"Chuo, Ginza, and Tozai Lines, Old Door, Tokyo Station, and Shinjuku - West Side"

Riding about in a tenser and less crowded Tokyo.  With rolling blackouts (mostly canceled with the recent warm weather), economic problems, and radioactive fallout from the broken nuclear reactors of Fukushima, people are not working much overtime, and are mostly rushing straight home - trying to spend as little time as possible out in the radioactive air, and also wanting to get home before erratic train schedules leave them stranded in central Tokyo.

Fukushima - it's astonishing to me how after Chernobyl and now Fukushima, there is this loud chorus from various sources saying "nuclear energy is safe" - particularly when I read things like this:

   "Only trace amounts of the toxic substance [plutonium] have been detected. The highest level found so far - 0.54 becquerals per kg of soil - is not considered harmful. Most people have some plutonium in their bodies from atmospheric and underwater nuclear tests and some pacemakers are powered by plutonium.
   "Plutonium-239, the type of plutonium most abundant in reactors, has a half-life of 24,200 years. It is not readily absorbed by the body but what is absorbed, stays put, irradiates surrounding tissue and is carcinogenic."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/01/japan-plant-idUSL3E7ES10P20110401?pageNumber=1

Okay - so they haven't found much of it - but I would prefer none of that very nasty material at all!  Anyway - I sure hope the toxic mess at Fukushima will be brought under control and cleaned up soon!

Here are a few video clips from earlier in the week:

Tokyo to Shinjuku at Night - Chuo Line Right Side - (110329-1950)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrfaG8iqWA

Riding a Chuo Line train from Tokyo to Shinjuku at night - looking out the right side of the train.

Darker than Usual Takadanobaba Station - (110329-1445)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgVy0JS6CxM

A look at a darker than usual Takadanobaba Station - Seibu, JR, and Tozai lines.

Boarding Tozai Line at Takadanobaba Station - (110329-1452)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp2SfNTvqU

Boarding a Tozai Line train at Takadanobaba Station - which has many of its usual lights turned off.

Otemachi to Ginza via Nihonbashi (Tozai and Ginza Lines) - (110329-1507)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A45s1Ewb9oQ

Going from Otemachi to Ginza via Nihonbashi Station on the Tozai and Ginza Lines.

Walking Along Ginza Chuo-Dori - (110329-1516)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vhAYcnluJA

Walking along Chuo-Dori (the main street) in Ginza.

Opening an Original Door in the Okuno Building - (110329-1831)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QAdUIi2SZU

Opening an original door in the Okuno Building and listening to the sound/music it makes.

At Machida Masayuki Exhibition (町田昌之 at 小野画廊) - (110329-1923)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI_G9QMK1RA

Looking around while at Machida Masayuki's (町田昌之) exhibition  at Ono Gallery (小野画廊).

Walking Through Tokyo Station - (110329-1947)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJVkRQz6OoY

Looking around while walking through Tokyo Station.

Shinjuku Street Musicians - Omoide-Yokocho, Etc. - (110329-2149)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ76d_xTuUs

Walking along beside the west side of Shinjuku Station - stumbling upon a pair of street musicians, and then having a look at Omoide-Yokocho, etc.

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