SUBWAYS BACK.......loads of pics from Japan

[SubwayHypes]

So ive got over 300 pics/video from my two week vacation to Tokyo Japan.  I stayed primarily in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku, shuffling between my hotel and my grandpas apartment.  I also went on a day trip to Kyoto to visit my grandmas temple grave.    But it was a blast, and i can only upload them so fast..so heres the first section from the first few days there.  Enjoy and make sure to check back.

 

 

e231 yamanote

^did you guys know they still run these?  i was shocked to still see them!  

tozai line

odoriko

e211 tokaido at shinagawa yard

 

There will be more trains, im gonna be sprinkling in visits along with the trains.

We visited the Subway Museum, where i first got inspired by the double decker layout idea.

 

 

quite an impressive HO scale layout...

 

love the subway look, definately want this in my new layout

oedo line

oedo line

tozai line

 

and if you didnt see in the other thread...my two week haul from tam tam and other various shops lol.  

 

thats it for today i gotta go to work....but make sure to check back ive got hundreds more pictures!

[Guest ___]

Good to see you back. Was jsut thinking about asking where you've been earlier today when I logged on,

[to2leo]

Glad you had a fun and fulfilling trip.  Seeing all the treasures you bought, I was a bit like you from the last trip I went across Japan.  Cannot wait to see more.  BTW where is the subway museum?

[westfalen]

Looks like you enjoyed Japan, and the hobby shops enjoyed you too.

 

The subway museum looks like it might be worth a visit.

[disturbman]

Only 300+ pics/videos?! Did you miss a 0 or two?  I made 10 Go worth of pictures when I was in Japan last April and May. Ok, I stayed a bit longer than you but still 300 is a bit short.  Ok, I'm playing with you. I'll be more than happy to see what you have to share with us. :)

 

The subway museum and its layout it's already quite impressive. I like the layout's feeling. It looks like a maze.

 

Man! I need to go back to Japan!!! :(

[Bernard]

Subway - Glad to see you're having a great time in Japan. Are you visiting your grandparents? I like the shots of the underground subway station on the layout with the lighting.

Oh...and glad to see you back!

[CaptOblivious]

Wow, I really didn't have any idea that JRE was still running 200's with the original livery. When I was there, I saw plenty of 200's, but they all had the new blue/white two-tone livery.

[Guest ___]

Wow, I really didn't have any idea that JRE was still running 200's with the original livery. When I was there, I saw plenty of 200's, but they all had the new blue/white two-tone livery.

 

Odd, while in Tokyo, I did not see a single 200 with the blue and white, but rather the green on white on the 200's. 

[SubwayHypes]

Guys the subway museum is just the tip of the iceberg.   No where near as impressive as the new JR railroad museum, which i will have pics of later.

 

i dont want to post too much pics of either museum so those who havent been there can still have some surprises though.

 

the old 200s with green are apparently run as local shinkansens now.   I noticed that on ALOT of lines in japan right now they are running old livery, 211s, 203s, and old subway lines too.  For the new Fukudoshi Subway line, that runs from Shibuya to Ikebukuro, they are running old Chiyodas and Yurakucho lines with new stickers.

 

So on the second day we went to Roppongi Hills and ate the best tonkatsu i ever had..the insides were a rare pink, its 30 bucks for 5 pieces its from a special pig.

roppongi hills is a must see...lots and lots of food

sooo hungry

went train hopping and found myself on the 217 Yokosuka

mega giant tower they are building

i love yards

took the Keihin line to some cool aquarium..old 203

with the ferris wheel behind it

japanese mountain river scene

too bad theres no N scale!  racetrack at toypark ginza

ginza at night

taxis waiting at Ikebukuro station (at 1am, when the last yamanote comes, people flood out and into cabs)

Ikebukuro party district...(yes we did see Yakuza.  they usually wear long sleeved shirts to hide their tattoos)

people watching world cup

 

 

next day hopped the Tokyu Toyoko Line to Yutenji, to visit this cool train curry place, and an N gauge place

two of my faves, the Tobu line and Toyoko line, both of which run along the Hibiya subway line

you must visit this resturant, awesome curry and lots of train stuff

old tickets (i used to collect these..no one uses any more its all SUICA card)

whats this??

low and behold, its a train with a plate of Tonkatsu Curry!

