Posts Tagged ‘trains’

Yokohama Monorail

“Nanikore” finds a hospital in Yokohama that has its own private monorail line:

The monorail was built 16 years ago to provide free transportation to the hospital, which lies on top of a very steep hill. It takes about 3 minutes for the monorail to travel the full length of its 200-meter track. It may seem kind of ridiculous, but because many patients are elderly or too sick to climb the hill, it provides a very useful service.

(At the end of the clip, they say that the monorail isn’t just for hospital patients. If you want, you can go there and ride it just for the enjoyment of experiencing a mini monorail.)

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Garage Shaped Like Japanese Train

A retired man in Hyogo prefecture has built a miniature replica of a Hankyu Railway train car:

He is using it as a garage for his motorcycle. When he uses a remote control to open the garage door, it plays a railroad crossing sound.

The man says his next project will be a miniature Sky Tree.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Nasal Voice Announcements in Japan

FTV asks foreigners what they think of the way Japanese train conductors make all their announcements in a nasal voice (hanagoe):

The practice apparently dates back to when trains were loud and clanky and had low quality microphones and speakers. Announcements made in a nasal voice were easier to hear over all of the noise.

The TV show stopped Japanese people and foreigners and asked them to listen to train announcements in a normal voice and a nasal voice. Eight out of ten Japanese people preferred the nasal voice. The result for the foreigners was the exact opposite: eight out of ten foreigners thought the normal voice was better.

According to the foreigners interviewed, Japanese trains also have more automated announcements than other countries. Some countries, however, have even more elaborate announcements: In Spain, automated train announcements are presented in the form of a conversation between male and female voices.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Schwarzenegger Rides Japanese Bullet Train

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Japan last week to research the possibility of using Japanese technology for high speed rail lines in his state. Here’s a clip of him riding one of the newest Shinkansen trains:

He made a short trip in a shinkansen bullet train on Tuesday as a part of Japan’s campaign to promote its high-speed train technology.
The governor arrived at Tokyo Station on Tuesday and boarded a new E5 series train.

East Japan Railway plans to introduce the train on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, which runs from Tokyo to the north of the main island of Honshu, in March of next year. It can travel at up to 320 kilometers per hour.

While making a round trip to Omiya Station, north of Tokyo, the California governor heard details on the train from transport ministry officials and East Japan Railway executives, observed the driver’s area and tried out the seats in first class.

Schwarzenegger, whose state is considering building a high-speed train network, said the shinkansen was quiet and futuristic and that he was impressed by the technology and infrastructure.

As you can see from the NTV news clip, Arnold’s last name it way too friggin’ long to write out in katakana, so it’s just put up on the screen as “Shuwa” [シュワ].

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Backpacker’s Guide to Narita Airport

You can save around 1500 yen when you purchase the JR’s Narita Express & a Suica card combo if your purchase it at the airport.  It’s a special deal only for those who can present a foreign passport at the time of purchase. 

Watch this video for details on where and how you can get it:

It’s a great deal and is highly recommended. Just keep in mind you might be getting off the train at one of the busiest stations in the world.

—
Contributor Bio – I was born and raised in Tokyo. I have spent over 15 years in Japan. Schooled in NYC. Used to be a dual citizen, US and Canada. My Grandpa’s military and he married a Japanese women. Today I hold only the Canadian passport. I have three YouTube channels where I post videos frequently.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Top hotels for Japanese train lovers

The “Mezamashi TV” morning show recently had this countdown of the top 5 hotels for railway fans:

1. Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo – This hotel overlooks Sapporo station. You can see the trains of Hokkaido, as well as the many special trains from Honshu such as the Hokutosei and the Twilight Express.

2. Miyazaki Kanko Hotel – From certain rooms in this hotel you can see a railway bridge over the river. Many different rail lines share the bridge, allowing railfans to observe a wide variety of trains one wouldn’t find in the Tokyo area.

3. Hotel Associa Shin-Yokohama – This hotel, which opened just a few months ago, offers a fantastic view of the bullet trains that pass through Shin-Yokohama station. It offers special rooms for railfans that are decorated with shinkansen-themed items. The hotel also has kid-sized shinkansen conductor uniforms so that parents of little railfans can take some cosplay photos.

4. Hotel Century Southern Tower – Located by Shinjuku Station, this hotel offers a great few of the many trains that travel through the busiest train station in the world. Guests can also receive a special paper weight created from track used by Odakyu railways.

5. The Kawasaki Nikko Hotel – Its rooms overlook JR Kawasaki station, allowing railfans to view trains from several major lines: the Tokkaido main line, the Keihin-Tohoku line, and the Nambu line. Fans who want to get a last look at the 208-Series trains used by the Keihin-Tohoku line should hurry up and get a room now, since they will be replaced by the end of this year.

Each of these hotels has an English language homepage, which means they probably have staff members that can speak English. If you’re a railfan and want to experience the best these hotels can offer, you should probably contact them directly and inquire about any special plans they have for railway viewing.

—

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)