New Yamanote trains

The 山手線 (Yamanote Line) is a train line in Tokyo.
Unlike other some of the other numerous train lines in Tokyo, this one never leaves metropolitan Tokyo. It has some trains going clockwise and some going counter-clockwise in a loop around the major stations in Tokyo. A full loop around every station on the Yamanote Line takes almost exactly one hour…but the longest you’d have to ride it is a half-hour (since it goes in both directions).

The Yamanote Line is easily identifiable because the trains are lime-green in color.

JR (Japan Railways), the company that runs many train lines all around Japan…including the Yamanote Line, began using new, updated trains on the Yamanote Line yesterday.

This is the first time this line has gotten new trains since 2002. I remember when the 2002 trains came out…they seemed so “modern”. But the new 2015 line make those trains look outdated!

The new Yamanote Line train attracted a crowd when it was shown to the public yesterday (photo from TV Asahi).

These new trains has considerably less advertised posters on the train walls. Instead, it has many more digital monitors.

As I mentioned above, the Yamanote Line runs in metropolitan Tokyo only…normally!
Yesterday, as it was the first day for these new trains…one Yamanote Line train made a special trip to Kamakura, about an hour south of Tokyo!

Coincidentally, we drove to Kamakura yesterday (Click here to see my photos).

Japan brought back the steam locomotive

Have you ever visited Japan? Even if you haven’t, maybe you’ve heard about Japan’s excellent, clean, safe, affordable, extremely punctual and high-tech public transportation system.

Especially in big cities such as Tokyo, there are train and subway stations and bus stops all over the city.

The trains, subways, and buses are on time to the minute. They’re very comfortable…upholstered seats, air-conditioning in the summer and heated in the winter.

The fare can be paid with the swipe of a convenient IC-card.

And, of course, the trains and subways are electric. It’s been that way for decades. Japan hasn’t used the steam locomotive (SL) for a long time.

But, for something fun to do this summer (especially for families with young boys) and also to show support to Fukushima, Japan Railways (JR) will offer the chance to ride on a steam locomotive train.

This is only temporary (for the summer of 2011) and also the trains will only run in the countryside area of 群馬県 (Gunma Prefecture), north of Tokyo.

Have you ever ridden on a steam locomotive? If you’re able to visit Gunma, Japan this summer, this is your chance.

粗挽きマグマチーズバーガー

I recently wrote a post about Lotteria’s “Tower Cheeseburger“.

(Click here to read it).

I also mentioned last year that, in Japan, spicy food is popular in the summer and I showed some of the spicy menu items that were on the fast food menus in Japan last year.

(Click here to read that post).

Well, for this summer, the Japanese hamburger chain “Becker’s” (which is owned by Japan’s largest train operator, Japan Railways (JR)) is currently offering a new spicy burger on their menu.

It’s called 「粗挽きマグマチーズバーガー」 (“Magma Cheeseburger“).

It costs ¥820 for the burger, fries, salad and a drink or ¥470 for just the burger itself (単品).

I saw the Meiji train

It’s not such a big deal but I rode the 「山の手線」 (Yamanote Train Line) yesterday and I finally saw a Yamanote Line train that was painted brown and decorated with Meiji Chocolate ads to commemorate the 100th anniversary of both the Yamanote Line and Meiji Chocolate.

I wrote a post about these special trains when they debuted (click here to see it).

I was glad that I was finally able to see one of these trains because they will only run until next Friday (2009 December 4)!
Unfortunately though, I didn’t have my camera with me…so I was only able to take a photo of it with my cell-phone.

Here’s the photo I took:

ニュース

Some items I’ve heard on the news recently:

• A woman in her fifties asked a man in his twenties to stop playing a noisy video game on a crowded commuter train in Saitama, Japan.
  At which, he became irate and insulting…and began to punch her in the face!
  He managed to break the woman’s jaw before other commuters restrained him!

• Another man in his twenties pushed a elderly woman off of a train platform in front of an oncoming train at 東京駅 (Tokyo Station).
  She was hit by the train…but luckily the train was already coming to a stop and her injuries weren’t life threatening! The man, of course, is being charged with attempted murder.

• Beginning April 1, 2009, Japan Railway (JR) train stations in Japan will become completely “smoke free“.
  Currently, every station has designated smoking areas…but starting next Wednesday (April 1), every station will be entirely “no smoking”.

• There is a new disturbing current trend among teenagers in America. It’s called “Sëxting“.
  “Sëxting” is the act of teenagers (usually girls) taking photos of themselves n@ked or semi-n@ked with their cell-phone camera and emailing them to friends.

• Toyota (currently the #1 car maker in the world) may be forced to help bail-out America’s “Big 3” car makers (Ford, GM, and Chrysler).

• The American rock band KISS is planning to release their first studio album of new songs in eleven years in September 2009.