Deaparted Japan - arrived United States

[greatcats]

I have made two posts in recent weeks about touring Japan by train. Dining cars and observation cars and domes are not to be found ( there are a few sleeper trains, which I did not ride ) but the efficiency, frequncy, punctuality, and cleanliness, plus professionalism of the crews continues to impress me. The more interesting rides are not the Shinkansen ( Bullet ) trains, but the more rural, slow trains that wind through the countryside and over myriad bridges and tunnels, such as the 2+ hour trip Miyazaki to Kagoshima around the southeast side of Kyushu. This had the oldest looking equipment that I was on - the coach interiors were fairly nice, but the vestibules were appearing rather beaten up. The nicest equipment and the newest, was the partially completed Shinkansen running north out of Kagoshima for about 40 minutes - beautriful upholstered high back seats framed in light wood. That line in another two years will be complete up to Hakata. the roadbed appears to be largely complete, separate from the regular trackbeds - miles and miles of concrete elevated structure, with little grades and gentle curves. My last ride was the swift express back to Narita Airport. Two lines come in from the western parts of Tokyo and are coupled together far underground in Tokyo Station, and then run nonstop to Narita.

Northwest ( now part of Delta ) brought me back smoothly to Portland, Oregon, where I had left my car at a friend's house, having come down from my summer tour bus job in Alaska in early Oct. I am now driving to Arizona and am staying in Klamath Falls, Oregon tonight. A few hours ago I drove over to the station to observe the Coast Starlight, which had arrived 30 minutes early. Baggage, transition sleeper, 3 sleepers, Parlor car, DIner, Sightseer and 4 coaches. A man was complaining loudly to the station staff that he had been thrown off the train for smoking. He was loudly protesting his innocence. Now I was wrongly accused a few years ago by a coach attendant of smoking in the rest room, which was not the case. I was quite emphatic with that attendant, and that was the end of the discussion. Frankly, my impression of this guy was that he was full of beans. One seldom, if ever, encounters this type of behavior in Japan. The highlight of my six weeks there was not the scenery, not the trains, but the Japanese people. Oh yes, I love the food, too. Most of my limited Japanese vocabulary ( I am unable to converse beyond a few words ) has to do with sushi!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for the posts, I hope to ride the Japanese trains someday, Im sure its a lifetime memory,thanks for sharing.

Hope the culture shock of returning to Amtrak isnt too bad!

 

[DET63]

A man was complaining loudly to the station staff that he had been thrown off the train for smoking. He was loudly protesting his innocence. Now I was wrongly accused a few years ago by a coach attendant of smoking in the rest room, which was not the case. I was quite emphatic with that attendant, and that was the end of the discussion. Frankly, my impression of this guy was that he was full of beans. One seldom, if ever, encounters this type of behavior in Japan.

Is smoking permitted on trains in Japan? It seems that on a lot of high-speed trains, smoking is permitted, but only in certain cars, or even just parts of certain cars.

 

[greatcats]

A man was complaining loudly to the station staff that he had been thrown off the train for smoking. He was loudly protesting his innocence. Now I was wrongly accused a few years ago by a coach attendant of smoking in the rest room, which was not the case. I was quite emphatic with that attendant, and that was the end of the discussion. Frankly, my impression of this guy was that he was full of beans. One seldom, if ever, encounters this type of behavior in Japan.

Is smoking permitted on trains in Japan? It seems that on a lot of high-speed trains, smoking is permitted, but only in certain cars, or even just parts of certain cars.

Yes, smoking is permitted on some trains. It is still permitted in some restaurants, too, but it is apparent that it is being gradulally clamped down on.

 

[jis]

My last ride was the swift express back to Narita Airport. Two lines come in from the western parts of Tokyo and are coupled together far underground in Tokyo Station, and then run nonstop to Narita.

The Tokyo station complex is quite amazing. And it has a living example of new extensions built deep under an existing station, sort oflike what is being done at GCT and Penn Station in New York. Both the new through line used by the NeX and also the Keiyo Line extension station are deep under Tokyo station and seem to work quite well. The motivation for going deep is the same, that is to get under everything that existed before so as to minimize disturbing existing things.