"New Year's Shopping in 1990 & Riding the Chichibu Line"

A look back at grocery shopping before the beginning of the New Year's holiday, taken on December 30th & 31st, 1990; and several views from the front and rear cabs of a Chichibu Line train, taken in January 2010.

"New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (A)"

Walking around in Hibarigaoka on December 30th, 1990, observing people shopping ahead of the New Year's holiday. This may be of some historical interest, as it shows the shops that were subsequently torn down to make way for the Parco department store, as well as the shops below the old station, which were also torn down when the station was rebuilt. ひばりが丘の正月の買い物 平成二年十二月三十日 (See "New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (B)" for the second part of this.)

"New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (B)"

Continuing my walk around Hibarigaoka on December 30th, 1990. As I mentioned in the "A" part of this, this may be of some historical interest, as it shows the area before construction for Parco began and also the old station and the shops below it before it was rebuilt. (See "New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (A)" for the first nine minutes). ひばりが丘の正月の買い物 平成二年十二月三十日

"Tokyo New Year's Eve Shopping - December 31st, 1990"

Going shopping on the last day of 1990 at (mostly) Seiyu (with a brief view of Olympic) in Hibarigaoka (in Tokyo) on December 31st, 1990. Taken before construction of Parco had even begun, Seiyu was the main store for grocery shopping in Hibarigaoka at the time. Being the final day for shopping before the New Year's holiday began, this video shows large numbers of people stocking up on food just before the holiday begins. ひばりが丘の正月の買い物 平成2年12月31日 (See "New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (A)" and "New Year's Shopping in Hibarigaoka - December 30th, 1990 (B)" for scenes from the previous day, also taken in Hibarigaoka.)

"Night Tokorozawa Station Platform" (January 2010)

Waiting for a train in Tokorozawa - looking both ways on the platform. 夜の所沢駅 西武線 平成22年1月

"Arriving in Yorii in Nearly Empty Tobu-Tojo Line Train" (January 2010)

The Tobu-Tojo Line is a busy line, but not out at the very end of the line, where this video was taken (nearing the final stop, Yorii Station). 東武東上線 寄居駅の近く 平成22年1月

"Yorii Station Bridge to Chichibu Line Platform" (January 2010)

Walking down an old station bridge to the Chichibu Line platform. 秩父線 平成22年1月

"Boarding Chichibu Line Train at Yorii" (January 2010)

Watching a Chichibu Line train arrive at Yorii Station and then climbing aboard. 秩父線 平成22年1月

"Arriving Chichibu Line Train" (January 2010)

Watching a Chichibu Line train arrive at the station from the other direction (taken inside another Chichibu Line train). Notice how the middle car of the three-car train (by looking at the roofs of the three train cars) doesn't have air conditioning. I wish none of the trains had it - since air conditioning only makes conditions on trains better (cooler) for a couple of months a year, and it has led to new trains being designed with bad ventilation.) 秩父線 平成22年1月

"Front Cab View from Chichibu Line Train" (January 2010)

Looking out the front cab of a Chichibu Line train as it runs along a road. (Unluckily for the Chichibu Line, it runs in a car culture section of Japan and doesn't get very many passengers. Hopefully it'll stay in business.) The odd noise is a wind leak - a nice feature of old trains, as then you get some ventilation even when the windows are shut (said without even a trace of sarcasm). 秩父線 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line to Higuchi Station" (January 2010)

Riding the Chichibu Line (starting midway to Higuchi Station); a front cab view of the ride until the train stops at Higuchi. Notice how the driver gets up at each station to open and close the doors. On longer and busier trains, they usually have both a driver and a conductor, but on short trains with few passengers, the driver performs the conductor's usual duty of controlling the doors in addition to running the train. (On lines in Tokyo with more modern equipment, the driver remains seated and controls the doors by watching video camera views from monitors in the cab.) 秩父鉄道 樋口駅 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line Front Cab View from Higuchi to Nogami" (January 2010)

Looking out the front cab of a Chichibu Line train as it rolls from Higuchi Station to Nogami Station. 秩父鉄道 樋口駅から、野上駅まで 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line Front Cab View from Nogami to Nagatoro" (January 2010)

Looking out the front cab of a Chichibu Line train as it rolls from Nogami Station to Nagatoro Station. 秩父鉄道 野上駅から、長瀞駅まで 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line Front Cab View from Kami-Nagatoro to Oyahana" (January 2010)

Looking out the front cab of a Chichibu Line train as it rolls from Kami-Nagatoro Station to Oyahana Station. The train crosses a river, via a bridge someone afraid of heights probably wouldn't want to walk across (no guardrails).

Towards the end of the clip, I walk back to the rear of the train, passing through the type of doors JR (formerly JNR) trains used to all have. (Someone told me that the trains now being used on the Chichibu Line used to be Chuo Line trains.) 秩父鉄道 上長瀞駅から、親鼻駅まで 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line Rear Cab View from Oyahana to Minano" (January 2010)

Looking out the rear cab of a Chichibu Line train as it runs from Oyahana to Minano. Also a view of the inside of the train. Notice how different the sound of the announcements is compared with newer trains. I'm not sure why exactly, but I prefer old announcements via old PA systems like this one. It's also very nice in that it doesn't have any highly irritating, quarter-speed, over-pronounced, inane English announcements - the curse of modern trains in Tokyo. 秩父鉄道 親鼻駅から、皆野駅まで 平成22年1月

"Chichibu Line Front Cab View from Minano to Wadokuroya" (January 2010)

Back to the front of a Chichibu Line train as it rolls from Minano to Wadokuroya. 秩父鉄道 皆野駅から、和銅黒谷駅まで 平成22年1月

"Driving on Back Streets in Chichibu City" (January 2010)

Driving on back streets n Chichibu City. 秩父市の夜道 平成22年1月

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