別快速中央線電車が通る Express Train Passing Musashisakai (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/MQN4vEzuruk

Akasaka-Mitsuke to Shinjuku - Marunouchi Line 赤坂見附駅-新宿駅 - 丸ノ内線 (130425)
http://youtu.be/RYfXYR1nGAI

Musashisakai Station - Boarding Chuo Line Train 武蔵境駅で中央線を乗る (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/Ke98tf4psrM

Musashisakai to Higashi-Koganei (Chuo Line) 武蔵境駅-東小金井駅 - 中央線 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/IyUTEBzeECY

Departing Musashikoganei Station (Chuo Line) 武蔵小金井駅から出発 (130426hdc)
http://youtu.be/M6sA4UznWQM

Walking into Akasaka 3-Chome at Night 夜の赤坂三丁目散策散歩 (130425)
http://youtu.be/6t5QRIFOYWs

Akasaka at Night - Walking Around 夜赤坂三丁目の散策散歩 (130425)
http://youtu.be/VLgq-ExeElI

Entering Akasaka-Mitsuke Station 赤坂見附駅を入る (130425)
http://youtu.be/t51UpKuzk6I

新宿駅 - 丸ノ内線からJR線口までの乗り換え Shinjuku - Marunouchi to JR Transfer (130425)
http://youtu.be/dBQ5W32f1rY

新宿散歩 - 夜の思い出横丁など Shinjuku Walkabout - Omoide-Yokocho Etc (130425)
http://youtu.be/eCAbCR0dfYY

Akasaka Lights - Akasaka Tokyu Hotel 赤坂光 - 赤坂東急ホテル (130425g)
http://youtu.be/gxh7tOiIKXs

Lyle

2013/04/21

"1991 Asakusa, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Etc; 2013 Shibamata, Joban Line, Kameari, Etc"

I've been going back and forth between 1991 Ueno Station and 2013 Ueno Station, trying to pin down how the building has been modified. On one trip over to the station this year, a woman who stopped to help (mistaking my standing looking at the building intently as a sign of being lost), told me how there used to be some restaurants and izakaya places in the basement of the building (at the front side), which brought up vague memories of my own of having seen that, so I got to wishing that I had taken a video of that back in 1991... and it turns out I did! I had forgotten about it, but on a trip to Asakusa, on the return part of the trip, I recorded images of Ueno Station while making the transfer from the Ginza Line to the Yamanote Line. Not in as much detail as I'd like, but enough to understand one of the original design elements of the building that is impossible to figure out from observation alone of the station in its current form.

Anyway - more about Ueno Station further down the page. Now, on to the videos!

1991 Asakusa Walkabout 台東区浅草散策散歩 (910406)
http://youtu.be/UNYOnIRdQ-Y

Walking around in Asakusa - looking into old shops and at the street scene there in general. In the rain, most of the umbrellas are colorful - this being before the clear plastic ones came into popular use. At one point, I go down to the B1 level and find myself in a kind of time-slip atmosphere with restaurants and izakaya places that seemed quite old even in 1991, and so I suspect might not still be there now. Then I walk down a covered outdoor shotengai street., and then back underground - which turns out to be connected with Asakusa Station on the Ginza (subway) Line. Right at the end is a very brief view of one of the old type (all orange) Ginza Line trains. For that ride, see the next video:

1991 Asakusa to Ueno - Old Ginza Line Train 昔の銀座線 (910406)
http://youtu.be/1JFABo2PZwE

The old type (all orange) Ginza Line trains were being phased out in 1991 - but there were still several running, and I ended up on one in this video. The sounds of the train are a little different from now. Watching and listening to this video actually brings back some faint smell memories associated with the subway. This was before they air-conditioned the subway system, so it had some very distinct (and not always very pleasant) smells that came in the open windows form the old tunnels.

