日本に着いた翌日、前記事でご紹介したようなお食事だけを摂って、岡山へ…。
新幹線ホームだけ、JR ロゴや看板のサインに使われたテーマカラーがオレンジ色で違和感が凄いです。帰省しても、普段は首都圏から離れないために『國鐵は緑色』という強い焼き込みが働いているせいだと思います。
今回は東海道山陽新幹線の、のぞみ６９号・廣島行きを利用しました。
おそうじ部隊が待つなかを、N700S がそろそろと入線してきました。
行き先表示は廣島行きのシックスナインに変わりました。
これが当年とって約 65 歳同士の会話かと思うと、世も末です。(爆)
買わないわけにはまいりませんでした。さっそく空いている席に腰をおろして…
固い。なんで待合室売店のアイスまでこんなに固くするかな？
もらった席は最後部だから、10号車を歩ききって… 景色はこうなるわけです。
もらっていたのは、ここです。座席 17D、最後部の窓側です。
ここですね。リクライニングさせてもぶつからない程度の隙間があります。
みどりの窓口のおねえさん、最後部席を希望した時点で、これを判ってくれていたんですね。
あと… 喫煙スペースの隣にあった便所は、こんなに狭かった。
さて… 座席の前には機内誌が置いてありました。
ふたつの座席の間には、こんなボタンがあります。
ACアウトレットそのものは、進行方向側にこうやって備わっていました。
車内販売が来たので、そのちっさなテーブルに戦利品を並べてみました♪
アイスが固いので窓際に置いてたら少し早く溶けないか試して… 無駄でした。
前席 16A では、弁当がっつり食い始めたリーマンがいました… ぁぁ悔しい恨めしい。
そうだ、先生に弁当がつがつリーマンの盗撮写真送っちゃお♪
そしていよいよ＃シンカンセンアイスに手を出す時になって気づきました。
こんなに脂っこいもの食べていいのか、また岡山へ打診しました…。
新幹線搭乗中は、Wi-Fi も利用できます。
言われたとおりにしていったら、繋がりました。
さて、Wi-Fi が繋がったので速度を計測…
少し雲が出ていましたが、富士山も見えました！！
水分と、メシ食ってないから適度な糖分補給のために、コーラも買いました。
やがて、のぞみシックスナインは名古屋へ…。変なビルが一杯。さすが寄食の都？
そして… 1600年に天下分け目の闘いが行われたあたりを通る頃には、カップヌードル流通センターが。
以上２つづつ、ただでさえ大荷物のところにかさばるカップを４つも詰め込んでいました。
500 系なのをここまで自慢するのがイタすぎて、見ていてなんか辛い。しかも確定的に「こだま」だし。ｗ
改札を出て右へ曲がって… 駅の中央通路はこんな。
で、地べたレベルに降りること無くいけるのが便利な場所に宿泊です。
そう。ホームへやってくる前に、エキナカの弁当売り場で何も買えなくて発狂しそうになったりした後のことです。
新幹線改札をくぐったら、待合室がありました。のぞいてみたら売店があって…
＃シンカンセンアイスという表示を発見！！
…で、清掃のおばさん達が出て行って１分後きっかりに搭乗開始♪
真っ先に乗り込んで、このカットを撮りたかったのだ。
このカットと、買えないけど弁当眺めるために品川じゃなくて東京から乗ったのだ。
グリーン車の機内は普通の N700 より、照明が黄色っぽくない気がします。
前回乗ったのが数年前（７年前？）だから、印象だけかもしれませんが…。
「最後尾だと、後ろに喫煙ルームがあるから煙のニオイが来るかも…」って「みどりの窓口」のお姉さんに言われたけど、全然気にならないレベル。
タバコの煙は平気だけど、火の点いてない煙草をくわえたオヤジがやたら出入りするのがウザかった。
最後部を選んでおくと、荷物スペースがあるから。
で… 東海道でも、山陽でも、しきりに「車輌最後部の荷物置き場はご予約されたお客様専用です」って、停車・出発毎にアナウンスが入ってウザいのなんの。昔はそんなことなかったよね。最近はマナーの悪い客が多いのか？
さらに英語のアナウンスだと「持ち込める荷物は三辺の和が160cmまで」とか、無駄に厳しい気がする。
で… 後で調べたら、ネットでもしっかり紹介されていました。
でも清潔にしてありました。ピンクのおばちゃん達ががんばってくれているからでしょう。
他に電子線用の便所がありますが、上半分が曇りガラスで誰かいるのが判るのがイヤかも。
やがて出発しましたが…
ドアを閉めたってアナウンス無しに、もうタクシングしてる！
あわててリクライニングを戻しましたが、みんなそんなことしません。
…そりゃそうか。(笑)
さらに、スピードが乗ってきたら、なんだか居心地が悪い。そうか、判った。
第壱離陸速度を超えているのに、シートベルトが無い！
この、やたら速いけどシートベルトが無い不安感はいつまでも続きました。
中央リニア新幹線開通の暁には、シートベルトの装備を是非お願いします。
２冊あるのは、JR倒壊と JR西日本の両方ということでしょうか？触るのイヤだから見なかった。
読書灯と… 座面の角度調整？使わなかったからなんだか判らん。
AC電源が通電されているかどうかの緑色ライトもあります。
プラグが刺さっていない時は蓋がされる、防水性の高い装備です。
肘掛けに収納されたテーブルは… ちっさ！
＃シンカンセンカタイアイスと、＃シンカンセンアツイコーヒーです。
コーヒーをジルジルとすすりながら、アイスが溶けるのをひたすら待っていると、景色はどんどん田舎に…。
ヒマなので「ガッガッ… ジルジルジル…」と、勝手にSE（Sound Effect）を付けて遊んでいました。
