Beginning with Friday night views of Shibuya, and then taking the Yamanote Line from Shibuya to Ebisu, and later that night, views of late night highway buses in front of Tokyo Station and a couple of views on one of the last Chuo Line trains of the night.
"Shibuya, Friday Night - March 19th, 2010" (100319-2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KjrNiWuYTE
Shibuya on a Friday night - walking under the rail bridge from the east side to the west side and the famous "scramble" crosswalk.
金曜日の渋谷2010年3月 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 8:06 p.m.)
"Shibuya, Friday Night Stroll Down Wakamono-gai" (100319-2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GegHelV-ugY
First walking across the "scramble" crosswalk in Shibuya, and then down the main street of Wakamono-gai. Towards the beginning, notice the advertising truck go by. Are these used in other parts of the world as well? Or are those peculiar to Tokyo?
金曜日の渋谷 - 若者街の散歩 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 8:08 p.m.)
"Friday Shibuya Scramble to Hachiko Square" (100319-2033)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFUykzZ1ps4
Walking back towards Shibuya Station - going through the "scramble" crosswalk with a flowing look to the side at all the other people also in the intersection. Once across, I stroll through the Hachiko Square scene.
スクランブル交差点を渡って、ハチ公スクエアに入る 金曜日の渋谷 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 8:33 p.m.)
"Boarding Yamanote Line at Shibuya" (100319_2036)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4gYPx9YlyU
Getting on the Yamanote Line in Shibuya around 8:30 in the evening. The station would be a bit more crowded if it were later (being Friday and all). Also, this train is going towards Shinagawa/Tokyo - the trains going towards Shinjuku/Ikebukuro are more crowded.
渋谷駅で山手線を乗る 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 8:36 p.m.)
"Yamanote Night Run - Shibuya to Ebisu" (100319-2038)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exEoADcGkmQ
Riding the Yamanote Line from Shibuya to Ebisu, and then walking up the platform in Ebisu while a Shibuya-bound train leaves the station - and then walking over to the other side of the platform, and continuing walking up the platform next to the train I took from Shibuya to Ebisu as it departs Ebisu - heading towards Shinagawa/Tokyo.
渋谷駅から恵比寿駅までの夜山手線 恵比寿駅のホーム散歩 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 8:38 p.m.)
"Blue Light Yamanote Platform at Ebisu" (100319-2116)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1XcHvczovg
While waiting for a Shinagawa/Tokyo bound Yamanote Line train, I watch a Shibuya/Shinjuku bound Yamanote Line train come in through the blue haze of one of the anti-suicide blue lights installed on the ends of the Yamanote Line platforms.
There's been a lot of talk over the years about how color influences people - there was talk of the dark-orange color of the old Chuo Line trains causing people to jump in front of the trains(!), and now there is talk of blue light soothing people - so they put in the lights to cheer people up enough so they don't jump in front of the trains so often(!). (This is probably also why they're playing bird songs at so many the stations...)
Who knows... truly truth is stranger than fiction, so maybe there's something to it.
恵比寿駅で品川行きの山手線を乗りました ブルーライト画面もあり 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 9:16 p.m.)
"Tokyo Station Highway Buses" (100319-2332)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyIT1Sb7y-o
A scene fairly narrow in time - with many parts of Tokyo Station now under construction, the many long-distance highway buses are taking on passengers next to temporary construction walls.
It's a bit depressing to see the constant growth in bus use, as the more people that use buses, the less support there is for Japan's excellent train system, which may begin to suffer if enough of the country takes to rubber on asphalt instead of steel on steel.
東京駅前のハイウエーバス乗り場 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 11:32 p.m.)
"Late Night Chuo Line at Tokyo Station" (100319-2338)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ThNj-fJVPM
Waiting at Tokyo Station for a Chuo Line kaisoku train just after 11:30 p.m. At this time at night, not all of the trains that stop at this double-sided platform are kaisoku (fast or "rapid") trains (as is the case for most of the day). The one that came in on the other side that I ignored was a slow train.
東京駅で夜遅くの中央線を待っているところ 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 11:38 p.m.)
"Late Night Outbound Chuo Line - Window View" (100319-2355)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij7CIRx-egs
Looking out the window of a late night Chuo Line train as it rolls towards - and then into - Shinjuku Station. Notice that many people are talking. It's really quiet in the morning, but on a late night train like this, people have come out of restaurants and whatnot, they're happily going home (as opposed to grumpily going to the office), and there is often a fair amount of talking going on.
夜遅くの中央線を乗っている、外に見る 東京 (Recorded on Friday, March 19th, 2010, at 11:55 p.m.)
Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/
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