At the end of the clip is a quick view of one of the old underground restaurants in Ueno Station that I mentioned above in the introduction. For more views of 1991 Ueno Station, see the next video:

1991 Ueno Station 平成三年の上野駅 (910406)
http://youtu.be/8wInS29iu64

Watching this now, I really wish I had spent more time on it and recorded the scene at Ueno Station in more detail, but at the time, I was just transferring from the Ginza Line to the Yamanote Line, so I just took a few quick views. The relevant parts that show the old design go by very quickly though, so you need to replay the video and pause it here and there to figure out what's what.

At around the 0:53 mark, is a view from inside the main part of the original 1932 station building, with a long row of ticket machines on both sides. This space is used in a different way now, with part of it being taken up with a Hard Rock Cafe, an escalator, etc., and so it seems much smaller now.

Around the 1:08 mark you can see how the large area in front of the Central Entrance looked, with the ceiling and it's florescent lights (before the spot type lights now used that were already installed in 2000, when I took the pictures I posted in the following blog entry (scroll down the page a little for the pictures of 2000 Ueno Station):

2000年のあっちこっち - Here and There in 2000 Tokyo
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/2013/04/2000-here-and-there-in-2000-tokyo.html

In the 2000 photos, also notice how the 1932 building ticket machines are already shut down and construction is about to begin on the transformation that led to the current layout of the station.

At the 1:24 mark, there's a view of a station employee pulling out a jammed ticket from one of the (at the time) very new automatic ticket gates. They didn't properly explain the technology of the machines, and while observant people noted that the back side of the new type tickets was covered with a magnetic material the same color as some cassette tapes, and understood the machines were reading magnetically recorded information, a lot of people had no idea how the machines worked, and would put older type tickets into the machines, which the machines couldn't read. If you listen carefully, you can hear a recorded woman's voice explaining (in Japanese) that tickets that are white on the back can't be used in the automatic ticket gates.

1990 - Shinjuku to Tamachi (Yamanote Front Cab View) 山手線 (900409)
http://youtu.be/Nk7v6-8TUTI

This one gets off to a shaky start (literally I'm afraid) as I walk down a platform at Shinjuku Station, but once I'm on the train, the front cab views are interesting in that many of the stations the train passes through have pretty radically changed, so it's interesting for comparing 1990 Yamanote Line Stations with the same stations in 2013. Also, all the announcements are in Japanese, and made by a real, live human being! Just imagine! The horrible passenger-harassing amateurishly read English recorded messages they use now really... damage (I'm tempted to say "ruin") otherwise pleasant train trips.

1991 Ikebukuro to Hibarigaoka 池袋駅-ひばりヶ丘駅西武池袋線 (910406)
http://youtu.be/uq8CEzAC2r4

1991 Ueno to Ikebukuro (Yamanote Line) 上野駅-池袋駅山手線 (910406)
http://youtu.be/eXHDNxKvNko

1991 Evening Ikebukuro Rush 夕方池袋駅ラッシュー (910406)
http://youtu.be/Hh1o1HFmOlw

This video, showing huge numbers of people changing trains at Ikebukuro Station, is good background regarding why they have built new subway lines and extended surface train lines so many people who used to have to transfer at Ikebukuro Station, can now just ride through on one train.

Ueno to Nippori (Joban Line) 上野駅-日暮里駅 - 常磐線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/CU1aCUYcl2o

Nippori to Matsudo (Joban Line) 日暮里駅-松戸駅 - 常磐線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/wNJpNZeCIt4

Matsudo Station Afternoon Platform View 松戸駅午後ホーム (130416)
http://youtu.be/6ZsdylT4Ps4

Night Window View and Kita-Senju Transfer 夜常磐線窓風景と北千住乗り換え (130416)
http://youtu.be/Kr-CjZj-nuQ

Kita-Senju to Ueno (Joban Line) 北千住駅-上野駅 - 夜常磐線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/wc7sTej67eU

Boarding Twilight Joban Line Train at Kanamachi 金町駅から常磐線を乗る (130416)
http://youtu.be/cgy4CxcD2Fw

Utage Train at Nakano 宴電車 - 中野 - Ozashiki-485 (130411)
http://youtu.be/q77wHVThisM

Afternoon Nakano Station Platform 午後中野駅ホーム中央線を乗る (130411)
http://youtu.be/NF9LYJikKHk

元万世橋駅新工事 (A) New Construction at Manseibashi Remains (130411)
http://youtu.be/_MTHASZ5h0M

元万世橋駅新工事 (B) New Construction at Manseibashi Remains (130411)
http://youtu.be/YT3U4K8B_g4

秋葉原散策散歩 Akihabara Stroll (Near Station) 130411
http://youtu.be/GZYHTcIALXs

Yurakucho-SB (130411)
http://youtu.be/NKH4H-LpIcs

Yurakucho to Tokyo (Yamanote Line) 夜有楽町駅-東京駅 - 山手線 (130411)
http://youtu.be/HS4mOIUyBHI

夜遅くの東京中央線ホーム Tokyo Station Chuo Line Late Night Platform Stroll (130411)
http://youtu.be/JJHpdQ3duz4

Nighttime Kanda Glimpse from Chuo Line 夜遅くの神田 - 中央線から (130411)
http://youtu.be/RKAFN1gGNsg

Just a quick look through a Chuo Line window, but I liked the way it looked.

Tokyo to Ueno - Keihin-Tohoku Kaisoku 東京駅-上野駅 - 快速京浜東北線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/IXi4HDqSz6A

Ueno Station Upper Concourse Stroll 午後上野駅上の通路の様子 (130416)
http://youtu.be/tDwbJi-Vq-E

Joban Line Green Car - Upstairs and Downstairs 常磐線グリーン車上下 (130416)
http://youtu.be/CLKrugNvQnw

Shinjuku Outbound Chuo Line Platform Walk 新宿駅下り中央線ホーム様子 (130416)
http://youtu.be/mKq0epq5mD0

Local Chuo Line Passing in the Night 新宿夜の中 - 各駅中央線電車が通る (130416)
http://youtu.be/8zA18_hKH94

Shinjuku South Entrance to Chuo Line 新宿駅南口から中央線まで (130416)
http://youtu.be/6hCEGTqXUuQ

Matsudo to Kita-Senju (Joban Line) 松戸駅-北千住駅 - 常磐線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/CNQoTxO0WhM

Kita-Senju Station - Upper Platforms 北千住駅常磐線のホーム (130416)
http://youtu.be/NZwLthU0MK4

北千住駅 - 昔の改札口探検 Kita-Senju - Exploring Old Ticket Barriers Etc (130416)
http://youtu.be/SRLL0M1jEBc

Kita-Senju to Ayase (Chiyoda Line) 北千住駅-綾瀬駅 - 千代田線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/PfT2hSMB3pw

Ayase Station Platform Look-Around 綾瀬駅ホームの見回り (130416)
http://youtu.be/LYnqgVmx5AQ

Ayase to Kanamachi - Afternoon Joban Line 綾瀬駅-金町駅 - 午後の常磐線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/ylCJR6213NM

Kanamachi to Keisei-Kanamachi Station 金町駅-京成金町駅乗り換え (130416)
http://youtu.be/-CrD1sFpepk

Keisei-Kanamachi to Shibamata 京成金町駅-柴又駅 - 京成金町線 (130416)
http://youtu.be/t_kZdL8MJG8

Shibamata Shotengai Entrance 帝釈天参道 - 柴又商店街 - 柴又帝釈天 (130416)
http://youtu.be/twsXmydcS9k

Shibamata is the area featured in the Tora-san movie series (proper name "Otoko-wa Tsurai-yo"). After seeing many of the movies, you really half expect to meet the characters from the movie as you walk down the old shotengai shopping street and also while walking on the grounds of the nearby temple.

Shibamata Shotengai Quick View 帝釈天参道 - 柴又商店街 - 柴又帝釈天 (130416)
http://youtu.be/a6Ssl2X7q_c

Shibamata Taishakuten Temple - Quick Look 柴又帝釈天 (130416)
http://youtu.be/89D_tRy6Z2U

Shibamata Taishakuten Bell Being Rung 柴又帝釈天 (130416)
http://youtu.be/eqTroA4bpx0

Twilight Shibamata Shotengai 夕暮れ帝釈天参道 - 柴又商店街 (130416)
http://youtu.be/jhptalURnTo

Shibamata Station - Twilight View 夕暮れの柴又駅 (130416)
http://youtu.be/FBQrd2vSYl4

Kanamachi Station - from Entrance to Platform 金町駅 - 入り口から-ホームまで (130416)
http://youtu.be/-y1_jNEXW4Y

Shibamata to Kanamachi (Keisei Line) 柴又駅-京成金町駅 - 京成金町線 (130416g)
http://youtu.be/Fo369RsblK4

Ueno to Yurakucho (Yamanote Line) 上野駅-有楽町駅 - 山手線 (130416g)
http://youtu.be/5eI1LMA90kA

Tokyo to Kanda - Chuo Line Night View 東京駅-神田駅 - 中央線夜の風景 (130416g)
http://youtu.be/KnjrzKSUuVE

Akihabara Station - Ride to Yurakucho 秋葉原駅と有楽町駅まで (130411g)
http://youtu.be/qKfIRb9i43c

Ueno to Matsudo - Kaisoku Joban Line 上野駅-松戸駅 - 快速常磐線 (130419)
http://youtu.be/qflvk0GpLUc

Matsudo Station - Departing Station on Joban Line_松戸駅から出発 (130419)
http://youtu.be/3syE04HNL0g

Joban Line Left Side View on Way to Kita-Senju 常磐線北千住に (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/i0CqjdfmSOA

Kita-Senju - Afternoon Platform View 北千住午後ホームの様子 (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/6fmVITlfyFY

Kita-Senju Station - Top to Bottom 北千住駅 - 上から下まで (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/0BxOiLm75EI

Nishi-Ogikubo - Walking to Station 西荻南三丁目から西荻窪駅まで (130419)
http://youtu.be/9rHPU1bpHMI

Nishi-Ogikubo Vending Machine Kiosk 西荻窪駅無人自動販売機キオスク (130419)
http://youtu.be/p8oAM-ncBWg

It used to be that the only place to buy anything once you were within the ticket gates of many stations, was at the ubiquitous kiosks, but as they convert train stations into half-station, half shopping mall designs, and steadily cut the number of railway employees, it stands to reason they would cut the number of people working at the kiosks and go for vending machines instead. You hear people worrying about Japan's falling birth rate - saying "Who will be of working age in the future?", I think of all the automation and think "It's a good thing people in developed countries aren't breeding like rabbits - not only is the worsening food situation in the world such that increasing the population isn't really a very good idea, but how many jobs will there even be, as automated machines are doing ever more of the work that used to be done by humans."

Nishi-Ogikubo Station - Watching Trains 西荻窪駅 - 電車を見ている (130419hd)
http://youtu.be/giXlHqeBEpo

Ochanomizu to Tokyo - Old Manseibashi Rails Etc 御茶ノ水駅-東京駅 - 左側 (130419)
http://youtu.be/cBl2-IjQI-c

It looks like this old train yard at the former terminus of the Chuo Line is about to be ripped up. By the time they finish with the construction they're doing here, I think there will be very little left of the former Manseibashi Station (元万世橋駅).

