Japanese Vacation No.9 (week 1)

[westfalen]

I've settled into the Toyoko Inn Nanba for the night. I made the first change to my itinerary this morning when I decided to take the $5.40 bus to Coolangatta Airport instead of the $40 taxi.

Took about 20 minutes from stepping off the plane to walking out of the JR ticket office with my railpass so I got into town an hour earlier than I planned. Got the Rapit, or as they say 'Rapito Beta' into Nanba for Y1390 one way, a downright bargin compared to the Airtrain in Brisbane.

Tested my Gogo Japan GPS on the iPhone to find the hotel, seems to work ok. Roamimg not working on the phone, at least not in Osaka anyway, all indications are that it should, if I don't have any luck tomorrow I will call Telstra and give them what for. When I got off the plane I got a text from them welcoming me to global roaming so it works when they want it to.

Off to Nagoya via the Kintetsu in the moning.

[CaptOblivious]

I had the same problem with my Hungarian T-Mobile SIM. I was supposed to be able to roam, and got the same text message (albeit in Hugarian). But as soon as I try to place a call, I get a recorded message from SoftBank telling me that my phone won't work with their system. Hello!? If I can hear that message, why can't you put a call through exactly? I don't get it.

Anyway, that's the same Toyoko Inn we stayed at just a couple of weeks ago. Some lovely places to eat between there and Namba Station :D Yokoso (for the 9th time)!

And I have to say, the Rapit was hands down the best airport train experience I've ever had. Easy-peasy, super comfy, and shockingly cheap. Plus, I mean come on! As a free bonus, you're riding the awesomest train evar!

[Bernard]

You got to take the Rapit again....I'm jealous. The 1390 yen for the Rapit, is actually more than the AirTrain we have in NY that goes to JFK International Airport which is about 800 yen one way.

[westfalen]

Our Airtrain in Brisbane is $13 from the city to the airport and it's only 12km versus the 50 or so here plus you're likely to just get an ordinary old suburban EMU.

Called Telstra via Skype and they assured me they got the phone working and to try it again later today.

I'm just about to try Toyoko Inn's breakfast before I head to the Kintetsu station. I should have some photos tonight, didn't download any last night because I only took a bit at the airport station.

[bikkuri bahn]

Looking forward to reading your impressions and observations on today's schedule.  Perhaps now you're on your way to the railway museum? Lucky bugger!

[The_Ghan]

Westfalen,

Check this thread about phone compatibility in Japan.

As to your holiday generally, I'm green with envy!!!

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

west Iphone power key held, slide to power off, Switch on

if failing still go settings > carrier select docomo or soft.

fails call telstra and tear em a new ahole

[CaptOblivious]

Our Airtrain in Brisbane is $13 from the city to the airport and it's only 12km versus the 50 or so here plus you're likely to just get an ordinary old suburban EMU.

Called Telstra via Skype and they assured me they got the phone working and to try it again later today.

I'm just about to try Toyoko Inn's breakfast before I head to the Kintetsu station. I should have some photos tonight, didn't download any last night because I only took a bit at the airport station.

If you can tell me what the potato salad-like stuff is, and what's in it, I'd like to know…it was surprisingly yummy, but rather unidentifiable.

[bikkuri bahn]

Our Airtrain in Brisbane is $13 from the city to the airport and it's only 12km versus the 50 or so here plus you're likely to just get an ordinary old suburban EMU.

Called Telstra via Skype and they assured me they got the phone working and to try it again later today.

I'm just about to try Toyoko Inn's breakfast before I head to the Kintetsu station. I should have some photos tonight, didn't download any last night because I only took a bit at the airport station.

If you can tell me what the potato salad-like stuff is, and what's in it, I'd like to know…it was surprisingly yummy, but rather unidentifiable.

Maybe it is potato salad?  In Japan often thinly sliced cucumber is added (which I like but my gf doesn't) and very occasionally mandarin oranges (which we both dislike).  Anyway, each Toyoko Inn has slightly different menu items- and some are quite elaborate and a real bargain, while a few are just cold dinner rolls and coffee (some Tokyo locations with the cheaper rates- I proceed to the nearest family restaurant or MickyD'S then). By the way westfalen, when in Nagoya you may want to try "morning service" cooked breakfasts available at the kissaten (coffee houses)- Nagoya is famous in Japan for having elaborate sets (sometimes all you can eat) at a price of 350~500 yen, should you find the fare at the Toyoko Inn below standard.

[westfalen]

Well, the phone is working now, seems it had foreign calls barred.

Breakfast at Toyoko Inn was a minimal Japanese affair as I expected it would be, but, also as I expected, my route to the Kintetsu Namba station took me past about fifty assorted bakeries and coffee shops. I've gotten worse and less that I've had to pay more for at hotels in Germany and France. The romms are comfortable and cheap, finding enough to eat is never a problem in Japan.

I would recommend the trip from Osaka to Nagoya on the Kintetsu Urban Liner, the Kintetsu route has a variety of scenery and the train itself is very nice and is a change from the usual Shinkansen if you are staying in the Namba area of Osaka. It cost Y4190 but I'll get part of that back from them later in the trip when I have a Kansai Thru Pass. Arriving at one station along the way the melody they played was 'Suwanee River'. !!??

I made it out to the SC Maglev & Railway Park this afternoon. To describe it in one word, amazing. Not much steam, three if you count the steam railcar and the 2'6" gauge loco outside but if you're a Shinkansen fan it should be on your 'must see' list.

On the way to the museum I thought the Aonami Railway platform at Nagoya looked like a good train watching spot so I let the fisrt couple of trains go without me to see what came along. Aside from the Shinkansens on one side and the suburbans on the other in 30 minutes I bagged two container trains, two tank car trains hauled by double headed DD51's and blue and white EF64 1003 running light engine north (west?) along the Tokaido line like it had a wannabe shinkansen driver at the throttle.

This evening I checked out the Bic Camera on the west side of Nagoya station, the usual jaw dropping array of goods but the only model railway stuff was some Tomytec. At Books Sanseido on the 11th floor of the department store at the station I picked up a copy of the freight timetable, about half of the building seems to be a Tokyu Hands with a small selection of model trains in the toy department.

For my travels around Nagoya I picked up a Manaca card that can be used on the Meitetsu and subways, and my JR pass becomes operational tomorrow.

An observation just made (also probably to be expected), my room in this Toyoko Inn is exactly identical to the one last night in Namba.

[Martijn Meerts]

Nice shot of the Doctor .. Although, it looks a bit sad if you think of the windows as eyes ;)

[CaptOblivious]

How odd about the Bic Camera. I've just found that the Bic Camera in Kyoto has absolutely no model trains at all. Heartbreaking, really.

[bikkuri bahn]

How odd about the Bic Camera. I've just found that the Bic Camera in Kyoto has absolutely no model trains at all. Heartbreaking, really.

Those big stores (bic and yodobashi) despite being chains, have different stock (and not just trains) depending on location.  I suspect Yodobashi Umeda will be a better bet- it rivals Yodobashi Akiba in size.

[cteno4]

If you can tell me what the potato salad-like stuff is, and what's in it, I'd like to know…it was surprisingly yummy, but rather unidentifiable.

one of the local japanese restaurants here in bethesda, md (the one jrm does our monthly lunches at most of the time) serves this on their salad bar now. i think they mix in the cucumber like bikkuri mentioned as there is something crunchy in there and also Krab and of course lots o mayonnaise! it is yummy!

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

On the way to the museum I thought the Aonami Railway platform at Nagoya looked like a good train watching spot so I let the fisrt couple of trains go without me to see what came along. Aside from the Shinkansens on one side and the suburbans on the other in 30 minutes I bagged two container trains, two tank car trains hauled by double headed DD51's and blue and white EF64 1003 running light engine north (west?) along the Tokaido line like it had a wannabe shinkansen driver at the throttle.

I figured you'd notice the "scenery" on this line.  I see you managed to catch Nagoya Rinkai's DD13- most excellent!

Kintetsu route- I always use that route when traveling between Osaka and Nagoya, rather than the Tokaido Line or the shadow-of-its-former self Kansai Line. I do the local trains only course though, which involves a change of trains at Ise Nakagawa- the limited express trains use a bypass (you may have noticed they are building a new one alongside the current one) which avoids the station altogether.  This arrangement is a legacy of when the Kintetsu Line to Ise was standard gauge, while the Nagoya Main Line was 1067mm.  The Nagoya Line was standard gauged in 1959, after a devastating typhoon.

[westfalen]

 I see you managed to catch Nagoya Rinkai's DD13- most excellent!

I almost got this one too, but a post got in the way.

[westfalen]

Some more shots of the museum.

[westfalen]

The beautiful HO layout, and an original '0' series dining car (note the 2x1 seating with a separate isle down the side of the car so passengers passing through don't disturb the diners. Only the Japanese would think of that).

[bikkuri bahn]

The beautiful HO layout,

Yes, it is.  I didn't get to see the layout when I visited (it was an announced 40 minute wait).  A pretty accurate representation of Nagoya Station, and I like how they included a model of the old Chunichi Dragons baseball stadium, which was a landmark to Shinkansen passengers passing by on the final stretch of line to the station.

[scott]

Some more shots of the museum.

What's the train in picture DSC05268?

And yeah, that layout is really nice. (But imagine how much more they could fit in N scale!  )

(note the 2x1 seating with a separate isle down the side of the car so passengers passing through don't disturb the diners. Only the Japanese would think of that).

Certain other nations would have a hard time fitting three people-widths and two aisles in the width of a passenger car.... OTOH, while supersizing is part of our problem, I wonder if that arrangement could meet modern standards for accessibility.

[bikkuri bahn]

What's the train in picture DSC05268?

JNR moha 52.  It came from the now defunct Sakuma Rail Park (as did many other pieces in this collection).  The 52 series was an express type EMU of 1936, used in the Kansai area. Apparently the design was influenced by the Fliegender Hamburger.

[westfalen]

I spent this morning riding the JR Taketoyo Line chasing Kinuura Rinkai freights. The freight timetable proved it's worth with the timetables for the same. When I arrived at Obu two Kinuura Rinkai DE10's were parked in the yard shut down looking like the first trip of the day to Higashiura was not running, if I read the timetable correctly I assume because the loading originates on the Sangi Railway the previous evening and if they are not running Kinuura Rinkai doesn't. I proceeded on down the line anyway stopping to take photos here and there.

At Higashiura where I went to check out the junction for the freight branch I found an interesting little shrine next to the level crossing. Was it in moemory of someone who died in an accident I wonder?

At Handa I made another stop to have a look at C11 265 stuffed and mounted in the station car park before heading on to Taketoyo to say I've done the whole line.

When I returned the one stop to Higashinawara to see the second freight run I spotted a six floor car park at a shopping centre that turned out to be a good vantage point to watch the activities. The freight in typical Japanese style turned up at 1242 on the dot as the timetable said it would.

My GPS told me it was a 660 metre walk through winding back streets to the nearest Meitetsu station so I made up time and got back onto schedule by doing that instead of waiting for a train back to Taketoyo.

I got in Meitetsu's Kowa, Utsumi and Airport lines before dark. The Utsumi line with it's tunnels built for double track and large, elevated 4 track terminus with a rather dismal atmosphere about it way out in the boondocks of town struck me as one of those lines built before it's time that didn't live up toexpectations. After my first ride on the Meitetsu I rather like it, as mentioned elswhere, there's something different about it.

Spending a relaxing day in the country tomorrow on the Nagaragawa Railway

[westfalen]

Some dilapitated old buildings in Taketoyo. I wonder if the big shopping centres springing up everywhere are killing the smaller stores in Japan like they are at home?

[westfalen]

Kinuura Rinkai freight at Higashinarawa.

[westfalen]

Meitetsu.

[Bernard]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker. 

[Nick_Burman]

Some dilapitated old buildings in Taketoyo. I wonder if the big shopping centres springing up everywhere are killing the smaller stores in Japan like they are at home?

According to some sources, yes. Out-of-town malls were one of the reasons why Meitetsu's Gifu lines closed - folks were simply not riding into the center for their shopping. Add the spluttering economy to the equation and you get a deadly mix for Mom-and-Pop stores...


Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

Some dilapitated old buildings in Taketoyo. I wonder if the big shopping centres springing up everywhere are killing the smaller stores in Japan like they are at home?

According to some sources, yes. Out-of-town malls were one of the reasons why Meitetsu's Gifu lines closed - folks were simply not riding into the center for their shopping. Add the spluttering economy to the mix and you get a deadly mix for Mom-and-Pop stores...


Cheers NB

I also read somewhere that the Nagoya area has a high rate of car ownership (Toyota is an ever-present influence)- so the building of said malls were not much of a problem for people to get to.

[cteno4]

I also read somewhere that the Nagoya area has a high rate of car ownership (Toyota is an ever-present influence)- so the building of said malls were not much of a problem for people to get to.

this is happening all over japan, changing demographics and the landscape. we had a phd student from japan studying local transit visit us a couple of years ago and he talked about this. moving shopping out of the centers in high density population areas out to the burbs where there are much fewer transit options other than a car...

jeff

[bikkuri bahn]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker.

I like that picture because it embodies alot of the lure/quirkiness of Meitetsu- old style platform construction, wooden sleepers, appealing in a homely way rolling stock designs (that 6000 series being hosed down is quintessentially Meitetsu in style).  Just don't visit the restrooms in some stations- they can be grotty.

Another facet that always catches my eye when I visit Meitetsu lines is the railroad roman numbering style used on rolling stock.  For someone used to seeing this on black AT&SF steam locomotives, it seems like an anomaly, but also appealing.

[Nick_Burman]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker.

I like that picture because it embodies alot of the lure/quirkiness of Meitetsu- old style platform construction, wooden sleepers, appealing in a homely way rolling stock designs (that 6000 series being hosed down is quintessentially Meitetsu in style).  Just don't visit the restrooms in some stations- they can be grotty.

Another facet that always catches my eye when I visit Meitetsu lines is the railroad roman numbering style used on rolling stock.  For someone used to seeing this on black AT&SF steam locomotives, it seems like an anomaly, but also appealing.

Another Meitetsu quirk is the lack of car type designations (DeHa, etc...) next to the numbers. And on older rolling stock, the complete lack of company ID on the cars.

Cheers NB

[westfalen]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker.

I like that picture because it embodies alot of the lure/quirkiness of Meitetsu- old style platform construction, wooden sleepers, appealing in a homely way rolling stock designs (that 6000 series being hosed down is quintessentially Meitetsu in style).  Just don't visit the restrooms in some stations- they can be grotty.

Another facet that always catches my eye when I visit Meitetsu lines is the railroad roman numbering style used on rolling stock.  For someone used to seeing this on black AT&SF steam locomotives, it seems like an anomaly, but also appealing.

I see what you mean about the guy with the hose. The reason he caught my eye was that back home anyone using a hose anywhere within sight of overhead wires would be shown the unemployemnt line by our workplace health and safety people, Meitetsu is a lower voltage than QR, but still...

I also noticed the polished metal (they even appeared to be brass on some cars) railroad roman style numbers, I thought they added a touch of class. I also made a note that they didn't seem to have as much money to spend on track as the Kintetsu, the single slip in the junction at Fuki caught my eye as well.

[westfalen]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker.

I like that picture because it embodies alot of the lure/quirkiness of Meitetsu- old style platform construction, wooden sleepers, appealing in a homely way rolling stock designs (that 6000 series being hosed down is quintessentially Meitetsu in style).  Just don't visit the restrooms in some stations- they can be grotty.

Another facet that always catches my eye when I visit Meitetsu lines is the railroad roman numbering style used on rolling stock.  For someone used to seeing this on black AT&SF steam locomotives, it seems like an anomaly, but also appealing.

Another Meitetsu quirk is the lack of car type designations (DeHa, etc...) next to the numbers. And on older rolling stock, the complete lack of company ID on the cars.

Cheers NB

I guess when you paint your trains bright red everyone knows who you are.

[westfalen]

One thing I noticed last night about being in Japan is that I can only get onto HS's Japanese website, even if I manually type in the English page's address it reverts to the Japanese one.

[Nick_Burman]

Another Meitetsu quirk is the lack of car type designations (DeHa, etc...) next to the numbers. And on older rolling stock, the complete lack of company ID on the cars.

Cheers NB

I guess when you paint your trains bright red everyone knows who you are.

Sure, but what about the period when Meitetsu painted its trains green (or salmon and pink, depending on the train set)?

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

One thing I noticed last night about being in Japan is that I can only get onto HS's Japanese website, even if I manually type in the English page's address it reverts to the Japanese one.

Yes, it probably auto-defaults based on the IP address.

[The_Ghan]

West - Love the photos but on the 2nd photo in the post above I did a double take......asking myself, "How is the worker cleaning the window??" It's just a weird angle in which you caught the worker. 

Yes Bernard, I laughed for a minute too ... then realised just how unsafe this is ... and I don't even work on the railways.  Surely water near live overhead lines like this is dangerous, right?  Inappropriate PPE (personal protection equipment) such as no fluro vest and I think gloves are required in Australia when working on anything greater than 3 phase domestic power.  I presume there was an observer nearby, as working alone in this environment adds an element of risk.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

One thing I noticed last night about being in Japan is that I can only get onto HS's Japanese website, even if I manually type in the English page's address it reverts to the Japanese one.

West,

You probably need to use an anonymous proxy like KPROXY. 

I'm loving your posts, btw, especially shots of car interiors - something there is never enough of.

Good luck

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

Some dilapitated old buildings in Taketoyo. I wonder if the big shopping centres springing up everywhere are killing the smaller stores in Japan like they are at home?

it's the economy and shopping centres.

you should see marugame near takamatsu. 30 mins away approx.

there is a old skewl walk through arcade now abandoned and rusting just minutes from the station and no other major shopping centre nearby either (walking distance anyway).

Marugame is a pretty populated area as well one would think something so close to the train station would have stores in it but i has just a 2 or 3 shops left with the other 20 or so rusting out.

[bikkuri bahn]

Some dilapitated old buildings in Taketoyo. I wonder if the big shopping centres springing up everywhere are killing the smaller stores in Japan like they are at home?

it's the economy and shopping centres.

you should see marugame near takamatsu. 30 mins away approx.

there is a old skewl walk through arcade now abandoned and rusting just minutes from the station and no other major shopping centre nearby either (walking distance anyway).

Marugame is a pretty populated area as well one would think something so close to the train station would have stores in it but i has just a 2 or 3 shops left with the other 20 or so rusting out.

Another factor is the aging of the shopkeeper population, with no successors.  The last holdouts in the old arcades are just biding time until they can retire and collect pension.  That's why you see so many small businesses with seemingly no customers, but somehow miraculously holding on.  The more ambitious store owners (or those with successors), likely moved their businesses to the new shoping centers, which, despite being dominated by the national chains, do allocate floor space to local businesses.

[CaptOblivious]

One thing I noticed last night about being in Japan is that I can only get onto HS's Japanese website, even if I manually type in the English page's address it reverts to the Japanese one.

Yes, it probably auto-defaults based on the IP address.

It does. You'll have to delete all of your cookies from 1999.co.jp, and use an outside-of-japan proxy (which is how I access things like my Netflix account) to get the English language site back.

[westfalen]

I found out this morning that there are no reserved seats left on any of my trains from Nagoya to Miyazaki on Monday so I'll have to get to the station early to get a good nonreserved seat. I was planning on doing that anyway and just using reserved seats as a safeguard incase I got there too late beacuse at this late stage the only seats left would have been the ones at the bottom of the barrel like aisle seats facing the end wall, I often get better seats than the ones I reserve by being first in line on the platform.

