Fastest Train in the World

Incredible! The maglev train under development in Japan just broke its own record today at 603 km/h. World record speed. I really want to ride it.

I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

The very same day that I posted the R story for the A to Z Challenge, which features a discussion about a maglev train, in real life, a maglev train set a record.

In Japan, there’s a train line under construction from Tokyo to Osaka that will be the fastest in the world. The test today achieved a speed of 603 kilometres per hour. While the train line will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, it won’t be until 2045 that you can go between Tokyo and Osaka.  That’s 30 years in the future.  However, it’ll take just over an hour between those two cities.  Incredible speed. Here’s a video of the test run.

I would love to ride on this.

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Things Forgotten on the Train

A couple days ago, as I was coming home, I noticed that someone had forgotten a couple things on the train.  Actually, it was two people that forgot things.  It was so unusual that I had to get it on video when we arrived at the terminal.  No one on the train, so no problem (people have problems with pictures and videos being taken on the train.  You know, privacy concerns).

Usually, people forget their umbrella on the train.  I see that often.  But this time, a cell phone?  That’s unbelievable.  Maybe they had it in their pocket, and it just fell out as they got up to get off the train.  The earphones were also unusual.  But I can understand that they could fall out of a bag accidentally.  Another time, I saw two full bags of shopping.  Yes, groceries.  Someone forgot that on the train.  I saw them get on the train with the food, but how could they forget the bags?

Well, take a look at this video, where I talk about the forgotten things on the train, as well as a bit about cicadas and bats.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen on a train?  Was it in Japan?  Or another country?  Leave a comment with your answers.

Densha Otaku Spotted

Here’s a quick video I took on Monday of a densha otaku, or a train fanatic.  I usually don’t get the opportunity to find one in such an empty train station, but I did this time.  After capturing him briefly on video, I then did my impression of a densha otaku.

Namiki-chuo Station platform

The Yokohama New Transit Seaside Line is a people mover in Yokohama’s Kanazawa Ward. It differs from traditional railways in a couple ways.  It doesn’t run on rails, it runs on a guideway with rubber tires.  Also, it has no driver.  It’s completely automated.

Yesterday, we went to Costco, which is near Namiki-chuo Station.  I took this picture on the platform, which is completely enclosed.

It’s mid-afternoon, so no big crowds yet.

2012 Picture of the Week (44/52) – Yokohama Seaside Line

The Yokohama Seaside Line isn’t a traditional train.  It runs on rubber tires on a guideway, and it’s fully automated.  There is no driver.  It runs between Shin-Sugita Station and Kanazawa-Hakkei Station.  This picture is taken under the line.  The entire line is elevated.  Also, a little news.  Today, this blog reached 50,000 views!  Thank you very much!  And now the picture.

Seaside Line bridges.

Sotetsu stamp rally

Recently, a stamp rally started in Sotetsu train stations, and from what I can tell, it’s pretty popular. In Japan, many train companies hold a stamp rally, which encourages people to visit every station on a train line and get a stamp. Sotetsu (Sagami Tetsudo) runs one every summer.

What I find interesting is that while it’s popular with boys, it also seems to be popular with elderly men. I was a bit surprised.

I wonder if the stamp rally increases ridership. I haven’t noticed, but I always see children carrying the stamp book to collect all the stamps. If I were a kid, I’d probably join it. Would you?