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/

1992 Koiwa, Shimokitazawa, Kichijoji, Toei Number-12 Line, Yotsuya, Etc.

This entire batch of videos was taken in 1992, with all (except the two taken in Australia in April) having been taken in February and March of that year.

1992 小岩駅-新宿駅 総武線 Koiwa to Shinjuku via Sobu Line 920201
http://youtu.be/u_ZcXsT5Oqo

1992 雪の新宿 Snowy Shinjuku 920201
http://youtu.be/5rGoZ5MXfew

Coincidentally, as I edited this video of snow in February 1992, there was snow falling in February 2014.  Just a normal thing for areas that always get snow, but Tokyo tends to get very little snow, so each time there's enough of a snowstorm to actually leave some snow on the grown for a few days, it's a bit of an event.

1992 新宿駅-日吉駅-雪ドライブなど Shinjuku to Hiyoshi, Hiyoshi Drive, 920201
http://youtu.be/ElWkbm97zYQ

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-下北沢駅 Hibarigaoka to Shimokitazawa 920208
http://youtu.be/mPuscFLl9to

1992 Shimokitazawa Walkabout 下北沢散策散歩 920208
http://youtu.be/q_25uAp6ClI

These views of Shimokitazawa have come to look historical, now that they've moved the Odakyu Line underground and only the Inokashira Line remains on the surface.

1992年の下北沢駅 Shimokitazawa Station 1992 View 920208
http://youtu.be/Fprt-QZEHYk

1992 下北沢駅-吉祥寺駅 Shimokitazawa to Kichijoji 920208
http://youtu.be/WLQXishzSxA

1992 Kichijoji Walkabout 吉祥寺散策散歩 920208
http://youtu.be/QdcLFP9JOBg

1992 Kichijoji Evening Stroll 吉祥寺夜散策散歩 920208
http://youtu.be/KOFfyf9plro

1992 Chuo Line Night Train Trouble 中央線夜電車のトラベル 920208
http://youtu.be/i_MH_X-cLIE

The trains usually run on time, but things go wrong from time to time.  On the evening of February 8th, 1992, something went wrong on the Chuo Line and people ended up waiting a long time on platforms for the trains to get going again.  Since this was before general cell phone ownership, there were long lines to use public phones on the platform.

1992 Night Streets in Suburbia 夜中の寂しい道 920208
http://youtu.be/6S1zfDX3sE0

1992 東京彼方此方 練馬と中野など Tokyo Here and There 920214
http://youtu.be/sz9gfrLNvac

1992 都営12号線 大江戸線 Toei Number-12 Subway Line Oedo Line 920215
http://youtu.be/MCbkyxA7wyI

Before they decided on the name "Oedo Line", they opened it with just four stations under the name Toei Number-12 Line.  It was a squeaky-new thing when I took this video and technically interesting since it uses linear motors.

1992 光が丘散策散歩 Hikarigaoka Walkabout 920215
http://youtu.be/3A2ZGjuXH5s

1992 成増駅-池袋駅 東武東上線 Narimasu to Ikebukuro Tobu-Tojo Line 920215
http://youtu.be/Cbvs6foYgLw

1992 池袋駅-日吉駅 山手線と東横線 Ikebukuro to Hiyoshi 920215
http://youtu.be/eRKmMUSqWTk

1992年の葛西臨海水族園旅 水上バスなど Trip to Tokyo Sealife Park 920218
http://youtu.be/ZbupF_2mWFM

This shows the recently opened park of the title and also the various construction projects ongoing on the waterfront of Tokyo Bay, including the Rainbow Bridge (which can be seen in the background under construction in the second half of the video).

1992年 小岩駅から歩き出す 瑞江駅まで Walking - Koiwa Station to Mizue Station 920222
http://youtu.be/OL2NuKR-fF0

Not exciting at all, but this shows a side of Tokyo not typically seen by tourists - and in fact I was asked by a couple of people what I was taking video of.  From the expression on their faces, it was clear they were puzzled at the appearance of what looked like a foreign tourist with camera in hand walking around taking pictures.  If they had seen me at a tourist spot (temples, etc.) they wouldn't have thought anything of it, but I don't think they could imagine any reason for taking pictures of an ordinary part of the city.  From my standpoint, it was exactly the ordinary things that I was interested in recording - to make an accurate record of what it's like to live in Tokyo.

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-小岩駅 Hibarigaoka to Koiwa 920222
http://youtu.be/xKF2D762lxA

1992 瑞江駅-新宿駅 都営新宿線 Mizue to Shinjuku - Toei-Shinjuku Line 920222
http://youtu.be/ia3quG1_Ulo

Taking a quick look up and down the platform at each station on the line on my way to Shinjuku.

1992 新宿駅-日吉駅 池袋駅など Shinjuku to Hiyoshi Etc 920222
http://youtu.be/In982cbxb5I

1992 夜ひばりヶ丘駅-夜野方駅 バスなど Night Trains and a Bus 920225
http://youtu.be/esirGsrFg14

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-練馬駅 バスなど Hibarigaoka to Nerima Etc 920228
http://youtu.be/i8xBS6tADSM

1992 新宿など Shinjuku Etc 920317
http://youtu.be/Q8okVkefjhE

1992 ある雪と雨の日 One Snowy Rainy Day 920318
http://youtu.be/YmaNzfJzMrI

1992 新宿と渋谷など Shinjuku Shibuya Etc 920320
http://youtu.be/ppkyh9vPi_s

1992 四ッ谷駅辺り 920324n Yotsuya Walkabout
http://youtu.be/H-lXZ7ejHXs

1992 堀隣のジャングル Jungle Area by Moat in Tokyo 920324
http://youtu.be/S8eFijH6Nx4

This is interesting in that this area has been blocked off for many years now, so if you've seen the stairs leading down the side of the moat and wondered what was down there, this is a way to find out.  Presumably they decided it was too much trouble to maintain and/or it was thought to be dangerous and/or people started using the lower area as a campground... and so they closed it off.

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-日吉駅など Hibarigaoka to Hiyoshi Etc 920321
http://youtu.be/G4SLU6IKNOc

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-中野駅 Hibarigaoka to Nakano 920322
http://youtu.be/JvEYhjsHNu0

1992 日曜日の市内夜バスと電車 Sunday Night Bus and Train 920322
http://youtu.be/BVYxyzvTlJM

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-四ッ谷駅 Hibarigaoka to Yotsuya 920324
http://youtu.be/4rLB7LeoWhk

1992 Segment Intro - Multiple Takes 920325
http://youtu.be/8Kt55ELWf90

There's nothing particularly interesting about this short clip of me doing several takes of a short introduction of the video footage I took of the old shotengai in Sugamo (the "Obasan-no-Harajuku" street), but I thought the process of it was slightly interesting in a historical sense, so I posted it.

1992 Hotel Garden and Revolving Restaurant 920324
http://youtu.be/fFFK8ybwjRw

1992 新宿駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 Shinjuku to Hibarigaoka 920324
http://youtu.be/Ytzsg9y0fLo

1992 踏切と自転車 Evening Bicycle Rush at Railway Crossing 920324
http://youtu.be/Aem9AlXHauY

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-田町駅 Hibarigaoka to Tamachi 920326
http://youtu.be/ZrzCa46e00U

1992 Tamachi Walkabout 田町散策散歩 920326
http://youtu.be/MmClrJSxpOE

1992 田町駅-東京駅 京浜東北線 Tamachi to Tokyo 920326
http://youtu.be/Fq4itNFg0Eo

1992 丸の内散策散歩 Marunouchi Walkabout 920326
http://youtu.be/QBj8Zi00UOU

Back when I took this, I never thought that the Marunouchi area beside Tokyo Station would be so radically transformed....