Tokyo Station - North Concourse (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/8X41WcmEsf4

Waiting for Train on North End of Platform at Tokyo Station (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/UZidMRvATZ8

Ginza to JR Transfer at Ueno Station - 銀座線からJR線までの乗り換え (130419)
http://youtu.be/lALzQ_5t0Ao

Keisei to Ginza to Hibiya Underground Passage - 京成線-日比谷線の地下通路 (130419)
http://youtu.be/8rI17Iw1ZMg

Hibiya to Ginza Transfer at Ueno - 上野駅の日比谷線-銀座線乗り換え (130419)
http://youtu.be/g0yEdVyYj5Q

Construction Recordings at Yurakucho Station 有楽町駅の工事注意録音 (130419)
http://youtu.be/-NwJSVWVtCY

Yurakucho Station - Pre-Barrier Platform View 有楽町駅ホームバリアー前 (130419hd)
http://youtu.be/_RrHLz1KjFw

Kobayashi Kiyomi 小林清美作品展 - Flowers Exhibition - Art Space Rondo (130419)
http://youtu.be/GEu1oV5BD3A

This exhibition/installation at Art Space Rondo was pretty cool. The only problem was that the light placement was such that as you went about the room checking out the exhibition, it was a little difficult to keep from interfering with the lighting by accidentally blocking the light and momentarily wiping out some of the cool shadows.

Kobayashi Kiyomi 小林清美作品展 - Ceiling Shadows at Flowers Exhibition (130419)
http://youtu.be/yCzbXreRdV4

Yurakucho Izakaya Tunnel 有楽町居酒屋トンネル - 春が来ました (130419)
http://youtu.be/myqSZL27kxo

Tokyo to Ochanomizu - Night Chuo Line - 東京駅-御茶ノ水駅 - 夜の中央線 (130419)
http://youtu.be/ZSRdXsdDNII

御茶ノ水夜散策散歩 (A) Night Stroll in Ochanomizu (130419)
http://youtu.be/pXqA2whQcTs

Ochanomizu Night Streets (B) 夜の春御茶ノ水道 (130419)
http://youtu.be/xma0Xu9KL4I

Ochanomizu Station - Ticket Gates to Platform - 御茶ノ水駅の御茶ノ水橋口 (130419)
http://youtu.be/VUY7vb9Y1tM

Tokyo to Ueno - Keihin-Tohoku Kaisoku 東京駅-上野駅 - 京浜東北線快速 (130419)
http://youtu.be/R_wisbwRmqs

Ueno Station - Upper North Concourse to Joban Line 上野駅 - 北上通路と常磐線 (130419)
http://youtu.be/fDBkeYtD7WE

Boarding Afternoon Joban Line at Ueno Station 上野駅で午後常磐線を乗る (130419)
http://youtu.be/ZV_uO6nn-yg

Joban Kaisoku to Joban Local Transfer - Kita-Senju 北千住駅乗換え (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/8s4rNPb2yM8

Kita-Senju to Kameari - Joban Local Line 北千住駅-亀有駅 - 常磐線各駅 (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/ZkuZ5MvP5c0

Kameari Station - Platform to Exit 亀有駅 - ホームから出口まで (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/NcF4GlMqchA

Kameari - North Side Walk (A) 亀有五丁目散策散歩 (130419)
http://youtu.be/p9zgbeyg3Rw

亀有五丁目散策散歩 Kameari - North Side Walk-B (130419)
http://youtu.be/qdczsaGk5JA

Kameari - South Side Walk (A) 亀有三丁目散策散歩 (130419)
http://youtu.be/KptgaFiuaxg

亀有三丁目散策散歩 Kameari - South Side Walk-B (130419)
http://youtu.be/oXikqmpcM8g

Kita-Senju Station - Local to Kaisoku Transfer 北千住駅各駅-快速乗り換え (130419hdc)
http://youtu.be/I7bb497tqWI

Joban Line - Arriving at Ueno Station 常磐線で上野駅に到着 (130419)
http://youtu.be/GpBHFOJe6Rc

Ueno Station - Central Exit 上野駅中央口 (130419)
http://youtu.be/Y0ADMyvSuVo

Ueno Station - Main 1932 Building to Yamanote Platform - 上野駅-山手線 (130419g)
http://youtu.be/E1PdSBlBeso

Okachimachi to Yurakucho - Keihin-Tohoku Line 御徒町駅-有楽町駅 - 京浜東北線 (130419g)
http://youtu.be/ykPAo0lkyMA

Yurakucho Train Typhoon - 有楽町駅の夕方の電車台風 (130419g)
http://youtu.be/rrYx5wFxkQI

Taken in the early evening - watching as one train after another passed by - including the Yamanote Line, the Keihin-Tohoku Line, the Tokaido Line, Shinkansen trains, etc.

