That Alarm-like Sound on Japanese Countryside Train

If you've ever taken the train in the country side where it is single tracked, chances are that you may have heard an alarm-like sound followed by a metronome-like sound on the train, especially when approaching a station. Like this:

(Thanks to E231joban on YouTube for the audio)

I've first heard it on the local train on the Kyudai line in Kyushu. Then I've heard it again on the Miyazu line on the way to Amanohashidate. It sounded a bit scary like the driver violated some safety rule or something. However, as I've heard it again and again, with a kid on the train even mimicking the sound, I came to believe that it was a normal occurrence.

Since I've heard it again, I've decided to do some research. After some Googling, I've found that the sound called the ATS (Automatic Train Stop) warning sound. ATS-S is the oldest safety system used in Japan's train and is still in use on many lines today. The following is more or less a translation of the answer found on the Japanese Yahoo Answers (chiebukuro) [1] combined with other resources [2][3].

The system is designed to prevent the train driver from missing a red signal and driving the train into a section of the track he or she is not supposed to enter, potentially resulting in an accident. Around 600 meters before the red signal, the loud alarm will sound. The driver must apply the brake and press the confirmation (ATS確認) button within 5 seconds otherwise the emergency brake will be automatically applied. After the confirmation is done, the sound will change into a metronome sound to remind the driver that the signal ahead is still red.

The reason is is often heard on countryside trains is because:

1. City trains are often newer and has newer train control systems like ATS-P or ATC for which the brake of appropriate strength is automatically applied and does not require confirmation from the driver. More information about different Japanese train control and safety system can be found at [4].
2. City trains often have two tracks or more, making it quite rare (I assume) that the signal ahead is red. However, for single-tracked train, when approaching a station, it is natural that the signal is red because the train must wait for the other train to pass by. Please bare with my bad diagram here:
   
   The left train is a approaching the station. The signal will be red until the right train also enters the station because the track won't be available until then.

Here's a video of what the driver is supposed to do when the sound comes up:

(Thanks to marinek0 on YouTube for the video)

The brake must be applied and the button pressed, then the alarm sound will stop. Interestingly, the driver only applied the brake for a split-second to satisfy the system's requirement, then continued accelerating. I wonder why.

References
[1] https://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q13108870423
[2] https://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/4363457.html
[3] https://openbve-project.net/play-japanese/
[4] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7688/320f16c5be8970a5fc0e8839ea59810a69c0.pdf

Taking the Local Train to Tokyo

Last weekend, I've embarked on a journey and I was quite looking forward to. While the fastest way to get to Tokyo from Kyoto is to take the Shinkansen for around two hours, it leaves no time to appreciate all the locations along the way.

So instead, I've decided to take the local train all the way from Kyoto to Tokyo, which takes around 9 hours, giving me plenty of time to enjoy the train and the sceneries. As an addition, when you buy a JR ticket of distance over 100 km long, you're allowed to make as many stop overs (including going outside the gates) as you want, so I could visit some of the towns along the ways too! The stop over rule doesn't apply to express tickets, so I couldn't make a stop over using the Shinkansen without buying new express tickets for each segment.

Unfortunately, Google Maps does not allow me to find a route without using the Shinkansen, so I had to use a different site — Hyperdia. The one way ticket from Kyoto to Tokyo, which I've used, costs ¥8,210. Alternatively, one can use the Seishun 18 ticket which allows 5 days of unlimited rides on JR local rides for ¥11,850 (only available in some seasons).

I'll most a series of photo after this, but let's get to the summary first. The ride was very interesting and I've stopped at Maibara, Gifu, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Yui, Nebugawa and Odawara. It didn't feel boring at all. However, I probably wouldn't do it again (at least not on the same route ;)).

Paying Too Much for the Bus

While the train is very convenient in Japan, it doesn't reach everywhere. For places somewhat far from the train station, there are often buses running to serve those areas. In Nara, buses are operated by Nara Kotsu.

As opposed to some other bus I've taken in Japan where the payment system is either before paying before getting on the bus (flat-rate) or paying before getting off (distance-based), the payment system here is distance-based, but you either pay before getting on or before getting off based on the direction you're taking. The rule is that for buses from train stations, you pay when getting off and for buses to train stations, you pay when getting on. I suppose that this is done to avoid bottleneck at the train station where a lot of people get on or off.