1992 Cairns Night Stroll Near Hotel (Australia) 920418
http://youtu.be/gU3V5_eMS3k

Just a quick look around the hotel I was staying at in Cairns.

1992 Great Barrier Reef via Tropic Sunseeker Catamaran (Cairns) 920419
http://youtu.be/ykO8QIonoMo

The quick catamaran ride out to the Great Barrier Reef is one of my fonder vacation memories, so I was happy to read that the owner of the "Tropic Sunseeker" boat I rode on in the video (Sunlover Reef Cruises) has refurbished it and it's still in service.  Reading about it on-line, it appears to be the same tour that I enjoyed taking in 1992, so here's the link to their website:

Sunlover Reef Cruises
http://cairnsdiveadventures.com/tour/sunlover-cruises/

Well - so much for this batch.

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 Shinjuku, Big Snowstorm, Otsuka, etc; 1992 Sugamo, Shibuya, Shinbashi, Koiwa Snow, etc."

A couple of things stand out in this batch for me - one, a couple of views of the big snowstorm of February 8th, 2014 (and coincidentally - I didn't go looking for it - views of the day after a big snowstorm in January 1992, taken on February 1st, 1992), and a fairly long look (27:33) at a festival in Sugamo - on the street generally called "Obasan-no-Harajuku" (おばあさんの原宿), although the street is actually called "Sugamo Jizo-Dori Shotengai" (巣鴨地蔵通商店街).  Other than those are the usual train scenes, etc.

Shinjuku Shop Window Reflection 新宿ショーウインドー反射 140128
http://youtu.be/4DzRsClSOyI

Tokyu Milano Exterior at Night 夜の東急ミラノ外部 140128
http://youtu.be/T6JO1S8Tss0

1230AM Kokubunji Station Platform 夜中の国分寺駅ホーム下り線 140131
http://youtu.be/3aceY_qmS1g

新宿駅隣の工事現場 Construction Site by Shinjuku Station 140131
http://youtu.be/E7N8zg3TWRQ

サンモール大塚 土曜日の朝 Sun Mall Otsuka Saturday Morning 140201n
http://youtu.be/mLoDk2brJec

Taken on a sleepy Saturday morning - this area is much more interesting on weekday afternoons.

Functioning Old Manual Water Pump 大塚台公園, Otsukadai-Koen 140201
http://youtu.be/bKHyJOWBjdE

There used to be a lot more pumps like this throughout Tokyo, but there are fewer and fewer of them as the years go by....

Three-Layer Parking Space 池袋にある三段駐車場 140201
http://youtu.be/_fgs0k8IJIY

Entering Seibu-Ikebukuro Station 西武池袋駅に入る 140201
http://youtu.be/qBubzMtP2fo

Saturday Afternoon Tokorozawa Station 土曜日の所沢駅 140201
http://youtu.be/EMbFl2xrSEQ

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 140131
http://youtu.be/emcCzrdD5bc

Gotanda Twilight Concourse 五反田夕暮れのスカイウェー 140124
http://youtu.be/rMrnrORpmv4

国分寺駅-三鷹駅 中央線左側 Kokubunji to Mitaka - Chuo Line 140130
http://youtu.be/FFqMfJYVUxc

三鷹駅-中野駅 中央線左側 Mitaka to Nakano - Chuo Line 140130
http://youtu.be/eI_X9vdd-a8

中野駅-四ッ谷駅 中央線左側 Nakano to Yotsuya - Chuo Line 140130
http://youtu.be/QlhSuXRW970

Hamamatsucho to Shinbashi - Yamanote Line 浜松町駅-新橋駅 山手線 140130
http://youtu.be/KlHaNPnVDD0

新橋駅-有楽町駅 山手線 Shinbashi to Yurakucho - Yamanote Line 140130
http://youtu.be/FDABqc6Gya0

Twilight Osaki Back Area Lookaround 夕暮れ大崎裏の散歩コース見回り 140131
http://youtu.be/xNlvsjNubiI

Tokyo Snow Along Tamagawa-josui Canal 玉川上水隣の雪 140208
http://youtu.be/E6xLqatiigM

This is a look fairly early in the day, after the snow had been falling since the early hours of the morning.  Several hours later, I went back and took a couple more videos in the same general area (when the snow was deeper, since it snowed nonstop all day long).

Osaki Illuminated Trees Etc 大崎イルミネーションの木とか風とか 140131
http://youtu.be/7XA5uzrfkyM

寒い大崎イルミネーションと滝 Cold Windy Osaki Illumination Waterfall Etc 140131
http://youtu.be/V9yATyqecGc

JR高田馬場駅を入る Takadanobaba Station 140201
http://youtu.be/eMrhu_CLjBM

高田馬場駅-池袋駅 山手線 Takadanobaba to Ikebukuro - Yamanote Line 140201
http://youtu.be/U9P3u2RAHzk

大塚駅土曜日の朝ホームの様子 Otsuka Platform Scene on Saturday Morning 140201
http://youtu.be/UofmmlTzG2k

Rail Bridge in Otsuka 大塚にある鉄道れんが橋 Brick and Steel 140201
http://youtu.be/2LPcnZ-vHeA

Lonely Parking Lots in Otsuka 大塚の寂しい駐車場と大通り Main Road 140201
http://youtu.be/tj4_6r-fIzw

大塚辺りの新しい市電を通る New Streetcar Passing Near Otsuka 140201
http://youtu.be/Ho78Zsd94LM

They appear to have replaced most of the streetcars on this line, leaving just a few of the old type still running.

大塚駅隣の見回り 市電とか Looking Around by Otsuka Station 140201
http://youtu.be/Dv6r3H0cPMs

大塚駅市電停 New Type Streetcar Leaving Stop by Otsuka Station 140201
http://youtu.be/LgFDK6lCaxI

南大塚か東池袋の市電踏切 Streetcar Crossing 140201
http://youtu.be/j5AkeO4SRlA

Empty Asphalt Along Streetcar Line 140201
http://youtu.be/RH-LRBWREXs

Higashi-Ikebukuro Backstreets 豊島区東池袋裏道 Toshima-ku 140201
http://youtu.be/vfhPSB99ZQc

東池袋四丁目の市電停とその辺り Higashi-Ikebukuro Streetcar Stop 140201
http://youtu.be/2muEysQxfvE

Watching Trains at Nerima Station 練馬駅で電車ウオッチン 140201
http://youtu.be/rr9DF8kwGxY

所沢駅-東村山駅 西武新宿線 Tokorozawa to Higashi-Murayama - Seibu Line 140201
http://youtu.be/ygTVyaCdJ8E

Evening Shinagawa Station 夕方品川駅 140205
http://youtu.be/Jsnd--wROOs

Twilight Shinagawa Stationside 品川駅隣 湖南口 東口 140205
http://youtu.be/y061G43PcWQ

Shinagawa Station - Walking Towards Ticket Gates 品川駅湖南口東口辺り 140205
http://youtu.be/_NFlaUhIZ4s

Evening Train Departing Shinjuku 新宿駅から電車が出発 140124g
http://youtu.be/feVAG3CD2tE

阿佐ヶ谷駅-吉祥寺駅 夜中央線 Asagaya to Kichijoji - Chuo Line 140204g
http://youtu.be/ZY4vodwPfck

東京の大雪 Tokyo Big Snow Storm 2014 - 140208
http://youtu.be/KT0r4CTaEOs

These two videos (above and below) show the snow near the peak of the big snowfall on February 8th, 2014 - a few hours later, it stopped snowing and the next day, it had already melted down a little.  As I write this (February 12th), the roads are all clear, but the ground is still generally covered with snow.

