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Fire dept tucked under a large apt building. Medium size trucks. Not in a rush to rescue people from the thousands of single stair buildings nearby.

Azabudai Hills and Ginza today. Money and architecture and more cars. Of the two areas I like that the Heatherwick project has some public spaces for just hanging out (and some benches!)

Forest Bathing takes on more significance when you’re in a place without a lot of distributed greenery. I’d love to see a combo of Tokyo small lot density with more courtyards or street trees.

Bike parking garage! Stairs/ramps are a challenge but the grade is shallow and this has a ramp for rolling downhill, and a small motorized conveyor belt for coming back up.

Micro whisky bars in tiny alleys. 🥃🍻

Angled taper on upper floor massing. I’m curious what zoning setback rules are triggering this form. About a 30 degree angle but the starting height varies 4 to 8 storeys.

🤓🚄

The aerodynamic power coupler is like something out of a steampunk retro futurist animation

Leaving the city, heading into the opening scenes of a Miyazaki movie

The Hakone-tozan railway does several turnaround switchbacks (swapping the direction of travel) to navigate the steep grade.

🤓🚞

Train to cable-car / gondola connection at the station

Cheers from the roof of our 3 storey single stair hostel .

Nice day for a bit of Picasso and co at the Hakone open air museum. Walking distance from town so no car needed.

Inset tatami

Each of the two cable cars is reeled in/out independently

Fuji (at last)

It is a compelling mountain.

Volcanic vents and the infusion/pump stations that send water down to the Onsen bath resorts below

The Black Eggs are cooked in the springs (and bring long life apparently)

A single ticket provides access to all the regional modes - including the pirate ship

Hakone-jinja is known for the waterfront torii-of-peace, but it’s mostly a torii-of-instagram. I liked the big cedars (that rivaled vancouver island)

Bullet Train Regional Train Mountain Switchback Train Cable Funicular Train Gondola Pirate Ship Now the Bus 7 car free modes this trip