Afternoon Tokyo Tower / 東京タワー ２０１４年

Copyright 2014 by Lyle H Saxon

1991 Hamamatsucho, Riverboat, Tobu-Tojo Line; 1992 Nanbu Line, Torigoe Matsuri; 2014 Shibuya, Ome, Tamagawa River, Etc.

There's material from three years this time - 1991, 1992, and 2014.  To mention a couple of unusual things in this batch that didn't fit into the title, there are 1992 views of the Mukogaoka-Yuen Monorail (which no longer exists), and nighttime views of 1991 Naka-meguro, etc.

There's lots to see....  For the most part the video titles are self-explanatory, but I've added some extra text regarding a few of them (see below).

Shibuya Station Platform Walk 渋谷駅ホームの様子 140311
http://youtu.be/WxjErrNFTnM

Ogawa to Hagiyama 小川駅-萩山駅 西武拝島線 140307
http://youtu.be/pxE9YKWSxEM

Hachiko Statue to Shibuya River 渋谷ハチ公から渋谷川まで 140311
http://youtu.be/NMwGYlWT1JA

Area Under Former Tokyu-Shibuya Station - Demolition Etc 元東急渋谷駅 140311
http://youtu.be/zsF83Nkolrk

Shibuya River Construction 渋谷川の工事 140311
http://youtu.be/F7hYKpaRVg0

高田馬場駅-駒込駅 山手線 Takadanobaba to Komagome Yamanote Line 140307
http://youtu.be/_wgh9bZ6GnM

Inbound Chuo Line - Right Window View 上り中央線右側窓風景 140311
http://youtu.be/v2gZhqY4SRE

Takadanobaba Yamanote Platform 高田馬場駅山手線ホーム 140307
http://youtu.be/3Yow_kQ6YiU

Looking Down on Passing Train 電車を通る 140307
http://youtu.be/uWE4d3x96q8

恵比寿駅までの電車レース Train Race to Ebisu 140307
http://youtu.be/V8B_qdR7SAE

恵比寿駅-五反田駅 山手線 Ebisu to Gotanda - Yamanote Line 140307
http://youtu.be/vZE-GueD4_Q

五反田駅-大崎駅 山手線 Gotanda to Osaki - Yamanote Line 140307
http://youtu.be/ihKUdAHoSuA

新宿駅-渋谷駅 山手線左側 Shinjuku to Shibuya - Yamanote Line 140311
http://youtu.be/ZdhvjDa3XFY

夕暮れの銀座中央通り Twilight Ginza Chuo-Dori 140311
http://youtu.be/IrRAlLbyr8A

東京駅中央線を待っている Tokyo Station - Waiting for Chuo Line 140311
http://youtu.be/nuR7aAPvbFE

新宿思い出横丁 Shinjuku Omoide-Yokocho 140311
http://youtu.be/SpeSCHenVEU

工事中の渋谷駅 東口から銀座線まで Shibuya Station Under Construction 140311g
http://youtu.be/mso0OniCHfk

There's a lot of construction going on at Shibuya Station now, with the current phase being to tear down the overhead station and rails of the section of the Tokyu-Toyoko Line that has been moved underground, and also the demolition of one of the Tokyu Stores.  Since the Ginza Line Shibuya Station is actually within that building (the trains come into/through the building at the second floor level), it'll be interesting to see how they handle that.

1992 登戸駅から長い散策散歩 Long Walkabout from Noborito Station 920531n
http://youtu.be/REcrLTJsEoI

1992 向ヶ丘遊園モノレール線 Mukogaoka-Yuen Monorail 920531
http://youtu.be/BYG0ox9lqBw

I hadn't realized it at the time, but this train was actually quite interesting technically.  While most monorails use rubber tires that run on a concrete strip, this monorail actually ran - true to the name - on a single standard steel rail (with side rails to hold it in place of course) and was designed by Lockheed.  If you're interested in trains and their technology at all, the following website explains the history of this interesting train.

Lockheed Monorail:
http://www.monorails.org/tmspages/Lockheed02.html

1992 武蔵溝ノ口駅-府中本町駅 南武線 Nanbu Line Twilight Window View 920531
http://youtu.be/NiDfPOZ0Ed0

This is one of those videos that I took without any grand plans - I was on the Nanbu Line, a line I don't normally use, so I recorded its progress down the line, looking out in both directions (up and down the platform), at each station.  I had been taking video all day, and at this point, I was taking things casually, which is often the best way, since too much effort has a strange way of ruining art....

In any case, watching this now, after so many changes, I really like the atmosphere of the time, enhanced by the video having been taken in the twilight of the day.  If you used the JR trains of the time, this could be a real nostalgia trip - it was/is for me in any case.