Tokyo Snow 東京雪の日 雪は、もういいです！ 140208
http://youtu.be/a6e8flu1r9E

1992 Obasan-no-Harajuku Sugamo Festival おばあさんの原宿祭 920124
http://youtu.be/sLyRJ2Vg6zE

This is the area I mentioned at the top of this post - properly called "Sugamo Jizo-Dori Shotengai" (巣鴨地蔵通商店街), but popularly called Obasan-no-Harajuku (おばあさんの原宿).  There is actually some pretty interesting content within this one.  Something I hadn't thought about much at the time, but I realized upon watching this again while editing, is that the man standing in front of a crowd and giving a kind of presentation, is a real-life version of a scene in many of the Tora-san (Otoko-wa-Tsuri-yo) movies.  After watching all the movies in that series, and then (after two decades) seeing this video of mine again, a light clicked on and I thought "Ah!  There it is!  That's part of what they based the Tora-san character on!"

1992 Sugamo to Hibarigaoka 巣鴨駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 920124
http://youtu.be/b0V0pzi57FI

1992 Hibarigaoka to Shibuya ひばりヶ丘駅-渋谷駅 920125
http://youtu.be/84p0AouyfYM

1992 渋谷二丁目の夜 Night Walkabout in Shibuya 2-Chome 920125
http://youtu.be/LZM4LGE4GtQ

1992 渋谷駅-日吉駅-渋谷駅 Shibuya to Hiyoshi to Shibuya 920125
http://youtu.be/u0nnz_pkq8M

1992 渋谷駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 Shibuya to Hibarigaoka 920125
http://youtu.be/4HSCJ0okGSg

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-東京駅-新橋駅 Hibarigaoka to Tokyo and Shinbashi 920126
http://youtu.be/cMZgmcyP6tQ

1992 新橋の日曜日長い散歩 Weekend Shinbashi Walkabout 920126
http://youtu.be/nAU_brOp3kY

This one is seriously long (51:37), and not very exciting (it was taken on a Sunday, after all), although the part where I walk through a small time-slip zone may be of historical interest (I'm pretty certain that area has been demolished and built up since then), and the scene on a rooftop, with the sea of buildings in Shinbashi all around, is kind of interesting (in my opinion it is anyway!).

What I was doing with this one, was walking through the side streets of Shinbashi on my way from Shinbashi Station to Tokyo Tower.  This video ends just as I arrive at Tokyo Tower, and for the trip up Tokyo Tower, have a look at the following video:

1992年の東京タワー Visiting Tokyo Tower in 1992 - 920126
http://youtu.be/qPfPpr5DeOU

After visiting Tokyo Tower, I loaded a new tape in the camera and walked over to Roppongi Station:

1992 Roppongi to Yutenji Etc 六本木駅-祐天寺駅 920126
http://youtu.be/f1MYW1lgXDg

1992 Yutenji to Hibarigaoka 祐天寺駅-ひばりヶ丘駅 920126
http://youtu.be/Gx6vO4SkJGY

1992年の六本木駅 Roppongi Station 920126
http://youtu.be/CmIEK5LNNxU

This view of Roppongi Station is contained within the longer "Roppongi to Yutenji" video further up the page, but I thought it would be good to isolate a view of just Roppongi Station.

1992 Snow - Hibarigaoka to Koiwa 雪の日 ひばりヶ丘駅-小岩駅 920201
http://youtu.be/H8FmZGpir8w

It was interesting to me to come across views of a lot of snow on the ground on February 1st, 1992, since there's a bit of snow on the ground now as well.  For places that regularly get a lot of snow, naturally there it is, year after year, but Tokyo generally gets very little, so the years where a big storm drops enough to pile up and shut down traffic for a day are notable/memorable.

1992 Koiwa Snow Walkabout 小岩雪散策散歩 920201
http://youtu.be/xFWfR2xD6uk

Walking around near Koiwa Station - with a bit of time spend on residential side streets (getting wet and cold feet while taking video).

