"Views from Ginza and Yurakucho - April 28th, 2010"

Starting with views from a nearly empty Yurakucho Station just before lunch, and then some views from Ginza, including a look in an old building (of which there are very few left in Ginza) and then views of the walk back towards Yurakucho Station in the evening.

"Arriving at Yurakucho Station on Yamanote Line" (100428-1125)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67sUOBBYDWw

Riding the Yamanote Line into Yurakucho - looking out a left-side window at a passing Shinkansen just before pulling into Yurakucho station, and then getting off and experiencing the usual station scenes and sounds just before lunch.

山手線で有楽町駅に到着  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 11:25 a.m.)

"Yurakucho Station Pre-Lunchtime Views" (100428-1127)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrtj9MvbYZE

Looking around at passing trains and people on a nearly empty Yurakucho Station platform just before lunch.

有楽町駅の昼前風景  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 11:27 a.m.)

"Old Building in Ginza" (100428-1556)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzQYVAcUKtU

A look around the stairwell area of an old building in Ginza.  Old buildings like this have vastly more character than new sealed boxes.

The thing that ruins new buildings is that they don't have proper air circulation!  They have air systems that look good on the drawing board, but in practice, building managers set them to a very high percentage of recirculated air for cost reasons (stale warm or cool air is cheaper to heat or chill than new outside air), and the air ducts get dirty over time.

In an old building, you can open a window and get some air, but in sealed-box buildings, you're just stuck with the toxic recirculated stuff - just like a goldfish in a dirty bowl.

銀座にある古い建物  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 3:56 p.m.)

"Sparkling Empty Mall" (100428-1639)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHOzeloz3uM

I strolled into a new building that has several separate shops inside - basically a mall - and got the usual claustrophobic feeling from the sealed box atmosphere and lack of windows, so I did a U-turn to get back out to the street, with its air and sunlight.

The thing is - the building *looks* very nice inside, but it's the type of space I'd only want to spend time in at night when there's a raging storm outside.  On a nice day, it feels stuffy inside.

ピカピカ (ほとんど) 空っぽ銀座ショッピングモール  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 4:39 p.m.)

"Ginza Show Window Reflections" (100428-1720)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaT_6nPGkps

Looking through the corner of a glass showcase at the corner of Ginza 4-chome on the opposite side of the block from the Ginza 4-chome intersection (which is between Ginza 4-chome and Ginza 5-chome - maybe they named it after 4-chome due to the clock tower building and the Mitsukoshi Department Store, which are both in 4-chome?).

銀座ショーウインドーの複雑な光  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 5:20 p.m.)

"Ginza Alley Noises" (100428-1728)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvTL_cZI3sk

A shockingly boring video - I took it mainly to record the electric motor (exhaust fans?) noise in the alley, which conveys a certain atmosphere if you've been here long enough.

銀座裏道の音  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 5:28 p.m.)

"Ginza 4-Chome - 5:52 p.m." (100428-1752)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO29rFYwy1k

Walking across a sidewalk at Ginza 4-chome - on my way to the Kabuki Theater to see the scene there, since this was the final day for public performances in that structure before they tear the building down (I've posted a few videos about that scene separately - note the recording times).

銀座４丁目の夕方人々  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 5:52 p.m.)

"Intersection by Ginza Sony Building" (100428-1929)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUbziT8UpOM

Walking up to the intersection where the Ginza Sony Building is (across the street from it though), and looking around.

夜の銀座ソニービルの近く  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 7:29 p.m.)

"Walking Towards Yurakucho Station" (100428-1930)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln20lQC_Ybc

Past the Sony Building intersection, walking towards Yurakucho Station - on a typical Tokyo evening.

歩いて、有楽町駅に向かう  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.)

"Passing Shinkansen Trains - Walking Under Tracks" (100428-1931)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayso8_LmdxM

As I approach the elevated rails, an outbound Shinkansen train goes by (with an inbound Shinkansen moving very slowly - possibly waiting for an open slot at Tokyo Station to pull into), and then I walk under the elevated tracks, going past a few izakaya places.

歩きながら、有楽町駅に向かって新幹線が通る  東京  (Recorded on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010, at 7:31 p.m.)

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