After a looooong wait, we finally have a shinkansen line here in Kyushu. Service started the day after the Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami and aftershocks. Those events put a big damper on the festivities, but the trains are running, and boy, are they nice. The above photo is at Kurume station where there are both smoking and non-smoking rooms while you wait for your train.

You’ll need to know if your train is a 6- or 8-car train, so you line up at the correct gate. It makes a difference because the trains will have a different place to stop depending on their length.

I had a reserved seat, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but, as you can see, the train I was on was not crowded. In fact I was the only one on my car. I could have saved some money by buying a non-reserved seat. You really need to know how busy a train will be at any particular time.

The seats are comfortable, and there is at least one 100V, 60Hz electrical power outlet for every two seats. The front seats at the bulkhead each have their own outlets.

I haven’t ridden the shinkansen in years, so I’m not sure about the power outlets in the other lines of the JR systems. I have to assume they also have power outlets available. I’m hoping to have more chances to ride the trains a write about those experiences.

[Editor's note: The above photos were shot with the best camera (is the one you have with you): my iPhone 4. I thought it did pretty well in both bright and dark conditions.]

Thanks to everyone for your concern. Please keep the Japanese in your thoughts. We hope for a speedy recovery.

The Department of Environmental Resources heads out each year to clear out some local areas in Kumamoto. This year we went to the mountains near Nagomi Town and cleared out a lower area of some tree growth. There were lots of weeds and much brush to cut and move. The area you see here was pretty grown-over and needed some work. After doing the cutting, we took a break and had a bento. The weather was cold in the morning, but was perfect around lunch time. Students brought the cut material down and divided it into wood and brush piles. The plan was to have a barbecue after, but was postponed. Thank you all for a great job!

To their credit, the forecasters are having to deal with the latest rainy season I can remember.

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If you’re in Fukuoka, you shouldn’t have to go very far to find an Ichiran. You may have to look carefully, though because they’re not very big. Once you find one, walk in and look for the ticket machine, like the one above. As you can see, there aren’t many things to choose from, and there are photos for each of the items they sell. It all revolves around the ramen, so get one of those and anything you want to go with it.

Once you have your tickets, you may need to wait for a place to sit. Look at the panel of lights near the seats and wait for the same number of blue lights as your party, but be forewarned that if it’s too crowded, you may have to sit separately. As you’ll see, not sitting with your friends may not be a big deal. Once you get the blue light, go sit at your number.

Here’s your space for eating. It’s not big, but remember, the focus is on the noodles. As you can see, I’ve got my chopsticks ready.

If this is your first time, you can run through the checklist sitting in your spot. Chopsticks? Check. Glass of water? Check. Ticket? Check. Order form? Oh, yeah, mmmm, how should I have my ramen prepared today…?

The most important part of the meal is choosing how your noodles come out. This is all done on the form that is waiting for you when you sit down. If you have eaten ramen at many places, you will realize that this form is an incredible addition to a noodle shop! Virtually all ramen shops pride themselves on the food they make, and you mostly get what they prepare.

At Ichiran, you choose, in the following order, the strength of the broth; the fat content of the broth; optional sourness; the amount of garlic; what kind, if any, of green onion or leeks; optional slices of pork; the amount, if any, of their “special” spicy sauce; and how firm you want your noodles. The shop in Canal City has an added option with half a boiled egg.

There was an English version available at the Canal City shop. Your mileage may vary.

One final note is that the Canal City shop serves its ramen in beautiful rectangular bowls (is it a bowl if it isn’t round?) Take off the lid, and…

enjoy!

I understand there’s a shop in Kumamoto. That one is high on my list of restaurants to visit next…

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When I was up in Tokyo for the JALTCALL 2007 conference in June, 2007, I had my trusty Panasonic Lumix DX-10 at my side. I thought I would take some shots of my travels around the city. I didn’t have much time for that because I was busy going to presentations, and when I wasn’t doing that, I was lugging my bag around (note to self: take the rolling bag next time).

I did manage to take a few shots. I mostly got shots of the Tokyo Metro System, but I did get one of the the JR system in Tokyo.

I grew up in Southern California, so I was new to subway trains in 1985 when I went to both Mexico City and Japan for the first time. If you’re a subway train veteran, thanks for reading this far. You’re free to go. Since I walk to work now, I still have to acclimate myself whenever I head into the big city (we do have a street car here in Kumamoto! )

Basically, you want to find your stop on the map above all the ticket machines, look at the price to get there, put your money in, and get your change and ticket.

Follow the crowds to the wicket, go through the section with a green arrow, and remember to take your ticket out as you walk through (you’ll need it again to get out of your station).

Look around and up, and find your train line. Make sure you check the direction and stay on that side (I still have a tendency to move to the side dodging people and forget which side to be on), so you don’t head off the other way or on another line. I almost got on another line on the way home the last day. Hey, it was Shinjuku station, and there are at least 20 tracks!

Head out of the train at your stop, and look for the signs that show you what is near each exit.

It is important to go out the right exit, or you could have a really long walk to get around to the other side of the station. As you leave the station, have your ticket ready. You need it to get back out; it will not come back to you when you exit.

If you get stuck, there are lots of maps in different scales to help you get your bearings.

You can also ask any of the workers on the platform or the windows. Remember, everyone wants to help you get where you want to go. Just smile, and say the name of where you want to go.

One huge difference I noticed this trip (it’s been at least four years since I spent any time in Tokyo) was the change in the signs on the trains. They are all electronic now, so the signs change as the trains move down the line, with the present and next stop in big ol’ letters. That made it harder for me to miss a stop.

Another tip is to not ride during peak times. This worked out for me every ride except Saturday night getting on the Yamanote loop line. I just kept walking until I saw a little space on one of the cars. I exhaled to get as small as I could, and I pushed my way on. Two more people got on after me, so maybe you get the idea of how crowded it can get. I understand some of the train lines use the conductors to push people on during the heaviest times of the day. Fun, fun, fun!

[Editor's Note: This entry was originally written June 14, 2007. It has be redone (now with photos! )]