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/

"1992 Drive to Niigata; Views of Nishi-Ikebukuro, St. Paul's University, Sugamo, Yurakucho, Yoyogi, Takeshita-dori, Etc."

This entire batch is from January of 1992, with the earliest date January 1st, and the latest date January 24th.  I've enjoyed watching these myself, since I've been focusing almost exclusively on 1990 and 1991 with my old material, to the point where I was beginning to feel as though I were stuck in some kind of time warp that kept repeating: February-December 1990, then January-December 1991, and then back to either 1990 or 1991.  So suddenly I feel as though I've broken out of the loop and (historical) time is moving forward again!

That said, I'll be going back to 1990 and 1991 sooner or later, but for now, here are several views of January 1992, including visiting (via car) a ski slope in Niigata, walking through the "Obasan-no-Harajuku" area in Sugamo, and checking out Takeshita-dori in Harajuku on a Saturday night (the area the Sugamo place is referring to with the "Obasan-no-Harajuku" name, which might as well have been called "Obasan-no-Takeshita-dori").

And aside from the timing, which is clearly past the peak of the bubble economy years, an advantage of my 1992 material is that at this point I had been taking videos for two years, so the camera handling tends to be much smoother than was the case in 1990 especially.

1992 Harajuku to Shinjuku 原宿駅-新宿駅 山手線 920101
http://youtu.be/CjpVDa8NsgY

1992 Hibarigaoka to Ikebukuro ひばりヶ丘駅-池袋駅 西武池袋駅 920102
http://youtu.be/dD9aVFHYKgY

1992 Drive to Niigata for Skiing 新潟県までのスキーに行くドライブ 920103
http://youtu.be/jA1PtfUbzjw

If some of my Tokyo footage with the camera panning around frequently has made you dizzy (a common complaint - but it's screen size related... it's best to watch my videos on a not overly-large screen, or if on a large screen, with some viewing distance from the screen), you will probably find this one much easier to watch, as it was mostly taken from the passenger seat in a car, so the motion is mostly of the car, not the camera.  There are nice views of the approaching mountains of Niigata as the car approaches the ski area.

1992 Ski Area in Niigata 新潟県のスキー場 920103
http://youtu.be/o5MQyBqjYtU

Too much panning unfortunately, but the trip was for skiing first and foremost, and video was recorded in a bit of a rush.  Of historical interest possibly is that there are no snowboarders and the skies are the long and narrow type.

1992 Night Drive from Niigata Ski Area to Tokyo 920103n
http://youtu.be/F2f6EKYNs_I

Typical night drive - with the car (talk) radio providing much of the atmosphere of the time.  The car didn't have a navigation system, and cell phone use hadn't taken off yet, so the radio was the one way of pulling in information from afar.  (Around this time, corporate cars and rich people often had car phones, but not many people had their own cell phones.)

1992 Visit to Tanashi Shrine Etc 田無神社など 920105
http://youtu.be/Fjbtj0dmQ1Q

In marked contrast to my visit to Meiji-Jingu Shrine on January 1st, 1992, this visit to Tanashi Shrine in the suburbs of Tokyo on January 5th, 1992 resulted in scenes of a relaxed atmosphere, with just a small number of people visiting the shrine.

1992 池袋 西武池袋線など Ikebukuro - Seibu Line Etc 920111
http://youtu.be/MEsJDQAOlGg

1992 Rikkyo University 立教大学 Saint Paul's University 920111
http://youtu.be/z6_5I6KOJy8

I haven't been back to Rikkyo University since I took this, but I imagine the old wooden buildings that were notable even in 1992 are probably gone now.  The video I took back then was a combination both of just recording things as I went about town, and also of pulling out a map and deliberately going to places that I hadn't yet been to.  Nishi-Ikebukuro would have been a new territory exploratory walk...  Watching this now, it occurs to me that I really should get off my own beaten tracks a little more in 2014.

1992 Nishi-Ikebukuro Walkabout 西池袋散策散歩 920111
http://youtu.be/78MStDs1J3A

1992 Kanamecho to Shibuya 要町駅-渋谷駅 東京彼方此方 920111
http://youtu.be/vGb9YqlKbXM

1992 Shibuya Saturday Walkabout 渋谷土曜日散策散歩 920111
http://youtu.be/QPb4TG1UdoQ

渋谷 / Shibuya

1992 Is It Recording - OK - Late Night on the Chuo Line 夜遅くの中央線 920111
http://youtu.be/6yaBzT6K-1Y

Video cameras were still a novelty in 1992, so people liked being on camera.  This is a record of a cheerful encounter with a couple of men on a late-night train.  The one man looking to and pointing at the right side of the camera (from his perspective - left side from my - and your - perspective) appeared to be skeptical that I really had the camera rolling, so he checked for the red "Recording" light, and seemed happy to see that it was on.

1992 Hibarigaoka to Shibuya ひばりヶ丘駅-渋谷駅 920115
http://youtu.be/vlEy-bg_Po4

1992 山手線-西武池袋線乗り換え Ikebukuro - Yamanote to Seibu Transfer 920115
http://youtu.be/gepc5EnI1L8

1992 大宮八幡宮 和田堀公園など 東京彼方此方 Omiya Hachimangu Etc 920118
http://youtu.be/Sui4Lxt2nEs

This one is pretty hard to follow.  It starts with a ride on a Seibu-Ikebukuro Line train, then goes to JR trains, etc., with a visit in the middle to Omiya Hachimangu Shrine (大宮八幡宮) and Wadabori-koen Park (和田堀公園), followed by a glimpse of Kichijoji Station and more train rides, etc., including on the Inokashira Line.

1992 新宿駅-代々木駅 山手線 Shinjuku to Yoyogi 920118
http://youtu.be/G1QdzLXZ5HQ

1992 夜の代々木散策散歩 Yoyogi Night Walkabout 920118
http://youtu.be/4-HGZ6bgLQY

1992 竹下通り 土曜日の夜 Saturday Night Takeshita-Dori in Harajuku 920118
http://youtu.be/epKBemMT6Rk

I've taken video of Takeshita-dori several times before, but this one - taken on a Saturday night - seems more atmospheric... and is (I think) more interesting than previous views I've taken of the area.

1992 Harajuku to Hiyoshi 原宿駅-日吉駅 山手線 東横線 920118
http://youtu.be/D66Ud7ThwJ4

1992 東横線 山手線 西武池袋線 Toyoko Yamanote Seibu Lines 920118
http://youtu.be/bKu6DYLE7Wo

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-銀座駅 丸の内線など Hibarigaoka to Yurakucho 920121
http://youtu.be/O5ffmiqFEFs

1992 有楽町と銀座散策散歩 Yurakucho Ginza Walkabout 920121
http://youtu.be/XQ6nwH5wtKE

This video of Yurakucho and Ginza includes views (glimpses) of a couple of historical buildings that have since vanished (been eaten by the GCI) - the Sanshin Building and the old theater that was next to the Imperial Hotel.

1992 東京彼方此方 Here and There in Tokyo 920121
http://youtu.be/S4J2ngyCKhM

1992 ひばりヶ丘駅-巣鴨駅 西武池袋線と山手線 Hibarigaoka to Sugamo 920124
http://youtu.be/1akz-3bxlj0

1992 巣鴨地蔵通商店街 おばあさんの原宿 Obasan-Harajuku Sugamo 920124
http://youtu.be/eotDwHwmXxQ

There was a one-day event with hoards of people.  This area is known as the "Obasan's Harajuku" (Harajuku-like area for older women), and you can see the name fits from this video.  (１９９２年 - おばあさんの原宿 - 名前の通りでした！)

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/