 

thats it for today...check back soon there will be more to come.

[SubwayHypes]

after the curry place there is an N gauge stop right down the street...pretty small shop called Little Japan, they specialize in the Tokyu Toyoko lines as you can see from their layout and train display

[westfalen]

You have to tell us where to find that restaurant.

[Bernard]

Great photos. Is slot car racing big over in Japan? A few places around me tried making a comeback but sadly they didn't make it.

[grumbeast]

Awesome pictures!

 

  The food has made me very hungry.  What are those things you snapped through a window?  I don't even know if it's meat or a pastry of some kind!  ( I want to eat it regardless :)

 

Graham

[SubwayHypes]

the resturant is located off the Tokyu Toyoko line, at Yutenji station.  When you take the main exit, just head left down the street that runs parallel to the tracks.  its literally right around the corner and has a big locomotive in front.

 

not sure about the slot car racing, i saw that layout at Toy Park in Ginza, and immediately thought it would be cool to run doube track along the whole length, with like 10 lines hah.

 

the food in the first pic is Tonkatsu at Roppongi hills.  the second picture shows Yakitori chicken balls and other random meat sticks.  and yes its hungry, and yes thinking about them makes my stomach growl.  Japan has the best eating, when i came back to the states i sat around my house like DAMN, im hungry, but theres nothing out there except Subway or JacknBox....

[westfalen]

the resturant is located off the Tokyu Toyoko line, at Yutenji station.   When you take the main exit, just head left down the street that runs parallel to the tracks.  its literally right around the corner and has a big locomotive in front.

 

not sure about the slot car racing, i saw that layout at Toy Park in Ginza, and immediately thought it would be cool to run doube track along the whole length, with like 10 lines hah.

 

the food in the first pic is Tonkatsu at Roppongi hills.  the second picture shows Yakitori chicken balls and other random meat sticks.  and yes its hungry, and yes thinking about them makes my stomach growl.  Japan has the best eating, when i came back to the states i sat around my house like DAMN, im hungry, but theres nothing out there except Subway or JacknBox....

Thanks, I'm going to try and get there when I'm in Japan on an Australian railfan tour in a month's time, it looks like a good place for us to go for dinner one night. You're making me look forward to the trip as much for the food as the trains. 'Japanese' food in Australia just doesn't cut it after you've tasted the real thing.

[SubwayHypes]

hey westfalen if you are in tokyo between july 21-august 8th, the annual N guage railshow is going down at Matsuzakaya in Ginza....they turn the whole top floor of the department store into N gauge paradise, with dozens of layouts that you can play around with, and all the major brands are out there hawking their new stuff.

 

definately check that out...im angry i missed it! 

[westfalen]

hey westfalen if you are in tokyo between july 21-august 8th, the annual N guage railshow is going down at Matsuzakaya in Ginza....they turn the whole top floor of the department store into N gauge paradise, with dozens of layouts that you can play around with, and all the major brands are out there hawking their new stuff.

 

definately check that out...im angry i missed it! 

Afraid I'll miss it too, we arrive in Japan on August 24th.

[to2leo]

Hey Westfalen,

Are you sure you cannot make it a few days early? 

There is also the 11th JAM Convention from 2010/08/20 to 2010/08/22.

http://jam.gr.jp/

[SubwayHypes]

Kato Headquarters off Oedo Line. 

 

look at that cool ski lift.

nontraditional yes...

[SubwayHypes]

just a peek at whats ahead..

[Claude_Dreyfus]

How cool is that shop! 

 

Looking forward to the next installment after your rather naughty taster picture...

[westfalen]

Last time I went to the Kato store was back in 1994, looks like it's about time I paid them another visit.

[cteno4]

LOL i see goji is even on the Kato layout! now the jrm layout seems more authentic!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[ShinCanadaSen]

Are those Kato pics of the Tokyo Store? or their head office? Are the Trains in the Glass Wall Cases Display or for sale? Just curious :)

[to2leo]

The store and head office are together while the actual manufacturing facilities is somewhere else.