A revisit to "Happy Road" in Oyama, where I used to live 24 years ago. Considering how rapidly things change in Tokyo, the area was largely as I remember it, which was a little bit of a surprise actually - I've gotten so used to places I go back to in Tokyo being completely changed! One change I was surprised about though, was they renamed the second shotengai (shopping street) there "Yuza" (but spelled quirkily as "YOU-ZA") from its original(?) "Sun Road". What I had most expected to have changed though, Oyama Station, was amazingly the same - apart from its automated ticket gates (tickets were taken by a person before) and new retrofitted elevators and platform-to-platform crossover bridge (to go from one elevator to another - since there is no entrance/exit on the inbound platform).
"'Happy Road' in Oyama" (100219-1731)
Walking along the covered shopping street "Happy Road". I used to live in this area, so it was a bit of a nostalgia trip to go back there.
大山のハッピーロード 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 5:31 p.m.)
"Yuza Side Street in Oyama" (100219-1848)
A side street off of "YOU-ZA" (more properly spelled "Yuza", but the signs say "YOU-ZA"), which connects with "Happy Road" very near Oyama Station (on the Tobu-Tojo Line). When I lived in the area, "Yuza" (遊座) was known as "Sun Road" (サンロード). They may have changed it due to there being several "Sun" this and "Sun" that shopping centers in other areas of Kanto. (The original name made sense though - since "Happy Road" is covered and "Sun Road" was/is out in the open.)
大山の遊座商店街 (ハッピーロードの近く) 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 6:48 p.m.)
"Crossing Tracks from Yuza to Happy Road" (100219-1853)
The railroad crossing here is the dividing line between the (open) "Yuza" shotengai (shopping street) and the (roofed) "Happy Road" shotengai.
大山の遊座とハッピーロードのつながるところ 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 6:53 p.m.)
"Oyama Happy Road Pedestrian Crossing" (100219-1900)
A 360 degree look at "Happy Road" and the railroad crossing from a pedestrian bridge near Oyama Station in Itabashi-ku.
大山のハッピーロードの横断歩道 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.)
"Oyama Station Evening Ticket Gates" (100219-1901)
Evening commuters on the way home - coming through the ticket gates at Oyama Station, and a look at a kiosk just outside the ticket gates.
大山駅の改札口とキオスク 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:01 p.m.)
"Passing Express Train at Oyama Station" (100219-1903)
An express train passes through Oyama Station. Only local trains stop at Oyama, so there are several different types of express trains that pass straight through.
大山駅での通過急行 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:03 p.m.)
"Passing Stainless Steel Express at Oyama Station" (100219-1906)
Passing stainless steel outbound express train - seen from the outbound platform at Oyama Station. There are several types of trains in service on the Tobu-Tojo Line.
大山駅での通過ステンレス急行 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:06 p.m.)
"Local Train Arriving at Oyama Station" (100219-1908)
Standing on one end of the outbound platform at Oyama Station as a local train comes in. (The speed of the first cars passing by is an indication of the length of the ten-car train.) I stayed through the door-open & door-close period and recorded the doors-about-to-close bell, which I think is unchanged from when I lived there 24 years ago.
大山駅の各駅電車がやって来ます 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:08 p.m.)
"Inbound Express Passing Oyama" (100219-1927)
A 360 degree look from the inbound platform of Oyama Station - including watching a white (with two-tone blue stripe) express train pass by. (I don't know the proper name for that type of train car, but it's one of the older (the oldest maybe?) types on the Tobu-Tojo line, and was in use 24 years ago back when I used this line every day.)
大山駅の上り急行電車 東京 (Recorded on Friday, February 19th, 2010, at 7:27 p.m.)
Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/
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3 comments:
oh how i miss this place ! I spent 2 weeks there ( at the Ochadai's dormitory) this summer. Oyama Happy road is something that most lively illustrates the daily life of Japanese in my mind...
feel grateful to your entry and videos, they awoke my happy reminiscence in Tokyo ! :)
oh how i miss this place ! I spent 2 weeks there ( at the Ochadai's dormitory) this summer. Oyama Happy road is something that most lively illustrates the daily life of Japanese in my mind...
feel grateful to your entry and videos, they awoke my happy reminiscence in Tokyo ! :)
Thanks for the feedback! I now live in a different part of Tokyo, but I also miss the lively atmosphere around Oyama Station.
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