Now, let's move to the main topic. I was taking the bus from my university to the train station, which meant that I had to tell the driver where I was getting off and he would tell the machine to deduct the correct fare from my IC card. However, I touched the IC card without telling him (rather, I thought the machine would deduct the same fare as my friend who already told him the destination), and so the full fare was deducted.

On the bright side, I now know what happens when the incorrect fare is deducted. The driver basically issued a note saying that the company over-collected the fare and I can either use that note to board another bus or go to the office to get my money back.

Taking the Night Bus (Willer Express)

As promised last week, today, I will write about taking the night bus. While the Shinkansen is very convenient, it is also very expensive. On my last trip to Tokyo, I've decided to save money by taking the night bus. Taking the night bus also allowed me to spend two whole days in Tokyo since all the traveling was done at night.

As a foreigner with a temporary visitor visa, I am entitled to buy the Willer Bus Pass. For 10,000 yen, I am allowed to take the buses of my choice for 3 days (does not have to be consecutive!) Note that there are certain rules limiting the buses you can take, but they should not yet in your way for normal usage. To put things in perspective, taking the Shinkansen for this trip would have costed me 30,000 yen, with or without the JR Pass.

Buying the pass and booking the ride was very easy, as everything could be done on their English website. The booking system is ticket-less and the bus driver has a list of passengers. You only need to tell them your name when boarding. One thing to note is that, for some bus, seat selection is not possible and your seat will be assigned by the system. If you've booked in groups, you will be automatically seated next to each other. Males and females are also never seated next to each other except if they are in the same group.

The bus terminal with seats for passengers waiting for the bus.
There is no need to check in here, you simply need
to walk to the bus and board when it arrives.

The busses waiting outside

Inside the bus

Once you've boarded the bus, the monitor will show the destination and certain etiquette rules will be played. If I remember correctly, the description is provided in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese.

Instead of a safety manual, there is an etiquette manual.

The "relax" series seat. The seat can also be reclined quite far.

At first, all lights will remain on. After all the passengers are picked up from the various pick up points, the bright light will be turned off. The remaining light will be turned off after stopping at the first service area. There are also thick curtains to prevent lights from outside from getting in.

Talking about service area, the bus will stop at service area for toilet breaks every approximately two to three hours. The toilets at the service areas are unexpectedly very clean (compared to Thai toilets) and you can also buy souvenirs at the shops there. The stop at each service area lasts for approximately 20 minutes. Protip: Don't bother booking a bus with a toilet because it will stop at service areas anyway.

One of the service areas

When you get down, you will be given a card with the bus' plate number.

Overall, the bus ride was more comfortable than I had expected. I normally find it very difficult to sleep on busses or planes, but I have managed to sleep without much issue. Of course, it isn't as good as sleeping on a bed at home or at a hotel, but it was one of the most comfortable nights I've spent in a vehicle.

Taking the Shinkansen (and getting cheaper tickets)

Last weekend, I took the Shinkansen down to Hiroshima for sight-seeing. While it's not my first time riding the Shinkansen, it's the first time that I've booked it and handled the entire process by myself.

The easiest way to get a Shinkansen ticket is to walk into a ticketing office and ask the staff to handle it for you. While you can reserve your ticket up to one month in advance, most of the time, it is also OK to buy the ticket just before you travel. There are 3 main types of tickets: free-seating, fixed-seating and green seats. Free-seating is the cheapest and only allows you to ride the non-reserved section of the train (if there's no seat, then you have to stand.). Fixed-seating allows you to choose your seat in advance, so you're guaranteed to have a seat. Green seats are premium-level seats.

However, there are ways to get cheaper tickets. Buying tickets from shops outside can help you save a bit of money. As can be seen in the picture below, my trip from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima was discounted from 10,440 yen to 9,800 yen. The way these shops work is that they buy ticket packs (回数券) from JR and sell them individually with a mark-up of 100 to 200 yen per ticket. One ticket is for one way only, so you have to buy two. Note that JR sell these tickets in pack of six, so if you're traveling in groups of three, it is more economical to buy them directly from JR.

The shop will give you a ticket with no seat or date selected yet (the bottom tickets in the picture). You will then need to go to a JR station to select your date and seat at either the green automatic machine or the ticketing office. After you have picked your seat, you will receive the seat ticket, which you will need to use together with your first ticket (which I will call "base fare ticket").

In the above example, the base fare ticket covers the distance from anywhere in Osaka city to anywhere in Hiroshima city. Which means that, even though the Shinkansen leaves from Shin-Osaka, if you want to get in the JR system from anywhere in Osaka, you do not need to pay the fare from the station you got on to Shin-Osaka. The same applies for your destination.

The way to use the ticket is as follows. First, at the station you want to travel from, use the base fare ticket to get on to the JR train and travel to Shin-Osaka. Then, without exiting the JR system, find the Shinkansen gate use both the base fare ticket and the seat ticket stacked on top of each other to get past the Shinkansen gate.

Once you're inside the Shinkansen area, buy an Ekiben (a lunch box bought at a train station) if you want and hop on the train. If you miss a train, don't worry, you can ride on the next train using the unreserved section.

The inside of the train is very well-decorated. The seats are rotatable in case you're traveling in a large group. Some snacks are sold on-board, but it's better to buy them from the station if you need them. A power socket is also provided in case you need to charge your mobile phone.

Finally, after arriving at your destination, use both tickets to get past the Shinkansen gate and you will get your base fare ticket back (with the time of entering and exiting the Shinkansen area recorded). You can then continue your travel on JR lines or use your base fare ticket to exit from the station.

Overall, the Shinkansen is a very fast and convenient way of traveling, albeit a little bit expensive. Compared to air travel, the Shinkansen has many advantages. First, you do not have to go through extensive security checks and spend many hours waiting at the airport. Seasoned travelers might even reach the Shinkansen station only a few minutes before the Shinkansen leaves! Second is that you can use your mobile phones and electronic devices on board without any restrictions. Finally, Shinkansen tickets are very flexible. If there are any changes to your plan, as long as the departure time has not yet passed, you can change your ticket, often without paying any fee at all. On my trip back from Hiroshima, I've moved my ticket one hour earlier because the sightseeing finished earlier than expected.

That's it for today! This weekend, I will be traveling to Tokyo by night bus and I will be blogging about it next week (if the trip doesn't get canceled because of the Neoguri typhoon.)

Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum

The Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum is the undeniably the best museum I've visited in this trip to Japan. The entry fee of 600 yen (450 yen for university students) was well worth the experience.

The museum from afar. You can see the year and the time of the Kobe Earthquake written on the wall.

The entrance of the museum up close.

This museum has two buildings. The west building is about earthquakes while the east building is about the "miracle of life". I don't think the east building is particularly interesting, so I will focus on the west building.

Once you enter the museum in the west building, you will be treated with a movie of the earthquake and how it has devastated the people who were too used to the peace and were unprepared. After that, there will be a very emotional documentary played about how the earthquake has effected the people and the problems faced right after the earthquake and during recovery.

Next, on the next floor, there is a display of various artifacts from the Earthquake, together with the stories that accompanies those artifacts. Facts and other information about the Earthquake and the recovery process were also on display. Apart from the physical damage, the psychological damage was also great.

On the last floor, various experiments were provided to give viewers an idea of how devastating earthquakes can be. Finally, emergency supplies required during the time of earthquakes were on display.

Next is the east building. The exhibitions about the water and wind were so-so, but the final movie about the 2011 Tsunami and how it has affected Northern Japan was also very interesting.

What's very good about this museum is that it treats non-Japanese speakers very well. For movies, English sound is provided via headsets. All exhibitions in the west building were accompanied by English language descriptions which provides nearly as much detail as the Japanese counterpart (as opposed to some museums with very long Japanese description but very short English descriptions). However, the same cannot be said for the water and wind exhibition in the east building, which contains nearly no English at all!

Overall, if you ever visit Kobe, I highly recommend you to visit this museum. It's a very worthwhile experience and a good reminder about how cruel mother nature can be.

Super Hotel Shinomiya

Long time no see! I've been quite busy with traveling working so I didn't get much chance to make a blog post.

Because when I've arrived, the dorm was full, so I first had to stay at Super Hotel Shinomiya for 8 nights before moving into the dorm. Super Hotel is a chain of business hotel all over Japan. The price is very reasonable and the room is very good. For Super Hotel Shinomiya, it is located right next to the Shinomiya train station.

At check in, you will get a slip of paper that tells you your room number and your password. This is your "room key". (I've already moved out, so don't try and visit my room.)

The password is used to open the electronic lock in front of the room. Not needing a key (and having no chance to forget it) is very convenient.

The room is very compact, but it has a TV and a refrigerator. Internet is provided both via Wi-Fi and via Ethernet.

The built-in toilet is also very compact. Note that the sink and the bathtub shares the same faucet! Soap and shampoo are provided via dispensers.

Free (and very good) breakfast is provided.

Finally, as there is no physical room key, there is no need to check out.