/ Japan

Kyoto Trains

Even though yesterdays train trip reservations appear to have gone okay, today we decided we did not need to push our luck. Kyoto is easily reachable by the normal train system, and with the express happily putting its foot down, doing up to 130km/h through the stations, it would beat any other route we could try to work out anyway.

Washinoko for Scale

And so we visit another indoor favorite: the Railway Museum! Partly so that we ensure ourselves that the 500s used to come in other colors than pink. I'm actually a little surprised that it was the 500 which has been repurposed as the "local" line in West Japan as opposed to the 700 series. Though this may also have happened before they were getting rid of their 700 series trains and then didn't feel the need to perform yet another migration of downgrades.

The museum has definitely picked up a couple of new things since I was last there. Like a sample SOS button to ensure that people know what to do if something happens. And I can ensure you, there are many kids in the Japan today with first class experience at that button. And triggering the alert sound. That can be heard across 3/4 of the museum. I do wonder how many of those kids discover how many other places those buttons can be pushed at.

But of course the goodies remain as well, like the transparent ticket machine seen above in 1/4 speed. Ticket inserted upside down to trigger the additional mechanism for flipping the ticket. The slower mechanism on the left is actually printing a small train on top surface of the ticket. And then spits it out upside down. That last part is not how these machines usually go ... but presumably a consequence of their printing mechanism.

You think the signal might be red?

And of course the model railway too.

I tried going for a Jazz club tonight. Ended up finding some fairly small, built into the exit corridor of the subway place, with live music performed by the owner and whoever he can muster. Interesting place. Would have been much more so if I wouldn't have arrived 10 minutes before things were wrapping up. Definitely a cool mood though. Maybe I'll have to return now that I know slightly more about their schedule.

Not expecting to be kicked out quite so early (it's only 10pm, come on!) I just went to relax on top of the Osaka station again. Until they kicked me out too ...