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-東京駅など 東京彼方此方 Hibarigaoka to Tokyo Etc 920604
http://youtu.be/RKE-D-rtiiM

1992 秋津など武蔵野線など 東京彼方此方 Tokyo Here and There 920607
http://youtu.be/wkK0xYcFzxE

1992 台東区の鳥越まつり Torigoe Matsuri in Taito-ku 920607
http://youtu.be/XuGdXzU119s

1991年5月2日の銀座三原橋 Miharabashi 910502
http://youtu.be/bey1C9fn2yQ

This is nostalgic - they're about demolish this, apparently in order to make the road straighter (vertically) in order to please joggers in marathons?  At least that what I've heard from a few people in discussing why they're removing another interesting part of Ginza.  In any case, this is how it looked before they kicked the tenants out.  (There's one last tenant there now, but they will soon be gone and the structure will then be razed.)

1991 Hamamatsucho Walkabout 浜松町 浜離宮庭園 Hamarikyu Gardens 910501
http://youtu.be/JpPSSC3uKI0

1991 Riverboat Cruise 隅田川ライン アワータウン 水上バス 910501
http://youtu.be/2MlA5dGYzIw

1991 昔の団地 ひばりが丘 Old Residence Houses in Hibarigaoka 910501
http://youtu.be/JaxOGUiwaIg

1991 浅草-上野-池袋など Asakusa Ueno Ikebukuro 910501
http://youtu.be/KspzoeAOj4g

1991 Hibarigaoka Evening ひばりが丘夕方 910501
http://youtu.be/ht4C45TWAng

1991 ひばりヶ丘駅-新富町駅 Hibarigaoka to Shintomicho 910502
http://youtu.be/BWC6WZFo9nQ

1991 銀座駅-新宿駅 丸の内線 Ginza to Shinjuku via Marunouchi Line 910502
http://youtu.be/SeIVthNgvZk

1991 Night Commuter Train to the Suburbs 910221
http://youtu.be/-uiIjwlfvaI

1991 Inbound Seibu-Ikebukuro Line 910222
http://youtu.be/C7H1B1QF5dE

1991 ひばりが丘-新橋 Hibarigaoka to Shinbashi 910309
http://youtu.be/gtSoELFDbYM

1991 Shibuya to Hibarigaoka - Saturday Night 土曜日の夜 910309
http://youtu.be/B0ww3T2k1QY

1991 ひばりヶ丘-新宿 Hibarigaoka to Shinjuku 910312
http://youtu.be/4gr8MTrBn6w

1991 新宿の夜道 Shinjuku Night Streets 910312
http://youtu.be/ZHAbTN4uGtk

1991 新宿駅-中目黒駅 Shinjuku to Nakameguro 910312
http://youtu.be/9w9qijlwjoo

1991 夜の中目黒 Nighttime Nakameguro 910312
http://youtu.be/CGflfvoCc6g

1991 中目黒駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 Nakameguro to Hibarigaoka 910312
http://youtu.be/ehS-p3v4jYE

1991 埼京線など 彼方此方 Saikyo Line and Here and There 910313
http://youtu.be/NqiN7OdXwqI

1991 ひばりヶ丘駅-新宿駅 Hibarigaoka to Shinjuku 910314
http://youtu.be/wyD0xn_1Igg

1991 Buying an Analog Video Camera in Shinjuku 910314
http://youtu.be/V1VuGtP9WTA

Mainly this just shows some street scenes in Shinjuku, but this was the day I bought a new camera (CCD-V800) to replace the ragged one I took this with (CCD-V700).  In the video I hold up the box, showing it just after I had bought it.

1991 The Basement 地下 910314
http://youtu.be/uResjStgi1E

1991 Shinjuku Station Etc 新宿駅など 910314
http://youtu.be/iVaVMTBcIh8

1991 新宿駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 Shinjuku to Hibarigaoka 910314n
http://youtu.be/XIormcFb50A

1991 Shinjuku Afternoon Walkabout Etc 新宿散策散歩 910319n
http://youtu.be/wM-Rw4V76fw

1991 ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅 左側 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro LSV 910319
http://youtu.be/XRRfm_45yB8

国分寺駅-吉祥寺駅 中央線 Kokubunji to Kichijoji - Chuo Line 140314
http://youtu.be/6lT1wpANeYM

新宿駅-大崎駅 埼京線 Shinjuku to Osaki - Saikyo Line 140314
http://youtu.be/HiDHMfb7r3c

国分寺駅-立川駅 中央線 Kokubunji to Tachikawa - Chuo Line 140321
http://youtu.be/vDYY6xaUERs

立川駅南口から入る Tachikawa Station South Entrance 140321
http://youtu.be/Abbqb77CHsc

Tachikawa Station - Waiting for a Train 立川駅下りホームの様子 140321
http://youtu.be/FPCogSF9tUM

立川駅-拝島駅 中央青梅線 Tachikawa to Haijima - Ome Line 140321
http://youtu.be/EC1w3vR7qrc

拝島駅-青梅駅 中央青梅線 Haijima to Ome - Ome Line 140321
http://youtu.be/1kId7dzwfx0

Boarding Tokaido Line at Shinagawa 品川駅で東海道線を乗る 140314
http://youtu.be/zz-Og9Go3Fg

夜品川駅-新橋駅 東海道線 Shinagawa to Shinbashi - Tokaido Line 140314
http://youtu.be/g5m6G3YIOtw

Ginza Flashing Light 140314
http://youtu.be/UEd4LCjYER4

Quiet Afternoon - Waiting for a Train in Suburbia 140318
http://youtu.be/OLdAG2jC32g

高田馬場駅での東西線 Tozai Line Arriving at Takadanobaba 140318
http://youtu.be/dXu5PAYUxnw

Road Construction Equipment on Ginza Side Street 銀座の工事 140318
http://youtu.be/SZ2sDjkDyEU

Twilight-360 on Ginza 1-Chome Side Street 銀座の工事 140318
http://youtu.be/yiSh7K4feSE

Sakuma Kyoko 佐久間香子展 Art Space Rashinban アートスペース羅針盤 140318
http://youtu.be/J-SVPF3VSv8

This was a very nice exhibition, with very nice nihonga paintings.  I've also made a blog post for it at "Tokyo Art & Music", here:
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.jp/2014/03/sakuma-kyoko-exhibition-at-art-space.html
 - where three of the paintings are featured.

Kokubunji Station Night Reflection 140318
http://youtu.be/dyLckZmVc9Q

Looking for Tamagawa River Access in Ome City 140321
http://youtu.be/qSIYqFbJUfo

Half-Empty Floor - Old Department Store 140321
http://youtu.be/O80Liq-ZloI

It was a rather depressing experience to stumble upon this only half-used space in an old department store.  It seems to be a sign of the times.  The economy has never fully recovered from the bubble years of the late 1980's (along with the transition from Y360/$1 to Y90/$1, which has meant largely moving manufacturing overseas) so it's a decades-long mindset now to forever be looking at how to cut costs.  More buying is done on-line now, and only the very cheapest retail establishments survive.  Thus formerly exclusive retail buildings increasingly are taken over by discount electronic shops, (Sogo Department Store in Yurakucho becoming a Bic Camera, Mitsukoshi Department Store in Kichijoji becoming a Yodobashi Camera, etc.).  Since it's not exactly cheery, I'll refrain from saying exactly where this picture of retail gloom was, other than to say it was outside the central area of Tokyo.

青梅駅でホリデー快速を乗る Boarding Holiday Kaisoku at Ome 140321
http://youtu.be/TpTNpFSjaLI

"Holiday Kaisoku" is the name of a weekend express train that makes it quicker/more convenient to get into the surrounding areas around Tokyo - away from the central area.

拝島駅での電車内反射 Reflections at Haijima Station 140321
http://youtu.be/sl3KBs_TARI

Old Escalator Thunk-Thunk-Thunk Sounds 140321
http://youtu.be/r_DNFNUFWK4

Early Spring in Osaki 大崎の春と新ビル工事 140314
http://youtu.be/bAv_sLDhRxk

青梅駅からを出る Exiting Ome Station 140321
http://youtu.be/rmP_81E_rok

青梅駅から南向き散策散歩 Ome Station Southbound Walkabout 140321
http://youtu.be/kdciHamvNSU

青梅市 多摩川までの散歩 Walking to the Tamagawa River in Ome City 140321
http://youtu.be/25ChgfNNAmk

橋から多摩川を見回る 360-Look at Tamagawa River in Ome City 140321
http://youtu.be/FARNgYlVLdI

Riverside Scene Beside Tamagawa River in Ome City 青梅市の多摩川 140321
http://youtu.be/7szYWXE6UK8

Inside of Historical Old House in Ome 青梅市の古い家の内部 140321
http://youtu.be/leVm1iZvo-c

多摩川隣の見回り Looking Around Beside Tamagawa River 140321
http://youtu.be/nBC1QyqNSt0

Walking Down Main Street Towards Ome Station 青梅駅に向かう 140321
http://youtu.be/BNTdrw6mRrk

Ome Shrine and Reflections 青梅市の神社と反射 140321
http://youtu.be/M9VhTO1WK10

Exiting Shrine Grounds and Walking Down Street in Ome City 青梅市 140321
http://youtu.be/mhsOptPsezg

青梅駅 改札口からホームまで Ome Station Entrance to Platform 140321
http://youtu.be/qPDUgpimTJ0

1991 Saikyo to Seibu Transfer at Ikebukuro 池袋駅 910319
http://youtu.be/3xJDHd5sFp4

1991 ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro 西武池袋線 910320
http://youtu.be/it0MQVrQN_M

1991 池袋東口散策散歩 Ikebukuro East Side Walkabout 910320
http://youtu.be/1_8xt-QGW-U

1991 池袋駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 西武池袋線 Ikebukuro to Hibarigaoka 910320
http://youtu.be/kiRBM5qUTY4

1991 Rainy Evening in Hibarigaoka ひばりが丘の雨夕方 910322
http://youtu.be/12k9Xv46SjU

1991 Tobu-Tojo Line to Countryside 下り東武東上線 910323
http://youtu.be/bjANMK2qVkc

This is a fairly good view of the far end of the Tobu-Tojo Line and how the countryside around (but outside) of Tokyo looks.  Even counting Saitama as part of the greater Tokyo area, the end of the Tobu-Tojo Line is almost in Gunma Prefecture.

1991 Late Night Tobu-Tojo Line 夜遅くの東武東上線 910323
http://youtu.be/nEksYaBNy_w

1991 Late Night Ikebukuro Station 夜遅くの池袋駅 910323
http://youtu.be/ffdl4Y1BbQ0

1991 Ikebukuro to Hibarigaoka 池袋-ひばりが丘 910323
http://youtu.be/cMvuXcXqbHU

1991 Nighttime Hibarigaoka 夜のひばりが丘 910325
http://youtu.be/XJ8Hz4D1UmQ

1991 ひばりが丘-新宿 Hibarigaoka to Shinjuku 910326
http://youtu.be/kpyqnCYqy_I

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://lookback1997.blogspot.jp/
http://tokyoht.blogspot.jp/

"Focus"

What you see, depends on what you focus on...

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://lookback1997.blogspot.jp/
http://tokyoht.blogspot.jp/

Apartments in a Megacity

Flashback...  [1997/3/18 - 7:20 a.m.] - As I write this, I'm sitting in my old, cheap one bedroom apartment (about US$700 a month, which is rather cheap for Tokyo), sitting in front of a window that I can't see out of.  Why not?  It's made of the type of glass used in shower doors - it lets in the light, but you can't see anything through it.  If I open it, I can see the next building - and a beautiful building it is, painted brown, with square windows.  It's best attribute being that it's only two stories high, so I can see the sky if I look up from my second floor window.
   Actually, all sarcasm aside, just the fact that the morning sun hits one of my windows is something not to be taken for granted in this city.  One of my friends lives in an apartment where there are just two windows; one in the kitchen, and one in the bedroom (glass doors to the balcony), and none in the middle room, so the (electric) light must be on anytime day or night to use the forever dark room.  The bathroom?  No windows (but vented of course).  My apartment, on the other hand, gets a lot of light, with six windows on three sides of the apartment.  An advantage of living in a small apartment building.

[2014/03/24] - A lot has changed since 1997 regarding what is typical for a Tokyo apartment.  It used to be that apartments anywhere reasonably near central Tokyo were almost always small by definition, with large apartments being very expensive.  In a sense, that's still true, but what's changed is that they have been building high-rise residence towers (essentially vertical gated communities) all over the central area of Tokyo for many years now, and the type of people who used to be willing to suffer any level of commuting pain to get out to a house and yard in the suburbs are now investing in a chunk of high-rise in the form of a purchased condominium instead.  Meanwhile, I've moved into an apartment with a windowless central area myself.  Maybe someday I'll be rich and join the sky-dwellers in a condominium somewhere convenient.

But even back in 1997, the dream of a home in the sky was already the new residential dream for Tokyo, as is evident from this paragraph I wrote on that March day in 1997:

[1997/3/18] - The perfect life in Tokyo?  That would be something like this:  An apartment in a new high-rise with a balcony overlooking one of the more attractive areas of the city, and another house or apartment about an hour or two from Tokyo via Shinkansen.  You would have enough money to regularly eat out at the infinite number of expensive restaurants, and you would have both the money and connections necessary to get good seats at the best concerts.  Every weekend you would leave the smoke for some clean air in the country.  Because you've got it set up with work that can be done at home, you could just stay in the country for a couple of weeks at a time when you're sick and tired of life in the MegaCity....

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://lookback1997.blogspot.jp/
http://tokyoht.blogspot.jp/

The Priority Seats Incident

I was on an evening commuter train last night, and while the train was stopped at a station and loading/unloading passengers, I saw an older man (late-sixties?) about to sit down in the last vacant spot on one of the Priority Seats, when a young woman (early twenties?) zoomed in front of him and sat down.  He stared at her and looked like he really - very badly - wanted to sit down.  She froze out his existence and pulled out something to eat.  I glanced at her heavily made-up face nonchalantly munching away on something, and immediately felt an arctic chill.

"Well, just another mini-drama on the trains..." I thought, and then another young woman parked herself in front of Ms. Antarctica, and suddenly I heard - spoken in the strange style of some of the current crop of twenty-something-year-olds (speech that sounds as if there are a few marbles in their mouth, and spoken as though they have taken a solemn oath to avoid intonation as much as possible) - "Would you like to sit down?" directed at the standing young woman.  As she accepted, I glanced at her and thought "She doesn't appear to be pregnant...", but after she had sat down, I noticed there was a small pink badge on her handbag that appeared to indicate that she is indeed pregnant.  "Ah... that's interesting!" thought I.  "I hadn't realized they had instigated that system.  Seems like a good idea...."

Meanwhile, the older man was having a hard time of things.  At this point, I detected the smell of alcohol, and he had given up on standing, and was sitting on the floor of the train, so there were multiple issues it seemed.  But no sooner had he sat on the floor and leaned back against the end-of-carriage door, when the handle swung down and hit him in the head as a young man opened the door and entered from the neighboring carriage.

The old man struggled to his feet for the young man changing carriages, and then sat back down on the floor.  After the next station, another spot within the priority seating area opened, and he sat there - looking like it was an effort just to stay on the seat.

And... um... end of story.  I got off the train soon after that, wondering a little about what the old man's story was, and also struck with the great contrast between Ms. Antarctica's freezing him out and her marble-mouth no-intonation offer to the pink-badge pregnant woman to sit down.  Mind you, I have no complaint/criticism with the kindness directed towards the pregnant woman - it was just the *contrast* in radio waves coming from the same biped that was striking.  "Respect for the aged"?  More like "Contempt for the aged".

Actually... it being a pain to explain, I wasn't going to even try, but something is begging for comment here.  a) In the 1950's there was a big baby boom in Japan, and those kids are the current crop of old people.  b) The twenties crowd?  They are the spoiled kids of the bubble years (and lower in number than the 1950's baby boom crowd).  c) There are endless stories in the media about how armies of retiring old people are overloading the pension system, since there are not enough young people paying into the system.

So what do you get with that combination?  a+b+c=(?).  I don't know what the answer is, but from personal encounters, I get the impression that growing numbers of spoiled young people think that the older generation is the enemy of their future prosperity.  Throughout it all, we can thank sensationalist and idiotic television reporting for tirelessly contributing to the devolution of humankind.

Oops.... Positive Thinking!  Positive Thinking!

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://lookback1997.blogspot.jp/
http://tokyoht.blogspot.jp/

2014 Ginza, Tokyo Tower; 1992 Tamagawa Walkabout, Tokyo Bus Ride, Keio Branch Lines, Etc.

There's too much to summarize easily, but a few things stand out.  After not going up inside Tokyo Tower for about 20 years, I spent a few hours (on March 6th, 2014) spanning the sunset, and took views from both the lower (150-meter) main observatory and the upper (250-meter) observatory.

Going back to 1992, I spent a fair amount of time walking along the Tamagawa River on a couple of different occasions, and there are views of a couple of short branch lines, first the Seibu-Tamagawa Line, and then the Keio-Dobutsuen Line.

It would be ideal if I could now watch all of the videos again and comment in detail on each of them, but there just isn't time, so I'll just comment on a few of the videos - mainly based on the titles and my memory of them without watching them again.

JR to Hibiya Transfer at Ebisu JR線-日比谷線恵比寿駅乗り換え 131003
http://youtu.be/DQZIJVE_ybY

Hamamatsucho Sidewalk Stroll 浜松町道の様子 131205
http://youtu.be/TyNJg2aRWxc

雪の日 - 平成２５年２月８日午前中 140208
http://youtu.be/CrSVEiu3zhE

新宿駅隣の工事現場 Construction Site by Shinjuku Station 140221
http://youtu.be/FbmUMEQFyvA

Departing Shinjuku Station - Construction Site Etc 140221
http://youtu.be/oeibdbDjPNc

Chuo Line Side Window View - Nearing Tachikawa 中央線立川辺り 131125
http://youtu.be/-NH2_KoWA10

新橋駅-有楽町駅 京浜東北線 Shinbashi to Yurakucho 131205
http://youtu.be/xJW6tqaV6EU

Light Installation at Ginza Gallery-403 (131205n)
http://youtu.be/uENdUQOC3w8

有楽町駅-東京駅 京浜東北線 Yurakucho to Tokyo KT-Line 131205
http://youtu.be/xDw7Kk-AfrU

上り中央線窓風景 Inbound Chuo Line Side Window View 131205
http://youtu.be/blIxoc17jgg

恵比寿駅で日比谷線がやってくる Hibiya Line at Ebisu 131205
http://youtu.be/pECj4A91RmU

Keihin-Tohoku Line Departing Yurakucho 京浜東北線の出発 131205
http://youtu.be/42yykM02bos

新宿思い出横丁 Shinjuku Omoide-Yokocho 140221
http://youtu.be/OYhpXkYzDhY

Early Stage Construction in Hamamatsucho 140220
http://youtu.be/jUy_1cSL1IQ

Maruyama Norio 丸山則夫 Photo Exhibition at Art Space Rondo 140220
http://youtu.be/MAlD8qnCqIE

Yurakucho Crosswalk and Hybrid Bus 有楽町 140220
http://youtu.be/OhXXmzH5pEA

Ginza 4-Chome Quick Lookaround 140220
http://youtu.be/tkanKp3Ziuc

(Note: While this picture is from Ginza 4-chome, it's separate from the video, and this exact angle isn't in the video.)

Kyobashi Night Construction 京橋夜地下鉄工事 140220
http://youtu.be/0HNV29RN3x8

Innovative Barrier Near Tokyo Station 140221
http://youtu.be/zwkwK8Xb1VI

Up until now, the stairs leading down to underground spaces (shopping malls, subway systems, etc.) have usually been open at the top, with a single metal shutter towards the bottom of the stairs that is closed at night.  I guess they want to stop people using the stairwells as shelters in the middle of the night.

