nostalgic sections of the yamanote : November 15 2024

this is shibuya. but how did i ended up here this friday night?

i have this ongoing nightwalker series where i walk around the yamanote train line at night. this series of mine actually sprung up when a friend suggested that we join the tokyo yamathon, a fundraiser where teams walk around tokyo along the stations of the tokyo yamanote line. i had too many qualms about that event, walking in broad daylight with the sun up, and an expensive joining fee, it was too much. but it was a fundraiser after all, but i too needed the funds, so i ended up not joining and proceeded with my version: at my comfort and my pace at night.

here is where we are so far, 18 out of the 30 stations with the last walk more than a month ago. i was reminded of this series of mine while i was writing my previous actifit entry, to be honest.

takanawa gateway (高輪ゲートウェイ)

i rode the yamanote to where i ended up the last time, the newest addition to the train line. i found this beautifully decorated piano, and anyone can play. such a nice program this is. as usual, there was so much construction outside the station. hope all of this will be completed by next year.

shinagawa (品川)

there was once a portion of my japan living life where i lived around this area, and i will continuously talk about those days in the coming stations. shinagawa is where the japan immigration in tokyo is located, so i am quite familiar with how complex and how big this station is.

just look at this picture below, this is part of the massive station. the first time i came hear, i really thought that we are at an airport. in the morning, just imagine that massive hallway filled with people all rushing to their work locations, looks like a scene from a dystopian film. it is the 6th busiest station according to the japan railway statistics for boarding passengers for 2023. this station is connected to the shinkansen (bullet train) going kyoto and osaka so i guess that also adds to the foot traffic.

outside is another thing though, the east part of the station is mostly reclaimed land where lots of the business and manufacturing industries are settled (the immigration is also there), the west part is mostly hotels and residential complexes. i walked along small streets in the west part of the station and passed by the aqua park, an aquarium lots of fishes and marine life collection. it is known for their dolphin and sea lion shows. i just hope they treat their animals well.

osaki (大崎)

i actually don't know how to write that in english but that is a prolonged "o" so should it be ohsaki? i have no clue but oh my, this area brings back so much memory.

as usual, this area is also filled with office buildings making the air quite stiff. but thanks to the meguro river the air is constantly flowing and open areas for relaxation is scattered all over. well the station itself is ranked 15th busiest, probably because the trains passing here go to touristy or trendy places like yokohama, odaiba, and kawagoe.

this is the first time in my yamanote nightwalks were i did not need google maps, i could still navigate the area well. just beside the station is a modern complex of office buildings and even houses an art museum, and i have strolled this area for far too many times.

it was in those days when we still had house parties and people get drunk, and we walk outside to get some fresh air to sober up. this was the go to area for those many nights and not much has changed, the posh buildings and parks were still there. this exact road by the river leads to my previous home turf.

gotanda (五反田)

the 26th busiest station, is my previous home district. i have lived in two different apartments in here before transferring to my current one. i have already planned this in mind the moment i reached the area, and my foot had a mind of it's own where i just follow along where ever it takes me.

gotanda does not have the best reputation really, it has a scaled down "red district" area on one side after all. but on one hand, it is a bustling entertainment area with lots of izakaya, international food menu, and a lot more. but sorry, we are not going there as this is my nostalgia walk after all. the station itself was finally complete, renovations were still ongoing when i left this place. this new facade is very much on point.

we are approaching winter season so there is really not much going on but the beauty of gotanda blooms in spring. i once lived in this building just beside this uphill cherry blossom road, the gotanda cherry blossom tunnel. and yes, all the trees lined up this road are cherry blossoms, i used to see them just outside my window at spring.

and then i transferred to an apartment near the river, quite far from all the noise but still very pretty. on my way there, i usually pass by this road with cherry blossom trees on both sides which completely roofs the street. this street also has one of the best menus i have tried.

and then we reach the meguro river again, all those trees at the side are sakura trees. gotanda goes pinkish white in spring. following this route leads to the next station.

meguro (目黒)

going along this river will lead you to one of the best sakura spots in tokyo, naka-meguro. but that would lead me away from my destination. i also know that meguro has an wide nature park but that too is away, leaving me with a boring path.

the 36th busiest station, my previous office building was around this area. and i used to frequent this place because of the church which was also located here. to my surprise, there were lots of construction in the area as well. there were around 3 buildings torn down, and many renovations. it also houses one of the best sushi chains in tokyo, for me. i could still remember my pimples flaring up while working in this neighborhood, not a good memory.

ebisu (恵比寿)

i have featured this place before, and the christmas tree was also illuminated at that time. the yebisu garden place is one of very touristy part of town. having these lights surely draws in a lot.

and this was even before i reached the station itself. the best part of town is around here indeed.

ranked 23rd busiest, the station has lots of activities. a street musician was performing when i passed by, although he has a great voice, people in this part of town are just too drunk to appreciate him.

and that lead me choosing this path to the next station. which leads me back to why i called the other side the "best" part. this area is just barren, i tried going to the main street but that was only filled with office buildings as well.

shibuya (渋谷)

the proverbial "busy" town, is still busy even at 11pm. the 5th busiest, shibuya is the shopping district to my eyes. if you want to buy anything trendy, just come here. it is also the "holloween" district, although outside drinking was prohibited last time to keep too many people from gathering during the holloween.

i was just amazed at how i entered one building, and kept on walking in foot paths leading to another building. then on to the next, i was about to get lost inside buildings and has never touched ground until i saw the famous "crossing". as this was around midnight, it was not as crowded as normal, but that is still many.

shibuya at night can be chaotic, taxis were stopping in the middle of the crossing! gosh! that was so stressful to look at. and what a fitting way to end this nightwalk with the famous hachiko statue that still draws attention even at night.

the 5th busiest station lives up to its ranking, the train was so full on the way home, all parts of my body were pressed on to something. a person with claustrophobia should not come, it is a no no. but i guess a trip to tokyo will not be complete without getting squished in a train.

that ended my 12 km walk for around 3 hrs.
24 out of 30 stations competed today, the next edition of this series will surely finish it all.
i wonder when that will be though.

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!

^{JR train statistics source}

_{all content is by yours truly unless otherwise specified}

^{all photos are taken with a galaxy s23 ultra}

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Daily Activity, Photowalking, Walking

Height 168.0 cm		Weight 72.2 kg		Body Fat 20 %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm