Tokyo to Tono

Japan's Shinkansen ('bullet') trains are a marvel. They provide the country with safe, energy-efficient transportation, and were only recently surpassed as the fastest trains in the world by France's TGV (to the chagrin of the Japanese railway engineers - in the last couple of days they have announced tests on one of the lines that would push their speed up to 360km, putting them back on top). The number of people they move each day is amazing. During the morning and late-afternoon rush hours, trains leave Tokyo station every couple of minutes to the southwest on the Tokaido line, to the north on the Tohoku line, and across Honshu on the Joetsu line. Yesterday we traveled on the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo station to Shin-hanamaki station, about a three-hour trip. Then we changed to a tiny three-car diesel train and chugged up to Tono where are friends, the Tokuyoshi's live.

Rumi and Leh on the platform of the Tohoku Shinkansen train in Tokyo Station.

The 'Max' Shinkansen at Tokyo Station; this relatively new version of the Shinkansen is a double-decker.

The departure board on the Shinkansen platform at Tokyo Station.

You-know-who aboard the 'Yamabiko' bound for the deep north.

Two locomotives nose to nose in a Shinkansen train at Tokyo Station.

Nose of the train we rode up to the Tohoku area of Japan.

Rails of the Tohoku Shinkansen line. The Shinkansen trains run on 'standard' guage rails, the same as trains in North America, but larger than most other Japanese trains. To achieve the speeds that they do, the rails have to be perfectly aligned, and after even minor earthquakes the trains are stopped and the rails checked. After a quake last year they suffered their first derailment since they went into operation in 1964, and though nobody was seriously injured, there was an outcry that more must be done to ensure that the Shinkansen's perfect safety record be maintained. This article in the Japan Times last year talks about the issue; I think they are being kind of hard on themselves; compare 40 years with a perfect safety record with any other form of transportation - any major highway on a holiday weekend looks like a slaughterhouse by comparison.

Lots of sections of the Shinkansen lines are elevated and there are lots of tunnels. The tunneling is obviously expensive, but then land here is pretty pricey too. As well, they suffer the same 'nimby' phenomenon as other forms of transportation; though widely loved, nobody wants them in their backyard because of the considerable noise.

The latest cars are considerably quieter and more comfortable than the original models. At over 250km/hour they are remarkably smooth and quiet, much quieter for instance, than inside a passenger airliner. And freeway travel in a car can't touch it; compare the noise, pollution and stress of car travel on a freeway with dozing off with a newspaper on your lap and a beer on the table...

Barriers on the platform of a station. On stations where Shinkansens go through without stopping, they have these barriers to prevent people from being swept off the platform and onto the tracks in the wake of a train. I have stood on one of these platforms when a train blasts through at speed and its a pretty awe-inspiring sight; a whole train hurtling by at speed, about five or six feet from your nose!

A couple of hours travel and we were in snow country...

From the sleek speed of the Shinkansen, suddenly were standing on tiny platform in snow country, waiting for a three-car diesel train.

A view of snow country from the train...

The little Tono train in the station at Tono.

This little diesel train chugs up a surprisingly steep grade to get to Tono. It is called a 'one-man' train; one driver, no conductors.

Nakano and Shinjuku, Tokyo

Met up with the Sue, the Kid and young Pearl for a stroll down to the Sally Ann flea market in Nakano on Saturday morning.

On our way, passed this 'koban' (police box) with the ubiquitous white police bicycles and a little white police motorbike parked out in front. Koban are located in every neighbourhood, and there is usually at least one policeman posted in them. Viewed negatively, you could see them as being part of a police state; on the upside they seem to be more like a guy that's posted in your neighbourhood to help out if anything goes wrong, give directions and ride around on his little white bike to check up on things...

With Tokyo's amazing above- and below-ground rail systems, it's easy to forget that it also has an amazing bus network. They go everywhere, and though they can easily become victims of same the gridlock that cars suffer, they cover routes that are still difficult to do on the rail networks. Today I wanted to go straight down Meiji-dori from Shinjuku towards Ikebukuro, and the 86 bus still does it... This is a shot of the bus, with scooter rider that decided to catch up on his reading while waiting for the light to change!

The bus stops now often have indicators showing how long it will be before the bus comes, as well estimates on the time needed to reach various points ahead on the route. I should have taken some pictures of the inside of the bus, and the machine for taking fares and making change, but it was impossibly crowded.

The postal version of the standard Honda Super Cub, with smaller wheels, lower gearing (I think), and some heavy-duty racks for carrying mail. Overall, they seem to be built better as well...

There are sports versions of lots of the little 'keijidosha' cars in Japan; this one is not an official mini-vehicle because it doesn't have the yellow license plates, but it is very small. Somewhere along the line we got seduced into believing that you have to have big horsepower to have lots of fun with a motor vehicle - it's a lie.

A not particularly good example of the old Honda 250 air-cooled road bike - I can't remember what its exact model name was. It used to be very popular, for lots of good reasons; simple, low-priced, economical to run, and it would take you anywhere. Thought you might enjoy seeing this Dave; it is sort of a smaller, lighter alternative to the Yamaha SR400/500 single, and had a similar, if slightly smaller following. Tons of aftermarket parts too, such as the tank on this particular copy...

Your standard right-wing nut on a van. These guys are almost as common as cockroaches, and when they are not driving the streets ranting through over-amplified microphones, they're parked in front of stations (in this case Shinjuku) reminding they're fellow citizens about the glories of the Fatherland.