Massive Transit.

The expanse and usage of Tokyo's metro and rail line is nothing less than staggering. Tokyo's subway lines carry over 7 million passengers per day and are operated by various private companies and government agencies. Additionally, the East Japan Railway (JR East) line, which serves Tokyo and connects to other large cities in the region, carries 16 million passengers daily. Annually, that comes to 5.9 billion passengers per year on the JR East, making it the largest passenger railway company in the world . Nationwide, 21.6 billion passengers use the JR system per year, compared with 1.7 billion in Germany and 1 billion passengers per year in the U.K.

Other facts for the JR East:
Number of stations: 1,697
Average Daily Train Runs: 12,527
Passenger Line Network: 7,527 km
Number of Employees: 77,009 (57,975 at parent company)

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When the Shopkeepers Sleep.

After WWII, Ueno's Ameyoko Arcade was known as one of the city's prime black-market districts, and even now, the area seems to be one of Tokyo's grittier areas. After the shops shut down, the crowds shift a few blocks over to fill the pachinko parlours, seven-story karaoke joints, and dimly-lit caverns that satisfy those in search of more lascivious escapades.

With the absence of people and clutter of shopkeepers, the top image reveals the underbelly of the bridge as a machine that provides factory-like duct work and piping for water supply, ventilation of kitchens, electricity, and air-conditioning to the hundreds of shops and eateries below the train line.
The deserted arcade almost feels like an evacuation zone by night, though one shopkeeper perseveres a little longer than the rest. Is he hawking clearance items, or must he earn a few extra Yen for the day?

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Under the Bridge.

Cabs wait patiently for passengers to file out of the train station.

It's remarkable how no space goes unnoticed or unoccupied. The space below the railway lines and freeways are used here by small eateries and vendors hawking everything imaginable. In other areas of town, these spaces are occupied by high-end department stores and restaurants. The unintended but beautiful consequence is that these places become cacophonous and disjunctive zones of activity, where anything can be expected.

Around the Neighborhood.

Within a few km sq...

Ueno Park... Expressways snaking through the city... One of the 2M+ vending machines in the city... Unsecured bikes (the norm in Tokyo)... and sashimi in the market below my apt...

Welcome to Tokyo. Why blog?

Why Blog?

For the next several months, I'll be living in Tokyo, the world's largest mega-city at roughly 35 million people according to United Nations statistics. It has the sprawl and expressway network of L.A., with the energy and density of New York City. We can learn much here about the future of cities. Add to that an extraordinary appreciation for design and craftsmanship, and Japan becomes an ideal setting for a student of architecture to visit.

I hope this site helps me to do a better job of keeping in touch with those who aren't near. Join me on the journey!

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