辛いです。新幹線に乗って何も食べなかったの、修学旅行以来かも？
いや… 修学旅行でもバナナか柿の種くらいは食べてると思うから、初めてかも。
これ… 乳脂肪１５．５％ ＋ 卵脂肪１．５％ ＝ １７パーセントの脂肪が入ってるわけ！？
アイスクリームはナンボ食うてもかめへんらしいです…。
アイスでポンポン壊すのは好都合だとも伺いました。(爆)
繰り返しますが、これが当年とって64歳11ヶ月と64歳8ヶ月の会話です。さすが21世紀？
前席シートの背面にあった QR コードから説明を読んで…
こんなウェルカムの画面が出てきます…。
ただ、個人的には新幹線とは 東京 ⇄ 新大阪を走るものだと思っています。
それ以外は「野球の10回以降」のようなものだと…。
今では鹿児島中央まで行けるのが凄いです。
Ｔ学園百姓学部の実習で氷しろくまを食べに行った時は日航に乗りました。
上下 5Mbps くらい。
T-Mobile から Softbank へローミングしているので 5G は使わせてもらえませんが、これだったら 4G LTE のほうが速い。
やっぱ富士山は先っぽ。白い先っぽが見えるのが、とっても重要だよね。
３月はサクラ、５月はフジ。あとはコダックを見られれば完璧です。（謎）
人工甘味料じゃないコーラ、久しぶり。飲み慣れていないので、なんだかベトベトで変な味。(爆)
のぞみって、出来た時は名古屋に停まらなかったよね？
やはり JR 倒壊がオペるから停まるようになったの？
すごい。スピードが速すぎて iPhone の電子シャッターでも電柱が傾いて写るし、流れてる…。
なんで気になったかって言うと… この時、儂のバッグにはカップヌードルが４つも入っていたのです。
・アメリカから持ってきた、朝食カップヌードル・メープルパンケーキ味
・習志野で買い付けた、関東地方向けカップヌードル（関西版との比較用）
そして、のぞみシックスナインは京都へ…。
やがて新大阪に近づいて減速してきたら、新幹線の操車場がありました。
姫路を過ぎたら、なんだか田園風景になってきました。景色は「トンネルまたは田んぼ」です。
をいをい あいおい を通り過ぎたあたりで、荷物をまとめて降車口へ向かいました。
無事にホームへ降り立ちました。岡山です。あちこちにある JR のロゴマークがセガブルーみたいに…。
変な先っぽの京都タワー。
いちばん隅っこの方に、なんだか変なのが１本混じってる… よく見たら 500 系みたいです。
500系ってもっと細いと思ってたけど、700系と大差無いんですね。
それにしても、操車場でまで継子扱いされているのが可愛そすぎ。
そして、大阪＆神戸を超えて…
白鷺城前を通過。
うっかり寝過ごしても廣島止まりですが、新幹線で岡山より西へ行った事がないから、怖いです。
新幹線のホームが４つもある。これは大都会。←素直に褒めてます。嫌味じゃありません。
山陽新幹線公式キャラクターもお出迎えしてくれています♪
・・・こいつ、さっき操車場のすみっこにうち捨てられていた奴じゃね？ｗｗｗ
感染ジャー！ 新型コロナを意識したのか、タイムリー（死語？）でトレンディ（死語？）なネーミング♪
軍隊さんは退役すると弐階級特進しますが、新幹線は退役したら弐階級も落ちるようです。ｗｗｗ
感染ジャーの看板はありましたが、700 系のイコやんはどこにもいませんでした。残念です。
やはり… 倒壊のカモノハシよりも、自社製品の 500 系を重用したくなるんでしょうか？
ここって在来線と新幹線の入場口が別れているんですよね…。
ANAクラウンプラザ岡山は陸橋伝いに行けるから、とても便利♪
次記事ではANAクラウンプラザ岡山と某クリニックを一緒にご紹介すると思います。
As you may know, on the Nozomi, the ones with numbers over 60 are bound for Hiroshima, while those with numbers below 60 are bound for Hakata. Generally, the Hakata-bound trains tend to be more crowded, especially when boarding a westbound Nozomi from stations west of Nagoya. So, if you want a more relaxed journey, it's a good idea to choose a train with a number above 60, just like your choice.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, the association goes like this: "Orange theme color = JR Tokai = Yomiuri Giants = Hanshin Electric Railway." Speaking of which, at this year's regular shareholders' meeting of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, there was a proposal from a shareholder to the management asking, "Why is the color of Hanshin trains orange? It reminds people of the Giants, which feels unpleasant. Change the color."
You mentioned that you have a strong association of "green color = Japanese National Railways." However, in my perception, "green color = Yamanote Line." Until my elementary school days, I used to frequently travel by Shinkansen to my late uncle's house in Narashino, Chiba. Although I can't recall exactly when I first became aware of the Yamanote Line (I even remember it was called Yamate Line at that time), I remember its appearance being predominantly green.
The seats in the Green Cars of the N700S have been completely redesigned, offering less fatigue even during long rides. Despite maintaining the same seat pitch of 1,160 mm as the previous model, N700A, the positioning of footrests has been changed, increasing their width by 25% compared to the N700A and expanding the legroom by 15%. Have you personally realized these changes?
Thank you for using a photo of me in iMessage from back when I still dyed my hair black. These days I'm all beards and gray hair.
ReplyDeleteYou say, "It's the end of the world to think that this is a conversation between two approximately 65-year-olds." But when we first got to know each other, weren't we both in our mid-40s? I haven't evolved at all since then, in fact, I've been regressing, so it's no wonder at all. I'm afraid to think about what kind of conversation I'll be having with you 10 years from now. Well, that's if both of us are still alive, so let's keep surviving stubbornly.
I can't understand why you stopped by the bento stand inside Tokyo Station before boarding the Nozomi 69. You knew you couldn't buy a bento.
The "Shinkansen Ice", or so-called "Amazingly Hard Shinkansen Ice". One of the "classics" in Shinkansen on-board sales, ice cream. Known for its hardness, I too, unable to wait for it to melt, have eaten it by shaving it.
Every time I read about this hard ice cream on the Shinkansen, I'm reminded of McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee. I occasionally stop by McDonald's and order it for in-store consumption, but if I try to drink it right away, I always have my tongue burned. I'm often told not to rush to drink it, but when I'm in a bit of a hurry, I can't wait and keep getting burned. It's good when I buy it at the drive-thru because by the time I drink it at home or at the clinic, it's cooled down to just the right temperature.
Yamada Denki sensei,
DeleteSorry for silence… and this is the 69th comment I didn’t reply so far, so at least I get back to this one. I’m doing busy here and there… being pretty much frustrated by finding an appropriate Medicare advantage or supplemental plans, and then I didn’t edit and retouch pictures, not preparing the article documents for this blog. I am trying to post at least two articles per a week so let me try.
In terms of your hairs, I didn’t know you were dying your hairs… I remember you have nice brown hairs when we visited Kobe together, I pointed it out your hairs were uniquely brown and you replied me the color was original, so I stopped paying attention. Rather than that, I was shocked when you took off the face mask at the club lounge… you now have mustache and beard! Furthermore, Dr. Doi also keeps his beard too – I was shocked again when we were at the steakhouse. Are those the signs doctors are too busy to shave in the morning, or you guys are just lazy?
And yes, we’ve met over twenty years ago… time flies, really. Although I don’t have any suspicious tumors in my digestive systems, I’m diabetic and my overall health condition is like a tight rope stunt – so please don’t expect I can communicate with you for ten more years. I will try but I cannot guarantee anything at this moment.
When I am at Tokyo central station, I am having fun going the basement to see what kind of foods and items are being sold. And the most of those are bento boxes. Even I can’t buy anything; everything at there is the eye-candy for me.
The Shinkansen Ice Cream by Sujahta is ridiculous by two issues – the hardness, and the ingredients. When we purchase Shinkansen Ice, it’s as hard as sapphire crystal. Then, when we check the ingredients, it contains 15.5% of milk fat and plus 1.5% of fat from egg york… this is so unhealthy and hard to eat – physically hard, I mean. (lol)
However, I feel this is a kind of initiation ceremony when I take Nozomi to West, so this is quite necessary. Therefore, 7years or 12 years ago when I was returning from Okayama, there wasn’t vanilla flavor but orange or matcha. That was so devastating and I felt JR Central is destroying my trusty completely – I anyway don’t trust JR though. www
I didn’t know Mac Café in Japan serves burning-hot coffee… In the States, temperature of hot beverages are very carefully controlled and no one can claim whether it’s hot or cold. Maybe you know this famous story, sensei… an old grandma received too hot coffee from McDonald’s drive-thru, burnt herself so she sued Mac. This burn incident, the plaintiff, the grandma, won two point seven million dollars!! You can find the story at Wikipedia. (Japanese version is available as well)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants
Since then, usually hot coffee from Mac are nice and lukewarm. (lol)
Hahaha, whether it's the breakfast restaurant in a hotel or during boarding on an airplane, you always manage to be the first one to get on and capture this untouched scene. And not only that, you took this shot and traveled from Tokyo instead of Shinagawa just to admire the bento you can't afford? That's a remarkable blogger spirit. I think I'll let your senior know about this fact.
ReplyDeleteAs for your impression, you mentioned that the interior of the train doesn't seem to have the yellowish lighting like the N700A. Well, the N700S actually uses LED indirect lighting and optimizes optically the shape of the ceiling to achieve uniform interior illumination. I can't say for sure whether it appears yellowish or not, but perhaps you might be able to understand it. Furthermore, when approaching a station, they increase the lighting on the luggage racks to draw attention to the items stored there to reduce lost belongings. JR Tokai is amazing!
You chose the seats at the rear of the train, huh? I usually prefer seats in the middle section of the train. The reason, as you mentioned, is that it can be annoying when other passengers constantly enter and exit through the rear doors. However, the seats at the rear have the advantage of having luggage space right behind, and as you pointed out, there's enough space to recline without bumping into luggage, making them popular. I have used them a few times myself, but I couldn't relax because I was afraid my belongings might be stolen during intermediate station stops. So, I ended up avoiding these seats.
As you mentioned, there are frequent announcements during stops and departures on both the Tokaido and Sanyo sections, stating, "The luggage storage area at the rear of the train is reserved for customers with reservations." It can indeed become tiresome to hear such reminders so frequently.
ReplyDeleteSometime in the past, passengers started using this space as their own personal storage area without permission. This led to conflicts between those passengers and others sitting in the rear seats, such as not being able to recline their seats because someone placed a large item in that space. There were also disputes over claiming ownership of the space, causing trouble for JR as well.
In that sense, as you mentioned, there is an issue with passenger etiquette. However, it seems there is also a problem in the first place with the lack of dedicated luggage storage space in Shinkansen trains, which often have a significant number of foreign passengers.
Hahaha, "I’m already taxiing without any announcement, but I hurriedly returned my seat to the upright position. However, not everyone does that."
I find it entertaining how you view it from a plane's standpoint. In aviation, once the aircraft starts moving, it always begins with a backward motion, and even before that, passengers are already required to return their seats to an upright position and fasten their seat belts.
And, hahaha, "We're beyond the V1 takeoff speed, but no seat belts! This unsettling feeling of being so fast without seat belts continued. When the Chuo Shinkansen opens, please make sure to provide seat belts." If the maglev Shinkansen had seat belts, it would actually be quite worrisome, wouldn’t it?
Oh, I see. It's not an in-flight magazine but an onboard magazine. Both the business opinion magazine "Wedge" and the visual travel information magazine "Hitotoki" are monthly magazines available in the Green cars of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (they are also sold in bookstores and station kiosks). So, the reason there are two magazines is not because they span both JR Tokai and JR West Japan, but rather because they are distinct magazines with different themes. While you can freely take them with you when riding in the Green car, there is always a temptation to take them with me when riding in the ordinary cars. I exercise self-restraint, though.
ReplyDeleteAh, that button near the reading light is actually for the seat heater. Personally, I'm the type who never uses the seat heater even in my own car, so it's an unnecessary feature for me even when riding the Green car at Shinkansen.
Seat heaters are often thought to be useful only in winter when it's cold, but during the summer, the train interior is quite air-conditioned, so it can be a helpful function for people who get cold easily or suffer from poor circulation.
Its true value shines in the winter when the train interior is heated, but some passengers still feel the cold air coming in from the windows. Especially for female passengers, they use blankets (Green cars provide blankets for free as you know) and find the seat heaters to be a comfortable feature, making it a hidden popular feature among some Green car passengers.
Indeed, the table stored in the armrest is a bit small. You arranged the Shinkansen Katai Ice and the Shinkansen Atsui Coffee on it? In that case, it would have been better to put the ice cream on top of the coffee. That way, it would have melted much faster, right? But then only the bottom part of the ice cream would melt? Maybe you could flip it over midway. But if you did that, the melted ice cream might seep out from under the lid?
As I entertained such musings, it strangely became quite enjoyable.
I understand the reason for your silence, so please don't worry about it. Ah, I see, you wanted to reply to this 69th comment since you haven't responded to it yet, connecting it to the number 69. Thank you for the connection to the Nozomi 69 train!
ReplyDeleteWhile I am indeed an internal medicine doctor, I'm afraid I have very limited understanding of the healthcare system in the United States, including Medicare. My knowledge is only about as much as "a federal government program for individuals aged 65 and older, people with certain disabilities, and individuals with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or transplant." I apologize for my lack of ability to provide you with appropriate advice, and it frustrates me as well. It's great news for us readers that you're trying to post at least two articles per week, but please don't push yourself too hard.
Ah, you didn't know that I dye my hair. As a pure Japanese, my hair is naturally jet black. When I was a child, I would just get my hair cut at the local barber shop. Then, during my medical school days, I found out that some of my male classmates were getting their hair cut at beauty salons, and I felt a bit envious. However, I was trapped in the old-fashioned mindset of "real Japanese men don't go to beauty salons!" So even after becoming a doctor, I continued going to barber shops.
After transitioning from being a resident to running my own practice, I noticed that many women from the nearby beauty salon started coming to my clinic. Out of curiosity, I asked, "Do male customers have any particular characteristics?" and the response was, "Men of various age groups come here. Oh, and hardly any balding men come!" That's when I thought, "Well, I should make my beauty salon debut before going bald. Plus, I'm already acquainted with the salon staff!" That's how I made the switch from barber shops to beauty salons.
In my previous comment, I wrote about how I started frequenting a beauty salon. But there's another surprising connection. The pharmacy "I", located in front of our clinic, is run by a couple who are both pharmacists. Their eldest son now works as a pharmacist at the same pharmacy, but for some reason, their second son became a hairdresser. He started working at "E", the beauty salon I used to frequent, and ended up becoming my stylist. He later went independent, opening his own beauty salon, which is where I now go.
ReplyDeleteOne day, he suggested, "Sensei, your hair is very black and looks a bit heavy. Why don't we lighten it a bit with some color?" Being the type of person who easily gets swept up in new ideas, I started getting my hair dyed a slight brown from that day on. I didn't have many noticeable gray hairs at the time, but as I got older, the gray hairs gradually increased.
Even though I initially started dyeing my hair to lighten my overall look, it eventually became more like coloring gray hairs. I started to feel it was absurd to go to the trouble of coloring my hair to cover up the natural process of greying, and so I stopped.
Then, we entered the era of COVID-19, and wearing masks became a constant necessity. With the lower half of my face always hidden, I thought, "Now would be a good time to grow a mustache and beard, like I used to. Patients probably wouldn't notice." And so, I started growing a mustache and beard.
Yes, now I have a mustache and beard. Dr. Doi has a beard too, and so do you. Midori-san was delighted(?) saying, "Everyone's all bearded now." Even if it's a busy morning, a diligent doctor would make time to shave. Of course, there are lazy doctors like me, but at least Dr. Doi is not one of them.
Yes, we met over 20 years ago... well, initially it wasn't a real-life meeting; you were a virtual character known to me by the handle "こば". Time truly flies by so swiftly.
ReplyDeleteI'm relieved to hear that no suspicious tumors were found in your digestive system. However, as you have mentioned, you are suffering from moderate to severe diabetes, and the need for continuous self-administration of insulin is undeniable from my perspective as an internist. While I'm not a diabetes specialist, I don't think your overall health is as precarious as walking a tightrope. This is because the blood test data you shared during your visit to our clinic, especially the fact that your kidney function remains within the normal range, was reassuring. Indeed, diabetes tends to cause various complications. But those who are prone to worsening of such complications almost certainly have chronic kidney disease (CKD) as an underlying condition.
I can't adequately explain the difference between diabetes patients who are prone to CKD progression and those who aren't, but given your history of diabetes and the fact that your kidney function remains normal, I anticipate being able to communicate with you for more than 10 years. Of course, I can't guarantee anything at this point, but I'm sure there are many other doctors who would agree with my perspective.
Yes, I understood well that when you're at Tokyo Station, you go underground to check out what kind of bento boxes are available. Yet it's somewhat surprising to me that you would purposely take Shinkansen at Tokyo Station instead of Shinagawa Station for this visual delight, even though you know you won't buy anything but the Katai Ice.
I see, now I understand why Shinkansen Katai Ice is as hard as sapphire crystal. Looking at its ingredients, it contains 15.5% milk fat and 1.5% fat from egg yolks. This seems to align with the principle that "the unhealthier it is, the tastier it is".
ReplyDeleteYes, it seems like this ice cream is something of a ritual for you when you ride the westbound Nozomi to Okayama, so perhaps just seeing this ice cream will make you want to return to Okayama again?
Huh, it wasn't vanilla flavor when you returned from Okayama 7 and 12 years ago? That's quite surprising. I've always thought that vanilla is the basic flavor for ice cream, and once it gains popularity, derivative flavors like orange or matcha are sold. By the way, I also believe vanilla is the basic flavor for McShake.
So, you don't trust JR (lol). I vividly remember the days of the old National Railways, and in my mind, "charming trains = express trains of the National Railways era".
The superior trains, equipped with green cars, sleeper cars, and dining cars, had a special aura that today's trains lack. However, during the National Railways era, there were successive price hikes and even the self-purifying function was lost. In this regard, I think JR is superior.
Although I prefer the limited express trains of the National Railways era, there were also splendid vehicles on the Shinkansen. In the days leading up to privatization, the former "National Railways" introduced several new models in preparation for the launch of the new company.
Among them, the new Shinkansen model "100 Series" was born in 1985 as the trump card. The improved customer service in the passenger facilities centered around double-decker cars, including dining cars and various private rooms, offered a comfortable traveling space that is still referred to as the "pinnacle" even as various new Shinkansen models appear. In this regard, today's Shinkansen trains are generally bland.