3 in 30 - 2000.07.11
Haijima Train Station South Entrance
Beverly asked if I had included a snapshot of our train station. I hadn't, even though it is frequently mentioned. After all, it is a focal point of the neighborhood. If the station were not here, not much of the neighborhood would be either. While there is not a big department store built over the station, there are plenty of shops. The station is the building in the center with a green roof.
The shops to be seen in this picture, roughly from left to right are: fresh fruits, video rental, yakitori (grilled chicken) bar, liquor store, cake shop, train station, another yakitori bar, rental housing office, restaurant, and a coffee shop. Does the taxi stand in front of the station count?
Train ticket vending machines
These convenient train ticket vending machines are at the entrance to the station. Above the machines is a diagram of the nearby train system with the price of the ticket to each station. The "YOU ARE HERE" spot is in red toward the top center of the left panel. The map probably covers a total east-west distance of 100 miles and a north-south distance of 70 miles.
At the station, there is also an office where longer distance tickets can be purchased. We have purchased bullet train tickets there when we went to Kyoto. Three hundred miles in 2-1/2 hours.
More vending machines
In front of the station to one side is this array of vending machines. The cartoon-like figure is the advertising icon of the cake shop behind the vending machines.
Most prominent of the vending machines is the white Kirin machine at the corner. Kirin is a beverage company selling mostly several delicious varieties of beer and an assortment of soft drinks, coffees and teas. This one is a soft drink machine. To the right is a red Coca Cola machine with soft drinks and coffee. To the left of the Kirin machine are three cigarette vending machines.
The opening to the left is shared by the cake shop and a small liquor store. Beyond the door are two more soft drink machines and a beer and sake vending machine.