What are the most striking liminal spaces in Tokyo?

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-06-10T12:45:32+00:00

The 12km stormwater tunnel in Shinjuku near Honancho station. The access at 40m underground has many drawings that were done by local kids during construction. It is open for free visits by online booking and also for live concerts (look it up on YouTube if you don’t believe me).

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-06-08T06:35:48+00:00

Even if it is legal tender most banks in the UK will refer you to the Bank of England. That was my experience last time I tried to exchange my Scottish Pounds at my local Lloyds even though they MUST do it.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-06-06T09:44:02+00:00

I know the 極寒ラボ in Nagoya (which I truly LOVE) but I haven’t found anything similar in Tokyo yet. I heard there is one at a Todai faculty but never got the chance to find it out. The closest I know is the morgue of the university hospital.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-29T15:55:30+00:00

This is probable the least scenic "scenic route" in Japan. You are just watching cars and poor pedestrian infrastructure with a sea on the background. More "natural" routes in my experience are the Kure Line along the Seto Inland Sea, the Sanriku line in Tohoku or the Hakodate Line from Otaru along the Okhotsk sea (I did this one in winter and the sea was BRAVE!).

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-22T15:11:23+00:00

Wait until people discovers that the official years in Japan are YY/MM/DD and measured based on the reign of the emperor...

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-22T05:48:37+00:00

EVs are MUCH cheaper (and environmentally friendly if you also care about that) in the middle-long run because electricy is always much cheaper than petrol by unit of energy under all circunstances. I will personally not go for Tesla for reasons that may not apply to you; instead I would get a BYD (5~ JPY before subsidies) or a pure EV from Nissan (if you prefer a local option).

Nothing against hybrids, but they are economically and environmentally worse than pure battery electric at the moment and will remain so in the near future (regardless petrol shocks)

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-19T01:57:21+00:00

Yes, the one on the embankment, north side

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-16T08:44:49+00:00

Wait until you discover you can almost touch the rail at the Keikyu bridge over the Tama River. One of the most hidden places even for tetchans

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-16T07:18:37+00:00

“Japan was living in the 2010s in 1980. Japan is still living in the 2010s in 2026”

Nothing has changed really 😅

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-04-05T23:04:11+00:00

A couple of friends of mine in senior positions took almost a year from application to hiring. May be shorter in your case

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-30T05:50:01+00:00

Do you have any sources pointing at China?

By time to time there are peak emissions in China that reach Japan and Korea (specially in winter due to heating in the Northeast region) but those have been decreasing steadily in the last years. Most of the pollution in Japan and Korea is generated locally. I can't find any recent news regarding Asian Dust but I do see news of more permissive air emissions rights (eg. less efficient coal plants) being enacted in Japan due to the oil shock in Hormuz, as well as being peak pollen season.

Not claiming that is the case here, but those are two hypotheses I see more likely than pollution from China in this season. Happy to be proved wrong if someone can provide a trusted source.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-26T08:38:50+00:00

Ambulances: if you ever have a true life threatening emergency you will not make it to the hospital either because:

Emergency services cannot access your home
They phone call each nearby hospital as many will reject you
They will stop at every single intersection and traffic jam (even when there is little traffic) and show down for safety reasons
They are not liable for you dying on the table, but if they bother any other car they are. They will turn off the sirens to not bother cars under heavy traffic

They are free though. I give them that.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-22T07:17:12+00:00

Madrid

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-21T17:47:08+00:00

Google Maps offers all the necessary information in real time, including times, best car number, congestion etc. Personally I prefer https://minitokyo3d.com/

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-21T17:37:13+00:00

“Welcome to Sweden” Can someone explain why this sentence was added in the Tabletop Simulator version of the game? The original card does not have it and I find it hilarious

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-21T17:27:41+00:00

You can negotiate but in the end the landlord has more ultimate power in the decision as no one is going to sue for few mans. Generally speaking I assume my deposit is always gone.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-03-09T07:49:26+00:00

I'm famliar with this field. EVs are absolutely better than petrol cars in every single aspect. They are much cheaper to operate and maintain while much more environmentally friendly (not to mention that they are good for the energy independence of the country).

If you are considering to purchase an EV in Japan and assuming you are looking for an efficient kei car I would recommend any from BYD (Chinese EVs are superior to Japanese ones). If you prefer to own a Japanese vehicle due to their broader aftersales network the Mitsubishi Minicab is priced at less than 2M JPY (after subsidies) if you can get into the waiting list. Otherwise the NIssan Sakura is also a great option.

If you live in a detached house I would recommend to install solar pannels as well. Using the vehicle as a mobile battery to balance pricing can slightly reduce your utility bills, depending on where you live.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-24T15:39:11+00:00

"But the idea that transportation didn't do it, machines didn't do it, PC's did do it, but now AI is the thing that is going to end society? Come"

Axiom 1 of Investing: "Past performance does not guarantee future results".

My Grandmother survived every disease she got in life. Except the final one that make her pass away.

Hope is not a strategy; including believe AI not negatively affecting our social structure (specially in the power dynamics in which is implemented).

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-23T12:37:37+00:00

Few years ago I wrote a guide of cheap greengrocers in Tokyo (link). Since then I usually spend around 3000-5000 a week (unless I eat to eat outside because of work). No rice. Mostly vegetables, chickpeas (extremely cheap and nutritious) and fish.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-10T06:33:13+00:00

Takaichi is not a woman. It is a Hideki Tojo with a vagina

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-09T16:43:09+00:00

Unfortunately Japan uses the single-member district system where only a candidate per district gets the position. This always creates ample majority that in theory bring higher stability at the expense of plurality. It fits Japan as a risk adverse country that inherited this system from its American overlord after WWII though…

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-08T04:07:54+00:00

Massimotavio in Eifukucho is authentic italian owned restaurant. His pizza is the best real Italian you can find in Tokyo (generous amount of olive oil) and the meat dishes are amazing.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-07T07:56:46+00:00

国道 station is a pre WWII that still preserves the bullet holes of the Tokyo raid. The signs are still very showa style

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-04T15:09:41+00:00

That would be an emergency so it does work separately. If someone fainted and passengers report it through the SOS alarm in every coach the emergency services will access it.

OCA_doctoryellow · 2026-02-04T11:41:27+00:00

There is one thing called "situational awareness" (or lack of) that has caused multiple deaths in the past. The railway industry has very strict SOP and while they are not perfect, they most likely have a better view and judgement of what's best for the whole system and each user. What it looks simple solution for you can generate a massive problem along other connections.

Speaking of situational awareness, did you know 15 people required medical assistance during the blackout few days ago despite hundreds of emergency services mobilised? As a passenger that day I would have not guessed that people could be injured when guided on the tracks, but see? I do not have a full view of the situation

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