Railfanning in Tokyo?

[gisa]

Hi Everyone,


My wife and I decided to take a vacation in Toyko this fall! I can't wait! We'll be going in late November and we're both really excited. She's not really into trains as much as I am :hehe: but I am thinking about doing a bit of railfanning in Tokyo. I've never been there but I hear Shinjuku station is pretty busy...is there anyone here who lives in the Toyko area or who has been there and could give me some advice?

:wave:

Gisa ^^

 

[keimei]

Hi, Gisa.
Unfortunately, Im not familiar with Tokyo area (live in Osaka). Shinjuku is good to meet a ton of trains, I think. As there are no Shinkansens at Shinjuku station, you can meet them at Ueno, Tokyo and Shinagawa. They are also big terminals.

 

[gisa]

Hi Keimei,


I have been to Osaka before ^^ but only for 2 days and most of that was spent running around trying to find my hotel and the Korean consulate...

Thanks for your advice though: I will definitely try the other stations. I'm just looking into what else to see in Tokyo as well. I was hoping to ride the bullet train but it's really expensive and we plan on just visiting Tokyo this time around...

If you ever plan on dropping by South Korea or near Canada, let me know!

:wave:

Gisa ^^

 

[Johnk]

I spent 2 weeks in Tokyo several years ago and did quite a bit of trainspotting. Shinjuku is a massive station with "several" underground and a couple of above-ground lines passing through. The Yamanote line is the one I'd concentrate on. It's above ground and mostly elevated all the way. It encircles Tokyo and takes one hour to traverse. There's so much activity on this line and you get a chance to see all the above ground stuff Tokyo has to offer.

The Tokyo Shinkansen platforms are very busy so spend time there. Then jump a Yamanote train to Ueno Where you will find dozens of assorted trains departing or arriving. Part of Ueno is a dead end so there's some great photo stops there.

I didn't bother with Shinjuku as far as trains were concerned. The Yamanote line looks the same there as it does anywhere else. The cardboard box people are interesting if they're still there.

http://www.nickspics.net/v/Travel/Japan_2009/IMG_2685_850IS.JPG.html

A fantastic day would be to travel the Yamanote line in both directions. Take a notebook to jot down stations because some are worth getting off to watch inter-city train activities. You may catch a good shot of the Shinkansen blasting through, but usually on a special track.

If you're Japanese, you're probably not interested in the things that we westerners enjoy about Tokyo. I thought Ueno Park was a buzz, especially with the overhead monorail in the Zoo next door. I also found the Ueno markets and Akihabara (Electric City)amazing.

Make sure you do the trip from Shinjuku to Akihabara on the line that cuts across Tokyo. There's not much rail activity, but the sites are terrific.

 

[gisa]

Hi John,


Thank you as well for the excellent advice. Cardboard box people...I think you could find those anywhere...

I'm Canadian but find East Asia really interesting. I will be going there with my wife (who has been to Tokyo before) but I wanted to get another perspective. The names of these places people are recommending are starting to stick because people are recommending basically the same spots. ^^

Thanks again!

:wave:

Gisa ^^