3 in 30 - 2000.12.16
Sakonaka san
We have missed a couple of weeks of snapshots, so I thought I would get started much earlier this Saturday morning. I've started with a snapshot of Mr. and Mrs. Sakonaka with their puppy. Their two daughters are at school this Saturday morning.
Mr. Sakonaka has been living and working in Osaka, some 320 kilometers to the west and is only able to return on holidays. This is a long, year-end holiday time. We have occasionally gotten together with the Sakonakas for viewing fireworks and festivals.
Fujiya-chan
This time of year, we are often asked if we have Christmas in Japan. We most definitely have Christmas. As in the States, we started seeing decorations and sales displays up late in November. The displays and merchandising will peak at the end of this month.
Prepared for the holiday season is this doll character, a sort of logo character for the Ginza Fujiya Tokyo bakery. This shop is just outside the entrance to the train station. She seems to have an outfit for every season. This summer, she was seen in a summer dress in front of the vending machines.
Beverly recalled that we took a picture of Candy when she was about eight years old standing next to this doll—and she was about the same height.
Station wickets
The ticket gates at the Haijima station are not busy at the moment this snapshoot was taken. The doors to the Itsukaiichi train are open directly behind the couple. According the the lighted marquee above the gates, this train will leave heading west (left) at 10:15. Above that on the marquee, the train on the next line heads toward Ome (also left) to the northwest at 10:08. In the opposite direction, the next train leaves at 10:15 for Tachikawa. The next two train platforms are noted here, but the departure times are not listed. Lines 4 and 5 go to Kawagoe and Hachioji, respectively. Not at all on the lighted marquee, is the private line which goes from Haijima to downtown Tokyo.
The ticket gates are now automated. When we were first here nearly ten years ago, the three gates had an attendant who dutifully clipped a small portion from each ticket as the riders went through the gate. They also collected tickets from passengers as they departed the station. Now there is one small window to speak with a station employee if neccessary. The man in the blue jacket with a backpack is at that window.
The yellow lines are textured tiles which assist visually impaired travelers reach their destination. They are yellow for the visually able and on the platform mark the area to wait for a train.