The Tokyo Traveler » trains http://www.thetokyotraveler.com About Tokyo for travelers, visitors, and residents. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:30:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Nihon on the Net http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/nihon-on-the-net-7/ http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/nihon-on-the-net-7/#comments Sun, 25 May 2008 11:00:06 +0000 http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/nihon-on-the-net-7/ Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

]]> Bring your own chopsticks three times and you could win a new pair!  Just the latest eco-conscious promotion in Japan.  But the best eco-conscious product has to be the solar powered bra that you can use to charge your I-pod.

Noma Uma The Japanese have brought native Noma horses back from the brink of extinction and you can now see one of these adorable miniature horses at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

As incomes rise, more Asians turn to cosmetics that promise a lighter skin color.

Neon orange paint balls are the newest crime-fighting innovation in Japan. I’m not sure how effective they will be as the robbery victim needs to have a good arm in order to hit the perpetrator with the orb so that the authorities can track the suspect down!

Video footage of the rush hour on a Tokyo train platform.  Anderson Coopers’ commentary is cute and, for you trivia lovers, the ‘pushers’ are called oshiya in Japanese.

Photo Credit:  FLickr, white beauty

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]]> http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/nihon-on-the-net-7/feed/ 2 Trains in Tokyo – The Yamanote Line http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/trains-in-tokyo-the-yamanote-line/ http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/trains-in-tokyo-the-yamanote-line/#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 11:00:59 +0000 http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/trains-in-tokyo-the-yamanote-line/ Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

]]> In addition to the Tokyo Metro subway system, there are traditional train routes that allow you to traverse the city with ease. The Yamanote Line is circular route operated by the JR East Japan Railway Company. The line is 34.5 kilometers (22 miles) around, has 29 stops and provides transportation to approximately 3.5 million riders each day. Trains depart every two to four minutes in each direction from 4:30AM to 1:20AM each day and it takes approximately one hour to complete a ride around the Yamanote Line.

Yamanote Line

Since the track is above ground, taking a trip around the Yamanote Line is a great way to get a sneak peak at some of the areas of Tokyo that you might want to check out in more detail and train lovers will just enjoy the ride. You will also find that the trains cars are temperature controlled so it’s a great way to rest your feet after a long day of sightseeing and you will be cool in the summer and comfortable in the winter.

It’s not uncommon to use a combination of JR and Tokyo Metro lines to get to your destination in the Tokyo Metropolitan area and the Suica Card that I mentioned in Taking the Subway – Tips and Tricks also works on the JR Lines. To purchase a ticket for a ride around the Yamanote Line loop without the Suica Card follow the instructions provided in Taking the Subway – The Basics.

Peruse the JR Greater Tokyo Route Map to see all of the other lines operated by the JR East Japan Railway Company and use the Tokyo Transfer Guide to plan your trips in and around Tokyo with ease.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Yamanote

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]]> http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/trains-in-tokyo-the-yamanote-line/feed/ 10 Nihon on the Net http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/nihon-on-the-net-4/ http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/05/nihon-on-the-net-4/#comments Sun, 04 May 2008 09:46:11 +0000 http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/nihon-on-the-net-4/ Post from: The Tokyo Traveler

]]> image Japanese Royal Tombs opened to Scholars for the first time.

It will cost Japan approximately $100,000 dollars to redesign a commemorative coin because of a copyright dispute with a Brazilian artist.

A new high speed train service connecting Tokyo to Kanagawa Prefecture utilizes a “secret” train track under Tokyo.

Bobby Valentine, a baseball manager for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan, thinks that Major League teams in the US should send players to the Olympics.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Birra Coin, Like

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