Posts Tagged ‘transportation’

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)

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)

The Japanese Train That Gives You Space To Dream

Japan is a train enthusiast’s paradise. Not only do the trains run on time, they run all over the Japanese Archipelago, in great abundance and variety. The Shinkansen is a well-known symbol of Japanese technological prowess, but it is also possible to travel all over Japan at a more leisurely pace on luxury trains that rival the finest Europe has to offer. One example is the Hokutosei which, according to the train aficionado’s magazine, Koshitsu Ressha, is one of only three trains in the world with a private sleeping compartment boasting its own bathtub.

Named for the Big Dipper, the Hokutosei runs the 1215 km from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Sapporo Station in Hokkaido, and back again, daily. There is a special limited express called the Hokutosei Yumekukan (Hokutosei Space to Dream) which includes the spacious “Excellent Suite”, with en-suite bathtub. It takes up one third of a carriage and at \105,220 for two, is the most expensive private sleeping compartment on any train in Japan. The other two trains that boast en-suite baths are both found in South Africa. The Yumeikan’s facility rather pales in comparison with those of the South African trains, either of which could grace the bathroom of a luxury home. Koshitsu Ressha’s reviewer complains that the Japanese train has the kind of “unit bath” that can be found in most business hotels. He urges that next time, since this is supposed to be the most luxurious train in Japan, Japan Railway should most definitely put in a bath made of Japanese cypress.

New Keisei Skyliner

Keisei Electric Railways have unveiled a new design for their Skyliner:

The new Skyliner will begin service between Ueno Station and Narita Airport in 2010. With a top speed of 160 km/hour, it will cut the current Skyliner travel time between the airport and Nippori Station by about 15 minutes.

Maglev Trains Between Tokyo & Osaka

Ready for ultra-fast maglev trains between Tokyo and Osaka? They’re on their way, but it will take almost 20 years:

A new shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka using magnetically levitated (Maglev) trains, which is expected to begin operations in 2025, will start from either Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) officials said.

The company had been considering selecting the starting station of the line from among Tokyo, Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama stations.

Moreover, JR Tokai intends to limit the number of stations in the middle of the new Chuo Shinkansen Line to ensure long-distance passengers can travel in a short period of time. The current Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will mainly serve short-distance passengers and will make more stops.

More details on the new Linear Chuo Shinkansen can be found at this site.

Car Hit By Express Train

Video evidence of the horrible damage an express train can inflict on a car that does not move out of its way:

[The event shown in the video occurred yesterday on the JR Kagoshima Line in Fukuoka Prefecture. The 73-year-old driver of the car was unable to flee before the train arrived and was killed.]