Road in the Suburbs on a Snowy Day 140208
http://youtu.be/ObuBtIvokGc

Quiet Snowy Morning One February Day 140208
http://youtu.be/mcRkpHtvCo4

Snow Along Tamagawa-Josui Canal 多摩川浄水隣の雪 140208
http://youtu.be/VG6ovf8YCrs

Snow Along Chuo Line Near Tachikawa 立川駅近くの中央線雪 140210
http://youtu.be/570Vk4c5HFI

中央線の雪 日野駅辺り Snow Along Chuo Line Near Hino Station 140210
http://youtu.be/WM2i9u5idkY

日野駅-豊田駅 雪の中央線 Hino to Toyoda - Snow View 140210
http://youtu.be/uXQ1UsivIr4

豊田駅-八王子駅 雪の中央線 Toyoda to Hachioji - Snow View 140210
http://youtu.be/FvZYOKPrGzU

日本橋駅-京橋駅 銀座駅 Nihonbashi to Kyobashi Ginza Line 140207
http://youtu.be/UMpkjUqeIt4

Plum Tree Blossoms at Temple in Shinjuku 新宿区のあるお寺の梅の花 140218
http://youtu.be/-gmxU24LrLs

Spring is on the way - with the very early blooming plum trees promising warmer days to come....

Plum Tree Blossom Close-Up 梅の花 140218
http://youtu.be/TvmsgZbdr1s

穴八幡宮見回り 雪の様子 Anahachimangu Lookaround Snow View 140218
http://youtu.be/Q7fZZ_3B6GI

Boarding Tozai Line at Waseda 早稲田駅で東西線を乗る 140218
http://youtu.be/IQo8Z1yPcD0

大手町駅-日本橋駅 東西線 Otemachi to Nihonbashi Tozai Line 140218
http://youtu.be/DfmCDEyw-DE

Kyobashi Office Tower Construction 京橋のビル工事 140218
http://youtu.be/J9tkJIUrkKY

東京駅内のコンコース Tokyo Station Concourse 140218
http://youtu.be/xTBqwp6PP7Q

東京駅-神田駅 夜中央線 Tokyo to Kanda - Night Chuo Line 140218
http://youtu.be/t35dtrUcxXI

Saiwai-Jinja 幸稲荷神社 幸神社 140220
http://youtu.be/fjNixFUfdEk

1992 Distant Suburbs (920504)
http://youtu.be/pyzoSHmX1Qw

1992 Shibuya Hibiya-Koen Etc 渋谷 日比谷公園など 920503
http://youtu.be/rfDl9xIL14g

1992 大塚 巣鴨 駒込 田端 新宿など Otsuka Sugamo Tabata Etc 920510
http://youtu.be/zLXPc6-u-1g

1992 Bus Ride Etc 市内のバスなど 920511
http://youtu.be/OKzdKReMSmY

The buses in use 22 years ago were one level inside and usually (always maybe?) had wooden floors.  You had to climb up stairs coming in and then climb back down when getting off the bus.  The city buses now have adjustable-height suspensions and just one step to get into the bus.  That low height is at the front end of the bus and there are steps leading up at the back of the bus (to get up over the rear engine).

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-玉川学園前駅 Hibarigaoka to Tamagawa-Gakuen-mae 920513
http://youtu.be/3sN9CJp3tNs

1992 玉川学園前駅辺り Tamagawa-Gakuen-mae Walkabout 920513
http://youtu.be/zxZVLPCtw3A

1992 玉川学園前駅-新百合ヶ丘駅 Tamagawa-Gakuen-mae to Shinyurigaoka 920513
http://youtu.be/TIsWmyhYUIA

1992 新百合ヶ丘駅辺り Shinyurigaoka Walkabout 920513
http://youtu.be/oyWJ7nU_dgc

1992 新百合ヶ丘駅-新宿駅 小田急線 Shinyurigaoka to Shinjuku 920513
http://youtu.be/4pqJf07T0jc

1992 新宿駅-ひばりヶ丘駅など Shinjuku to Hibarigaoka 920513
http://youtu.be/4wgLGmcXVA4

1992 Hibarigaoka Parco Under Construction 工事中のひばりが丘Parco 920513
http://youtu.be/ii0r_tQofSA

1992 東京彼方此方 Tokyo Here and There 920514
http://youtu.be/nFk3ECLWFrY

1992 Construction Near Railroad Crossing 踏切と工事 920514
http://youtu.be/O93_wae0Yyc

1992 東京彼方此方 Here and There in Tokyo 920517
http://youtu.be/pyOMkqBOAxw

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅辺り Hibarigaoka Walkabout 920524
http://youtu.be/Beq7iMwhQ1o

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-登戸駅 Hibarigaoka to Noborito 920524
http://youtu.be/uhHXjQYmcuk

1992 Freight Train Passing Ikebukuro Station 池袋の貨物電車 920524
http://youtu.be/zWIo_Mkl1sw

1992 Trainspotting at Noborito Station 登戸駅の電車 920524
http://youtu.be/gbMBs_K2uQw

Before exiting Noborito Station and beginning a long walk (below), I stayed on the platform for a while and took pictures of several passing trains - including a couple of different types of Romance Car trains.

1992 登戸駅からの散策散歩 Noborito Walkabout 920524
http://youtu.be/bJgVPk2AB5Q

This 38-minute video covers a long walk I took from Noborito Station, much of it along the Tamagawa River.