I rode the Nagaragawa Railway today. The turntable at the end of the line at Hakuno has a builders plate stating it was built by the American Bridge Company of New York in 1902, but I believe the line was opened later than that so it must have been moved there from somewhere else. I skipped my planned lunch break at Gujohachiman (it didn't look as good in person as the picture Lonely Planet painted of it) on the way back in favour of seeing more of the Meitetsu in daylight and an earlier arrival back in Nagoya via a different route than I had planned. After the Nagaragawa I caught JR to Kani and then Meitetsu's two car shuttle to Mitake, returning to Nagoya on the Meitetsu via Inuyama, Kami-Iida and the subway.

[westfalen]

More Nagaragawa. I also took about 1:45 of video out the front of the train on the way out.

[westfalen]

Last of today's.

The last one is a brief glimpse of a Meitetsu steeple cab at the Inuyama depot.

[Bernard]

While you're there, has there been a lot of talk about the rebuilding after the earthquake? Do they show photos of what has been done so far?
Also have you noticed any changes (people not traveling as much, etc.) on this trip since the earthquake?
There was a report this past weekend in the US about the huge amounts of wreckage flowing in the Ocean as a result of the Japanese earthquake.

[westfalen]

While you're there, has there been a lot of talk about the rebuilding after the earthquake? Do they show photos of what has been done so far?
Also have you noticed any changes (people not traveling as much, etc.) on this trip since the earthquake?
There was a report this past weekend in the US about the huge amounts of wreckage flowing in the Ocean as a result of the Japanese earthquake.

Earthquake? What earthquake?

I did see a brief item on the news one morning showing what I assume was earthquake wreckage being cleared up but I couldn't get the gist of what it was about. Down this part of the country it seems business as usual, as I mentioned all the reserved seats are taken on my trains to Miyazaki on Monday.

[gmat]

Probably reporting about this.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/tokyo-starts-disposal-of-tsunami-debris-from-iwate

Best wishes,
Grant

[scott]

I'm loving your posts, btw, especially shots of car interiors - something there is never enough of.

Same here! I guess file me under "noritetsu otaku." :-)

I often get better seats than the ones I reserve by being first in line on the platform.

How are the reserved seats marked so that you know which ones you can grab?

[Nick_Burman]

Another factor is the aging of the shopkeeper population, with no successors.  The last holdouts in the old arcades are just biding time until they can retire and collect pension.  That's why you see so many small businesses with seemingly no customers, but somehow miraculously holding on.  The more ambitious store owners (or those with successors), likely moved their businesses to the new shoping centers, which, despite being dominated by the national chains, do allocate floor space to local businesses.

Sorry to bring the subject up again, however this thought bounced up after my post...at least one Japanese city seems to be attempting to buck the trend - Toyama. Both the conversions of the Iwasehama branch to LRT and the Centram are attempts (in part) to get people to ride to the center. So far the Portram seem to be a success compared to the JR train service it replaced.

Cheers NB

[westfalen]

I'm loving your posts, btw, especially shots of car interiors - something there is never enough of.

Same here! I guess file me under "noritetsu otaku." :-)

I often get better seats than the ones I reserve by being first in line on the platform.

How are the reserved seats marked so that you know which ones you can grab?

I took a few more today.

The whole car is either reserved or non reserved. Cars are designated by signs near the doors if they are reserved or not and the JR timetable has pages with diagrams of the trains showing which car is which. So according to the timetable my train from Nagoya to Shin Osaka, Kodama #695, has standard class cars 1,2,3,4,5,6,13,14 and 15 nonreserved, it also tells me that they are numbered from the leading end leaving Tokyo and that car 15 is the smoker so I can avoid that one. The timetable tells me it arrives on platform 16 so I can be on the platform early and stand in line where the marks painted on the platform tell you to stand for each car. The train only starts out from Shizuoka so it may not be too crowded.