Lyle

2013/04/12

“1991 Tateishi, Tokyo Station, Etc.; 2013 Train Views, Etc.”

The first several videos in this batch are from 1991 - starting with views of Tateishi, and also a fairly good look at Nippori Station. One video that I spent a bit of time editing, is a nearly one-hour video focusing on the many platform and train views at Tokyo Station - taken on March 30th, 1991. Actually, the platform and train views are mostly in-camera editing, but what I ended up spending time on was including a number of short views of other things I saw *around* Tokyo Station that day, including the Central Post Office and the Marunouchi Building (the previous version of the current building with the same name).

For current views from 2013, there are a series of wide format videos taken out a left-side window of an inbound Chuo Line train, and other views mostly taken either in trains or around train stations. I'm commenting on some of the videos, but many have pretty self-explanatory titles, so I won't comment on those.

1991 - Tateishi Night Stroll 立石駅夜散策散歩 (910324g)
http://youtu.be/0g9wEUMzl8c

Starting with when I get off a train at Tateishi Station, I walk through the manually run (by humans, not machines) ticket gates, and then walk around the area. There's a major (roofed) shopping arcade, and interesting side streets.... I went there not knowing what to expect, and it turned out to be a pretty interesting area. It was kind of late, so things were just winding down with the stores closing up. The atmospheric narrow side streets appeared to have a bit of history behind them, but of course the action was (presumably) inside and I stayed out on the street, walking around, so the streets also have a bit of that late-night lonely feel to them. Also, it was late March, with still cold weather affecting the feel of the streets as well. The approximately fifteen minute video ends after I return to Tateishi Station and board the first of several trains for home.

1991年の立石駅 Tateishi Station in 1991 (910324)
http://youtu.be/wJUuWu15fq0

1991 - Tateishi to Nippori 立石駅-日暮里駅 (910324)
http://youtu.be/WzW76tc3ftI

The multi-train night trip from Tateishi Station to Nippori Station, including station and platform views, transfers, etc.

1991年の日暮里駅 Nippori Station in 1991 (910324)
http://youtu.be/NfrNbScxC9E

Arriving at Nippori Station on a Keisei Line train, looking around the station for a while, and then leaving on a Yamanote Line train.

1991 - Hibarigaoka to Tokyo - ひばりヶ丘駅-東京駅 (910330)
http://youtu.be/tB39RJJP7Vs

There are a fair amount of scenes of a busy Saturday at Tokyo station at the end of this one.

1991年東京駅新幹線探検 Tokyo Station Shinkansen Views (910330)
http://youtu.be/zLxto8u4k48

About eight minutes of checking out Shinkansen trains at Tokyo Station. As a terminal station, the trains were all stopped for several minutes after arriving, allowing for cleaning and whatnot, so I had time to walk through some of them and have a look inside.

1991 - Keiyo Line Passageway Etc at Tokyo Station (910330)
http://youtu.be/B_p8TnaUUtk

The extension of the Keiyo Line to Tokyo Station was still new (beginning in 1990), so it was a new area to explore rather than an established one with a long history. In this video, I mention that I'm really tired - I had been walking around Tokyo Station all day recording video, and it was getting pretty late... I think I had been taking video almost non-stop for about twelve hours at this point.