1992 川の隣 日の黄昏 Riverside Evening 920524
http://youtu.be/_UiEOtJrtq4

1992 多摩川から二子多摩川園駅まで Tamagawa River to Station 920524
http://youtu.be/F4h6Hv08dw0

1992 二子多摩川園駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 Futako-Tamagawaen to Hibarigaoka 920524
http://youtu.be/NHBKO_3DI5M

The station name has since changed from Futako-Tamagawaen to Futako-Tamagawa (dropping the "en" at the end).

Huge Construction Zone Near Kokubunji Station 国分寺駅近くの工事現場 140225
http://youtu.be/MzsTmgcDOwE

This area of cleared land is remarkable for the amount of space they cleared to make it.  There were a lot of smaller buildings here that had to be removed to make this much space.  You don't often see so much space cleared in Tokyo.  Typically they shoehorn buildings into much smaller spaces than this.

Black Road Construction 140226
http://youtu.be/jBo-U9rPuuk

高尾駅の空中央線車両 Empty Chuo Line Carriage at Takao Station 140226
http://youtu.be/yfcgl7EqcRI

Y's Arts Exhibition in Room-508 140227
http://youtu.be/1gW4JmF39gY

Osaki Evening Elevated Walkway 夕暮れの大崎 140228
http://youtu.be/fxKw-ist8Bw

立川駅-八王子駅 中央線 Tachikawa to Hachioji - Chuo Line 140303
http://youtu.be/gRCKg2EokOw

Atrium Announcement Echo 140304
http://youtu.be/_5OSc8JVM-8

Wet Reflections on Stone 濡れた石の反射 140227
http://youtu.be/LLG0hJf0v24

Mostly Boarded-up Tunnel Exhaust Fan Sounds Etc 140227
http://youtu.be/pNsv-gy7sPQ

I took this video specifically to record the sound - as this is slated for demolition and I thought the sound characteristics peculiar to this tunnel should be recorded.

新宿駅工事と電車 Construction Area and Trains at Shinjuku 140228
http://youtu.be/XOFdf7PIqgg

湘南新宿ライン東海道線直通特別快速 新宿駅から大崎駅まで SSLTCTK 140228
http://youtu.be/5bjrNmumDjQ

丸山則夫 猫たち展示会-ア Maruyama Norio - Art Space Rondo Exhibition 140304
http://youtu.be/WVf5q_V-cjY

丸山則夫 猫たち展示会-イ Maruyama Norio - Art Space Rondo Exhibition 140304
http://youtu.be/8snQoVdhdog

Front of Okuno Building at Night - March 2014 140304
http://youtu.be/nbX-rmH2QM0

1992 Saturday Nishi-Shinjuku Etc 土曜日の西新宿など 920314
http://youtu.be/PEgYmE8uNog

1992 葛西駅辺りと彼方此方 Kasai Kawasaki Here and There 920426
http://youtu.be/xTS-JT3vF8Q

Train Leaving Platform 電車のホームから出発 140225
http://youtu.be/fPHoeorTT3U

Temple View-360 in Central Tokyo 140227
http://youtu.be/tyIn7p_vLJQ

Nighttime Ginza 4-Chome in the Rain 夜の雨銀座四丁目 140227
http://youtu.be/nfvDIqmw8og

Boarding Train at Osaki 大崎駅で電車を乗る 140228
http://youtu.be/yFAdlQGIEoE

下落合の永川神社-ア Early Spring at a Shrine 140304
http://youtu.be/qmBIrW0eGHU

下落合の永川神社-ｲ Early Spring at a Shrine 140304
http://youtu.be/KZI86obB9hE

さかえ通り商店街 高田馬場駅へ向かう Takadanobaba Sakaedori 140304
http://youtu.be/NyxwtUQ5w1s

高田馬場駅東西線入り口 Takadanobaba Tozai Line Entrance Number One 140304
http://youtu.be/XxxDDGzKL9c

1992 Shinjuku - Trains and Buses Etc 新宿 電車やバスなど 920315
http://youtu.be/XNNaGL4-CSA

Basement Passage of Kokusai Forum 国際フォーラムの地下通路 140304
http://youtu.be/x9Hl9o5vMlA

If I had been in this passage before, I'd forgotten about it.  In any case, I was surprised how nice it was, as I generally don't like underground spaces very much.

Marunouchi Lights 丸の内夜の光風景 140304
http://youtu.be/MZDr5UNg1Ts

Marunouchi Night Scene - Cold March Wind 丸の内夜風景 140304
http://youtu.be/0Q6cd3kVGgc

Down to Train at Otemachi Station 大手町駅 降りて行くと電車を乗る 140304
http://youtu.be/DEM49g5YzFM

Over the years, I've used Otemachi Station a lot, but most of my time in the station has been spent in long connecting tunnels, going from one line to another, or desperately looking for an exit.  So I was surprised at how quickly I found myself on the platform when I took this video.

西武新宿線 高田馬場駅から出発 Seibu Line Departing Takadanobaba 140304
http://youtu.be/WQ02BDGp4lI

Train and Cell Phone 電車と携帯電話 140225
http://youtu.be/Ck9q9YjJXPU

No deep meaning exactly, but I like the way this one looks.  Big City life, and all that.

