Monday, August 22, 2011

"Summer Leaves and Insects, Train Views, Shinbashi, Harajuku, Ginza, Etc."


The summer on its hottest days has me looking forward to cooler weather, but when I think back to a typical January or February day, I remember how much I look forward to the signs of life in the summer - the green of the trees of course, and the sounds of different types of insects (some are quite musical and pleasant to listen to).  So now that the August weather has cooled down for a few days, I look at the green, and listen to the various insects, and I'm happy that it's summer.  Attempting to capture the sounds a little, I took a video clip in a park, but the recorded sound is not nearly as nice as the original - still, it gives you at least some idea of the type of sounds I'm talking about.  Another clip shows some green leaves blowing in a slight breeze on a very hot day.

Train views include the Chuo Line, Ginza Line, Yamanote Line, Tozai Line, and Chiyoda Line.  One thing that caught my attention this past week was one of the tunnel walls beside the platform at a Chiyoda Line station - the brick facade was mostly off, and there were temporary-looking signs attached to the bare concrete that had been behind the brick facade.  I think that may be evidence of damage from the March 11th earthquake, but I'm not sure.  There are some tiles that appear to have fallen off at one of the Tozai Line stations as well.  I'm not certain that those examples of facade damage were caused by the earthquake, but I think they may well have been.

What else... I walked through Harajuku, which I associate with summer since I spent some time there when I first came to Tokyo back in the 20th century, and feel some strange need to experience it again every summer.  It was raining, but that's okay - umbrellas look good in pictures, and rain is also part of my memory of the Early Days.

Speaking of the Early Days, I also made a nostalgia run over to Shinbashi, which has changed a lot over the past couple of decades, but still has enough things remaining from that time that it's satisfying to visit.  When there's nothing left at all from a previous time at some place, it's disorienting and depressing to visit, but as long as there's something you remember, there's a satisfaction in going back to old places that were familiar in a day-to-day way.

Insects in Trees - (110817-1830)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ0ESpSRb6c

Looking up and listening to some insects in the trees.

Ochanomizu to Yurakucho - (110816-1505)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxC82IomVVA

Riding first a Chuo Line train, and then a Yamanote Line train while going from Ochanomizu to Yurakucho.

Leaves in a Summer Breeze - (110814-1215)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiHSw5WyjmA

Looking at some leaves in a summer breeze while waiting for a bus.

From Yurakucho Platform to Ginza - (110816-1517)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVEVy8MozTQ

Walking from a platform at Yurakucho Station, to Ginza.

Walk Through Tokyo Station - From Bus Area - (110816-2009)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tvKrL2113o

Walking from the bus area (under construction) on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, and then through the station (under the tracks) to the Chuo Line.

Tokyo to Shinjuku (Chuo Line) - (110816-2014)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZWgYpLL98

Riding the Chuo Line from Tokyo to Shinjuku.

Okuno Building - 7th Floor to 4th Floor - (110816-1545)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TX3n3xwPac

Walking down one of the staircases in the Okuno Building - from the 7th Floor to the 4th Floor.

Tachikawa Station - Late Night Platform View, Etc. - (110820-0016)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpgSDfKrx6M

Looking around late at night on a Tachikawa Station platform - waiting for the train to get under way.

Walking by Tank Cars at Tachikawa Station - (110820-0015)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2zTjkUSKuU

Walking by some tank cars at Tachikawa Station.

Demonstration by Yurakucho Station - (110819-2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co35TWezUAc

Watching a group of demonstrators walk by near Yurakucho Station.

Demonstration by Hibiya Park - (110819-2012)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pisfB0pSkuk

Walking a group of demonstrators walk by Hibiya Park.

Walking Towards Shinbashi - (110819-2032)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjfvAQcowyQ

Walking along next to the (overhead) tracks towards Shinbashi Station.

Izakaya Scene - (110819-2222)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIY7WQdRN1g

A scene in an Izakaya place.

Waiting for Yamanote Line at Shinbashi Station - (110819-2324)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsUxj5aLfCo

Waiting for a Yamanote Line train at Shinbashi Station.

Seibu to Tozai Transfer at Takadanobaba - (110819-0905)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn6I2Hf1RHE

Transferring from the Seibu Line to the Tozai Line at Takadanobaba Station.

Otemachi Station - Tozai to Chiyoda Line Transfer, Etc. - (110819-0921)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHCyVHvHOCw

Making the long transfer in Otemachi Station from the Tozai Line to the Chiyoda Line, and then looking out a window of a Chiyoda Line train.

Meiji-Jingu-Mae - Platform View - (110819-1237)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOF91UlCfb0

Looking around a platform at Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station.

Takeshita-Dori Walk-Through (Harajuku) - (110819-1246)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLEssDbktfw

Walking the length of Takeshita-Dori.

Harajuku - Meiji-Dori Stroll in the Rain - (110819-1309)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kTg0CwGoF8

Walking down Meiji-Dori in Harajuku in the Rain.

Harajuku Jingumae Street Corner in the Rain - (110819-1312)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdmL0WfLIMw

Looking out at a street corner at the Jingumae intersection in Harajuku in the rain.

Entering Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station - (110819-1326)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey7Y-Nvr4X0

Walking into Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station.

Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station Stroll - (110819-1332)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0ZIuhYzdT8

Looking around within Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station.

Meiji-Jingu-Mae Chiyoda Line Stroll - (110819-1335)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeuvGkm5BIg

Looking around in the Chiyoda Line section of Meiji-Jingu-Mae Station.

Omotesando Station Stroll - (110819-1340)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wop7pq3FhOc

Walking through Omotesando Station.

Omotesando to Gaen-Mae Station (Ginza Line) - (110819-1347)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGJYiCuu6AM

Riding the Ginza Line from Omotesando to Gaen-Mae.

Shinbashi to Ginza (Ginza Line) - (110819-1355)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnMuwkxeetc

Riding the Ginza Line from Shinbashi to Ginza.

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

No comments: