Sunday, December 13, 2009

"Chuo Line Views, Morning Shinjuku Station, Ginza Demonstration, Etc."

More video clips. First of a demonstration I saw on the edge of Ginza, then a few Chuo Line views, a few views of Shinjuku Station during the morning rush, and a couple of Yamanote Line clips.

"Demonstration Near Ginza, December 4th, 2009"

On my way to Ginza I ran into a group of teachers demonstrating against requirements in public schools related to displaying the nation's flag and standing and singing the national anthem. Their stance, if I understand it correctly, is that it's one step towards nationalism, and they believe students and teachers shouldn't have patriotism forced upon them. But I don't know the exact details - for that, I suppose there's something on-line.

"Scrolling Buildings - Chuo Line, December 2009"

Buildings scrolling down through a slightly fogged lens (due to a large number of breathing bipeds on the train, cold temperatures outside, and the proximity of the train window's cold glass to my camera lens).

"Chuo Line - Dramatic Clouds, Autumn Colors" (Dec. 2009)

The view out a left side window of an inbound Chuo Line train during the morning rush - recorded at about 8:36 a.m., on December 4th, 2009. It had rained the day before, so the air was clearer than is often the case (although the air tends to be clear in the winter). The train was running slower than usual due to the large number of trains on the rails in the morning.

"Residences Beside Chuo Line, December 4th, 2009"

Slowly gliding past residences next to the elevated Chuo Line tracks in a morning rush commuter train. Recorded around 8:42 a.m. on December 4th, 2009.

"Picking Up Speed - Chuo Line, 8:47 a.m."

Accelerating in an inbound Tokubetsu Tsukin Kaisoku (Special Rapid Express) on December 4th, 2009. It's special because it makes very few stops, but it's not very rapid, due to there being too many trains on the rails, so it gets stuck behind slow-moving trains. Nearing central Tokyo, there are more large buildings than further out on the line, which has mostly residential housing next to the railway.

"Morning Chuo Line Platform at Shinjuku - 8:52 a.m."

Just after stepping off of a Chuo Line express train at Shinjuku Station - working my way towards the stairs in order to transfer to the Yamanote Line. Unless you're in front of everyone, there's no way to hurry really in these situations; you just have to plod forward with the other sardine bipeds. (Recorded on December 4th, 2009.)

"Morning Transfer to Yamanote Line" (Dec. 4th, 2009)

Transferring from the Chuo Line to the Yamanote Line via the over-the-tracks route (you can also transfer by going under the tracks). (Recorded on December 4th, 2009 at around 8:54 a.m.)

"Shinjuku Yamanote Line platform, Dec. 4th, 2009, 8:55 a.m."

Arriving on the platform for track-14 (Shibuya/Shinagawa-bound Yamanote Line), and Track-13, (Akihabara/Chiba-bound Sobu Line) at 8:55 a.m. During the peak morning rush, they run eleven-car trains on the Yamanote Line (ten cars for the Sobu Line) every two or three minutes, but there are a *lot* of people who use the Yamanote Line, so all of the trains are fairly full (in spite of the large number of them), and if one of them is a couple of minutes late, it ends up looking like the scenes in this video on the platform.

Incidentally, they basically number the edge of the platform next to the tracks here, so - locally - they call track-14 platform-14 and track-13 platform-13. Never mind that tracks 14 & 13 use the same platform.

"Yamanote Line View - 8:58 a.m., Dec. 4th, 2009"

Looking out the left side of a Shibuya/Shinagawa-bound Yamanote Line train at a Sobu Line train (headed for Shinjuku Station) curving to the right to pull parallel with the Yamanote Line (after coming from Akihabara, etc.), and a couple of Tohoku, Utsunomiya, or Shonan-Shinjuku Line trains (which run parallel to the Yamanote Line for several stations) passing by the Yamanote Line train I was on (one in each direction).

"Yamanote Line Zing View - 9:03 a.m., Dec. 4th, 2009"

Looking out a right side window of the Yamanote Line as it zings along between Shibuya and Ebisu - beginning at a mid-way point between Shibuya and Ebisu, and ending as the train pulls into Ebisu Station.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://uk.youtube.com/lylehsaxon

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