新宿駅の電車 中央線 山手線 総武線 Shinjuku Trains 140225g
http://youtu.be/TDPuQTjvNJY

Hilltop Park in Central Tokyo 中央東京にある丘上公園 140227g
http://youtu.be/qnDbQnRV91c

東京駅の夜ホーム 元中央郵便局の屋根からの風景 140304g
http://youtu.be/QAHxnWkctj0

Reserved Seat Express Train Passes Kokubunji Station 国分寺駅 140306
http://youtu.be/MY8RVmFPBVY

Waiting for a Train at Tokyo Station 東京駅で電車を待っている 140306
http://youtu.be/cjIrbe1SHzg

東京駅-品川駅 京浜東北線 Tokyo to Shinagawa Keihin-Tohoku Line 140306
http://youtu.be/ww0UNKf1OFM

品川駅-大井町駅 京浜東北線 Shinagawa to Oimachi Keihin-Tohoku Line 140306
http://youtu.be/qs7MIqfSN40

大井町駅-下神明駅 東急大井町線 Oimachi to Shimoshinmei - Tokyu-Oimachi Line 140306
http://youtu.be/1yNNay6CnkQ

Waiting for a Train at Shinagawa 品川駅で電車を待っている 140306
http://youtu.be/tprmumBx7y0

Tokyo Tower 16 Riding Main Elevator Down 東京タワー大展望台からの下りエレベーター 140306
http://youtu.be/6ReXXaSQFQM

Boarding Yamanote Line at Hamamatsucho 山手線を乗る 浜松町駅 140306
http://youtu.be/GcHr5S4bWqQ

Tokyo Tower 01 Riding 1st Elevator Up 東京タワー 140306
http://youtu.be/iJu619-tBxM

Tokyo Tower 02 Waiting for Elevator to Special Observatory 東京タワー 140306
http://youtu.be/Mp4FEgvhYvc

Tokyo Tower 03 Riding 2nd Elevator Up 東京タワー特別展望台行きエレベーター 140306
http://youtu.be/mZ9vFxVVxMk

Tokyo Tower 04 2nd Stage Daytime 360-Look 東京タワー特別展望台の見回り 140306
http://youtu.be/BVgxnvlFI4Y

Tokyo Tower 06 2nd Elevator Exit Area in the Daytime 東京タワー特別展望台エレベーター出口 140306
http://youtu.be/bz7UHDsClTQ

Tokyo Tower 07 Daytime Main Observatory Both Levels 東京タワーの昼大展望台 両方 140306
http://youtu.be/F-G78xqnlh4

Tokyo Tower 08 Twilight  Main Observatory 東京タワー夕暮れの大展望台見回り 140306
http://youtu.be/Dy3FTqc94PY

Tokyo Tower 09 2nd Stage - Nighttime 360 Look 東京タワー特別展望台見回り 140306
http://youtu.be/2hU5IBlKG7w

Tokyo Tower 10 Special Observatory - Nighttime-360 東京タワー特別展望台見回り 140306
http://youtu.be/cZ7hjJ9VzA4

Tokyo Tower 11 2nd Stage Waiting for Elevator 東京タワー特別展望台 140306
http://youtu.be/wFiqJ2vwk0Q

Tokyo Tower 14 Riding 2nd Elevator Down 夜の東京タワー 特別展望台下りエレベーター 140306
http://youtu.be/n84GCk6MAlk

Tokyo Tower 15 Main Observatory - Both Levels 東京タワーの夜大展望台見回り 両方 140306n
http://youtu.be/8FhKeRBnne4

浜松町駅-新橋駅 夜の山手線 Hamamatsucho to Shinbashi - Yamanote Line 140306
http://youtu.be/28TaoPCZrD4

1992 Nakano and Shinjuku Etc 中野と新宿など 920429
http://youtu.be/_pHoVB6_xmc

1992 A Few Brief Random Scenes 920429
http://youtu.be/APOpXE_TcVE

1992 中央線 埼京線 西武池袋線など Trains, Etc, 920501
http://youtu.be/fAB8MOzOaWg

1992 Nakano 中野など Etc 920709
http://youtu.be/Rbjdfo6upHs

1992 Hibarigaoka and Nakano Etc ひばりが丘と中野など 920710
http://youtu.be/IWO2p6Z12S8

1992 西武多摩川線 武蔵境駅-是政駅 Seibu-Tamagawa Line 920711
http://youtu.be/UV3xfAb66lw

1992 多摩川散策散歩 Tamagawa River Walkabout 920711
http://youtu.be/6_bU-UZPT_8

1992 京王動物園線 高幡不動駅-多摩動物公園駅 Keio-Dobutsuen Line 920711
http://youtu.be/9Jg6LdmA-HI

1992 京王線 上り電車の窓風景 Keio Line Evening Window View 920711
http://youtu.be/2WfDpoBGp1w

After making a transfer from a branch line, I got on an express, and there's a fairly long stretch of looking out of a window on the express train as it sped towards Shinjuku in the evening.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://lylehsaxon.blogspot.jp/
http://lookback1997.blogspot.jp/
http://tokyoht.blogspot.jp/