1200-year-old Wisteria on the Tobu-Noda Line

EMU Tobu 8000 series arrives at Nanasato Station on the Tobu-Noda Line

 

Wisteria is a pea family plant commonly seen in the low-mountains in Japan. It is a pale purple flower in the middle of spring. The natural wisteria in the mountains is definitely attractive; but artificial ones, grown using a trellis, is more gorgeous and impressive.

Look at the following photo. It is a full- blown wisteria tree seen in Ushijima Wisteria Garden of Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture. Amazingly, it is not a group of trees, but a single tree grown on the trellis. In other words, you can see only one trunk of the wisteria in the center of the trellis. What a horizontally extensive tree it is! More surprisingly, the oldest wisteria in this garden is 1200 years old. It was designated as a national treasure in 1928.

Why has it been able to survive for such a long time? It is because this garden used to be a part of an old temple. In early May, flower lovers flock to this beautiful garden to enjoy the advent of spring.

To get to this precious spot, take the Tobu-Noda Line and get off at Fuji-no-Ushijima Station. The Noda line is a circular route in the eastern half of the Tokyo metropolitan area, connecting Omiya and Funabashi. The major fleet on the route is an EMU 8000 series (see the top photo), which was launched in 1963. It is rather old, but a new model, the EMU 60000 series is planned to be introduced on the line later this month.

I will report on the 60000 series soon.

An old wisteria tree near Fuji-no-Ushijima Station on the Tobu-Noda Line

The Tokyu 7000, Smart Train in the Residential Area

EMU Tokyu 7000 series leaves Kamata Station on the Tamagawa Line

 

I can't believe it's the middle of the June already. We are halfway through this year. Although the maximum daytime temperature is still lower than 30 degrees Celsius, the sunlight is very strong down here in Tokyo as it is an early summer.

One sunny day, I visited a friend of mine, who lived in a residential quarter in the southwestern part of Tokyo on the Tokyu-Ikegami Line. When I was waiting for my train at Kamata Terminal, I came across the latest model EMU, the 7000 series (see the top photo).

The 7000 series was commissioned in 2007 to replace old models on the Ikegami and the Tamagawa lines. So far, a total of 7 sets, 21 units, have been manufactured by Tokyu Sharyo. One of the features of this train is its body size. Different from the other major rolling stock on the Tokyu lines, the 7000 series is a smaller sized train (18m in length per unit) with smaller number of doors (3 doors on one side per unit).

I was fascinated by the 7000 series. The design is smart as a train of the fashionable urban residential areas. The green colored body is totally new, since most of the Tokyu trains have red stripes on the stainless steel bodies (see the following pictures). The interior of the 7000 series is also attractive for me. Specifically, the heavily used wood-grain walls offer the passengers peace and comfort.
 

EMU 7000 series (left) and the other rolling stock stand at Yukigaya Rail Yard,Tokyu-Ikegami Line

 

More information about trains on the Tokyu Lines (in Japanese):

http://www.tokyu.co.jp/railway/railway/west/gaiyou/sharyou.html

June Bride on the Kashima Line

EMU JR East 257-500 series, "Ayame", heads to Itako City on the Kashima Line

In June, the bells perhaps ring nonstop in churches in Western countries. The girls in the West must dream of being a June bride. But, it doesn't necessarily apply in Japan, as June is a hot and humid rainy season here. It is not suitable for a wedding ceremony or party in general. The only exception is Suigo (the water country) in the eastern part of the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Suigo lies astride the prefectures of Ibaraki and Chiba. Being surrounded by large rivers and lakes, it is known as the water country. The small rowboat has been a means of transportation for local people since medieval times. Suigo is also known for iris flowers in June. We can view colorful blossoms in the glade. It is the most gorgeous season of the year in Suigo.

In June, the bride in Suigo embarks the small wedding boat and marries into her bridegroom's home (see the following photo). The full blown iris adds grace to the traditional ceremony. Today, the wedding boat is one of the most popular events in Suigo.

To get to this traditional water country, take the JR East Kashima Line and get off at Itako Station. It takes about two hours from downtown Tokyo by limited express "Ayame (iris)" (see the top photo). You will find a beautiful iris garden only a few minutes' walk from the station. The dock of the wedding boat is also located near the iris garden.

Boardng a wedding boat, the June bride marries into her bridegroom's home in Itako City

Train Pictures on the Yurakucho Line

EMU Tokyo Metro 10000 series stands at Shintomicho Station on the Yurakucho Line

It is a matter of supreme indifference to ordinary passengers; but, subway trains are annoying for rail photo lovers.

One of the problems is its dark environment on the railway track. Some rail fans shoot subway trains only on the surface tracks during the daytime instead of on underground tracks; but, such "subway" tracks are limited in Tokyo (see my blog on July 15th, 2011). Even if we can take the train photographs on the surface, it is a "not-subway-like photo", anyway. I recommend you shoot a subway train, which stands at an underground station, using a slow shutter speed with your camera. As you may know, shooting with the flash on is prohibited, because it will distract a train driver from his/her safe operation.

The next hurdle is the design and structure of the station. Most rail photo lovers wish to shoot the whole train including the bogies. So, you have to find a suitable station for that purpose. A separate platform is an idealized condition, because you can shoot the whole train from the opposite platform. But you still have obstacles, which are pillars between your position and the subway train. You have to carefully choose a station without pillars between the two tracks. For instance, Shintomicho on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line is an idealized spot (see the photos). You must be able to shoot the whole train....oh no! Platform doors are hampering the photo.

Rail fans' troubles never seem to end.

EMU Tokyo Metro 7000 series stands at Shintomicho Station on the Yurakucho Line

Silence within the City on the Marunouchi Line

EMU Tokyo Metro 02 series stands at Yotsuya Station on the Marunouchi Line

 

Tokyo is a super high density city. More than 30 million people live in this small metropolitan area. It has been expanding above, underground and horizontal for the last 400 years. It is a truly exploding city. Tokyoites are always busy. The city center is full of noise such as cars, promos seeping through speakers, people's chatter and so on. We really need oases of relaxation even in the city center area.

Don't worry, we have some. Along with the outer garden of the Imperial Palace and the garden of the Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen is an idealized spot for relaxation. Shinjuku Gyoen is a large garden, which is located in the Shinjuku sub-center area. It was originally a residence of a feudal lord family in the Edo period (1603-1868). Afterwards, it became a garden under the management of the new government. It is now a park under the jurisdiction of the national Ministry of the Environment.

Today, Shinjuku Gyoen is a recreation area for the general public. We can see beautiful gardens such as British, French and Japanese styles. It is a very quiet area even in the center of the bustling city (see the following photo).

To get to this urban oasis, take the subway Marunouchi Line and get off at Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station. It takes only 5 minutes from Shinjuku to Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station on the red train, EMU Tokyo Metro 02 series (see the top photo).

Feel the silence within a bustling city.

Japanese style garden in Shinjuku Gyoen near Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station