How strange! How curious! 不思議 不思議 ! fushigi fushigi

不思議  不思議 !
fushigi fushigi
How strange! How curious!

Sandboxes of a different kind. 砂箱 すなばこ sunabako snow box

If you live with snow, it is an important kanji. 

Wouldn’t you think?

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

Obviously the sand boxes are a seasonal thing in heavy snow areas.

Sapporo City: sand to stop you from sliding.

Please, help yourself as you wish.

砂箱　すなばこ　sunabako snow box

Even trains need it, if the wheels were to loose some traction on the rail.

SNOW IN HOKKAIDO

The old tram to Abiko, Osaka

ワンマンカー

wanmankaa

One Man Car

There is only a driver on board, so you’ll need to buy your ticket from him.

On this stretch the Osaka Tramway is trying to preserve a bit of history – some quaintness.

Transportation of the past and the near future

Let’s count cars in Japanese!

  

バス

のバス

one bus

のバス

two buses

のバス

three buses

With gratitude to Merrilynn

Tokyo Railway Station 東京駅 とうきょうえき

東京駅の写真

とうきょうえきのしゃしん

tōkyō eki no shashin

Tokyo station photos

前

まえ
mae
front

後ろ

うしろ

ushiro

back

東京駅の後ろ

とうきょうえきのうしろ
tōkyō eki no ushiro
back of Tokyo station

東京駅の前

とうきょうえきのまえ

tōkyō eki no mae

front of Tokyo station

The Tokyo Railway Station has quite a unique design. Although the shape is different, one cannot help but think that there is quite a bit of similarity with the Amsterdam Central Railway Station. Not that it matters, but the whole idea of red bricks and layers looks too similar to be coincidence. In any case the station has served Tokyo very well and its design has no parallel anywhere else in Japan and so it has gained its unique status.

The refurbishment completed

Amsterdam Centraal Station

アムステルダム中央駅

あむすてるだむちゅうおうえき

amusuterudamu chūō eki

Amsterdam Central Station

Amsterdam Centraal Station (Dutch)

アムステルダム中央駅のまえ

あむすてるだむちゅうおうえきのまえ

amusuterudamu chūō eki no mae

in front of Amsterdam Central Station

voor Amsterdam Centraal Station (Dutch)

Tokyo Station

Japan Rail Pass

One of the most practical ways to travel around Japan is the railway system. The Japanese railways are something to experience! Their しんかんせん Shinkansen, or Bullet Train system, is amazing and the system has been copied essentially by the Spanish, the French and the Chinese. It seems that it is going to be the standard for all future high speed train systems.

The passes are really easy to purchase and relatively cheap. But: they must be bought outside Japan, so they are only for tourists to enjoy the cheaper fares. Good to know. The link for buying is at the bottom of the page.

This is how the system works: you buy your ticket on-line. You receive a voucher. At any station you can exchange the voucher for the actual pass.

It is also important that you can still choose the day that your ticket starts! You may want it to start on the third actual day of your holiday for long distance travel, while spending three days with friends in Tokyo etc. This is just a scenario.

What is important that the system is so easy to use for travellers. Use it for long distance travel and you get the best value out of your pass.

Another great advantage of your pass is that you only need to wave it to the station official and you walk past any queues, or groups of people (there are plenty of those).

Your entry into the stations, as well as your on-the-train checking are so easy. Just wave and “cheese“!

You need to remember though that the Shin-station is quite separate from the ordinary station. Usually the Shin-station is on top of the ordinary station. Wave your pass and you’ll be fine. Keep your pass in a safe place though.

There are lots of English, Korean and Chinese signs to help you. The Japanese Railways staff is amazing too!

Lastly, if you’re on the wrong train, or you change your mind, your pass will allow you to do as you please!

Rail Pass Link:  RAIL PASS

Do-it-somewhere-else and Let’s-do-it-again Campaign

Not a good look. Not cool.

You get the idea quickly…

A visitor. 

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

This is an interesting one:

This poster does not suggest “No wife bashing!”

It suggests: “Please, do it at home!”

So not a good look! Totally uncool!

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Because the campaign has been so eye-catching and so popular, some people have started to “adapt” the posters. Particularly the rude and the quite offensive ones are popular with some youngsters. Of course the English translation is not the one given. Someone messed with this one on a website. The real translation is underneath.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

So much for America…

Not a good look. Not cool.

 Mind you, we’ve felt tempted at times…

Great imagined fun!

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Not a good look. Not cool.

Arriving in Shin-Kobe 新神戸到着

新神戸駅

しんこうべえき

Shin Kōbe Eki

Shinkansen Kōbe Station

Bullet-train Kōbe Station

Shinkansen Kōbe Station is about half-way between Hakata 

(= Fukuoka City in Kyushu)) and Tokyo, the capital city of Japan

新幹線乗り場

新幹線のりば

しんかんせんのりば

shinkansen noriba

Shinkansen entrance to the trains

  

  

It is so beautifully organised, you just cannot go wrong

  

新神戸駅

しんこうべえき

Shin Kōbe Eki

Shinkansen Kōbe Station

Bullet Train Kōbe Station

Important:

Shin-Kōbe Station is high up in the hills, quite a way away from Kōbe Station, which is downtown. Shin in this context means Shinkansen, which means bullet train. People who arrive on the bullet train in Kōbe still need to get down to the city. Mind you, there is plenty of transport – very convenient.

view from the station towards the city further down the hill

Subway ちかてつ chikatetsu

This is at a “quieter” time…

This is a more ordinary day…

Here it is a little busier…

We’re in a hurry…

Getting pretty crowded…

You certainly don’t want to be the last one…

This is what it was like “in the olden days”…

Snow in Japan 雪 ゆき snow

雪　ゆき　snow

For people who live in parts of the world where there is no snow – ever – it must be hard to imagine the beauty and the burden of snow. As Japan is a north-south country the climate ranges from almost polar to almost tropical. Therefore it is hard to make statements about Japanese people and what they do in their spare time, or indeed during the different seasons. The climate varies too much.

Hold your breath and see how some Japanese people have to cope:

 

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

札幌千歳空港

さっぽろ　ちとせ　くうこう

sapporo chitose kūkō

Sapporo Chitose Airport

雪　ゆき　snow

札幌　雪　祭り

さっぽろゆきまつり

sapporo yuki matsuri

Sapporo Snow Festival

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow

雪　ゆき　snow