1991 - Tokyo to Hibarigaoka 東京駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 (910330)
http://youtu.be/B8SHiE1WwmQ

1991年東京駅の裏ミステリーゾーン 91-Tokyo Station Mystery Zone (910330)
http://youtu.be/gpW9KNSKOpM

As this area is now completely gone, I edited this part to show as much of it as I could. I explain some about the history of the mysterious brick tunnel/passageway, and have several pictures (taken from the video) in this blog post:

1991 Tokyo Station - Yaesu Side - 東京駅八重洲口 (910330)
http://youtu.be/lN6bEebuLfU

This is a short video, at less than two minutes, but I wanted to show the footage I took on this side of 1991 Tokyo Station, because there have been a lot of changes on this side since this was taken.

1991年の丸ノ内散策散歩 - Marunouchi 1-Chome Stroll (910330)
http://youtu.be/r8-s7Hr-CXU

A lot of attention has been focused on the many changes on the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station, but there have been a lot of changes on the Yaesu side as well. In this video, I start on the Yaesu side and walk over to the Marunouchi side.

1991年の東京駅電車など - Tokyo Station Trains (910330)
http://youtu.be/IevI1fZcGA0

At a little over 56 minutes, this is a long one. The focus of this particular edit are platform and train scenes, but I also put in a little from the surrounding area, including quick looks at the Central Post Office and the Marunouchi Building, as well as views of the Tokyo Station Art Gallery and the Tokyo Station Hotel.

Ginza-Kyobashi Art Cards 2012-001 (April) 銀座京橋展示会DM絵葉書 (130404)
http://youtu.be/pWRRbQb1NZU

Ginza-Kyobashi Art Cards 2012-002 (April) 銀座京橋展示会DM絵葉書 (130404)
http://youtu.be/joBcF7EZHWE

Ginza-Kyobashi Art Cards 2012-003 (April) 銀座京橋展示会DM絵葉書 (130404)
http://youtu.be/CpGuKL9Hx28

Shinjuku - Evening Inbound Chuo Line Platform 夕方新宿駅上り中央線ホーム (130402)
http://youtu.be/egbagqdzodU

A quick look around on the inbound Chuo Line platform - which seems surprisingly empty, but since it was the evening, the flow of people was in the outbound direction, which is a completely different platform (not just the other side of the same one, as is typically the case for one train line).

Shinjuku - Night Outbound Chuo Line Platform 夜新宿駅下り中央線ホーム (130402)
http://youtu.be/sHB6awliypM

A bit late in the evening, middle of the week, and ahead of the last trains, the platform scene is pretty relaxed.

Nishi-Shinjuku Evening Rain Walk 夕方西新宿 (元淀橋) 雨散策散歩 (130402)
http://youtu.be/fZlESFLgMAs

The next several videos are a wide-format look out a left-side window of an inbound Chuo Line train.

Kokubunji to Musashi-Koganei (Chuo Line) 国分寺駅-武蔵小金井駅 - 中央線 130409hdc
http://youtu.be/FHKxX6LS5RU

Musashi-Koganei to Higashi-Koganei (Chuo Line) 武蔵小金井駅-東小金井駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/QfqV0MB1h3o

Higashi-Koganei to Musashi-Sakai (Chuo Line) 東小金井駅-武蔵境駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/kW8hBI4cNsg

Musashi-Sakai to Mitaka (Chuo Line) 武蔵境駅-三鷹駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/sB5cC8j1sbk

Mitaka to Kichijoji (Chuo Line) 三鷹駅-吉祥寺駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/tOGEoIjG378

Kichijoji to Nishi-Ogikubo (Chuo Line) 吉祥寺駅-西荻窪駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/Gd6jYriIhs4

Nishi-Ogikubo Station Platform Lookaround - Announcements Etc - 西荻窪駅 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/-fdiuY-ncjA

The faster versions of the Chuo Line don't stop at Nishi-Ogikubo, which is why they go zooming past in this view. Then the automatic recorded platform announcements (male voice for one direction, and female voice for the other) unusually match up almost perfectly and for a few seconds they are speaking in unison.

Nishi-Ogikubo to Ogikubo (Chuo Line) 西荻窪駅-荻窪駅 - 中央線 (130409hdc)
http://youtu.be/WYA8U_Ql3a8

Ginza-Kyobashi Art Cards - April 9th 2013 銀座京橋展示会絵葉書 (130410)
http://youtu.be/Y10dsix1tLQ

Kitagawa Kenji (北川健展) Exhibition: 「廻廊にてー午前四時のシメールの肖像」 (130409)
http://youtu.be/3s60FTKE9tY

A quick look at the latest exhibition at Gallery Kazuki (画廊香月) in the Ginza Okuno Building (奥野ビル).

東京駅-神田駅 - 中央線 Tokyo to Kanda - Chuo Line (130409)
http://youtu.be/hYRenToQ3cg

Tanker Train at Tachikawa Station (130410)
http://youtu.be/dFGg9hKH4Us

Everyone once-in-a-while, a freight train will stop at a platform like this. Standing right next to one, it's always sort of tempting to climb on, but I don't think I ever will!

Tachikawa Station Late Night Platform Walk - Tanker Cars (130410)
http://youtu.be/MC0Mr-9dcBo

Tachikawa to Kunitachi - Chuo Line 立川駅-国立駅 - 中央線 (130410)
http://youtu.be/Eno-DFWXw74

Mitaka to Nishi-Ogikubo - Chuo Line 三鷹駅-西荻窪駅 - 中央線 (130405)
http://youtu.be/PHMU9hl2KCQ

Nakano to Shinjuku - Chuo Line 中野駅-新宿駅 - 中央線 (130405)
http://youtu.be/kubtkU9n8Ao

中央線の右側窓眺め - 中央東京 Chuo Line - Right Side Window View (130405)
http://youtu.be/Kkfhe3nP_Vg

Alone on the Rampart (130405)
http://youtu.be/bPKiIAyfpVw

Yotsuya Platform Walk 四ッ谷駅ホームの様子 (130405)
http://youtu.be/OnZ9tDqWNi0

Ochanomizu to Kanda - Chuo Line 御茶ノ水駅-神田駅 - 中央線 (130405)
http://youtu.be/Vc-LdbiXsM4

Kanda Station Under Construction - New Escalator 工事中神田駅 (130405)
http://youtu.be/qCm9v076DcQ

Kanda to Yurakucho - Yamanote Line 神田駅-有楽町駅 - 山手線 (130405)
http://youtu.be/VB4YATJcCrs

Ginza Harumi-Dori Afternoon Stroll 銀座晴海どおり散策散歩 (130405)
http://youtu.be/beR3tK3Rc1g

Art Exhibition at Art Space Rondo (130405)
http://youtu.be/r42DTjes4m8

Busy Evening at Yurakucho-YSB (130405)
http://youtu.be/M1i7gLRUl50

Waiting for Late Night Chuo Line - Tokyo Station (130405)
http://youtu.be/-djKEc0sPdw

Afternoon Sakura Trees in Ginza 夕方銀座桜木の様子 (130405g)
http://youtu.be/SNkpUEOFsD8

Tokyo to Kanda - Chuo Line 東京駅-神田駅 - 中央線 (130405g)
http://youtu.be/1SHlgdOC4lI

Late Night Nishi-Kokubunji Station 夜遅く西国分寺駅 (130406)
http://youtu.be/BLSHTQ9iG_k

Afternoon Kokubunji Station Platform 午後国分寺駅ホーム見回り (130409)
http://youtu.be/X35narVAy-0

Ochanomizu to Kanda - Front Cab View 御茶ノ水駅-神田駅 - 中央線 (130409g)
http://youtu.be/kAC1QpuJueU

工事中神田駅 Kanda Station Under Construction (130409)
http://youtu.be/2DIPipTERwE

神田駅-有楽町駅 - 山手線 Kanda to Yurakucho - Yamanote Line (130409)
http://youtu.be/Nx1-CjOWrM0

Yurakucho Light and Shadow 有楽町光と影 (130409)
http://youtu.be/HluCP7ZQlRA

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon

http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon

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