To ride the subway in Tokyo is a fun puzzle game with complex and confusing pathways. Game play: Buy the right ticket, find the right entrance, navigate through the right colors, get off at the right station, and finally find the right exit. The right exit is crucial to keep on navigating though the streets labyrinth above.
The operative word is RIGHT since you can imagine there is great number of opportunities. On my first day it took me almost two hours to get started. Starting point was Shibuya Station, not even the biggest one.
Published on March 23, 2010
Filed under: navigation, subway Tags: navigation, subway
The streets of Tokyo are left without names. Indeed there are written addresses used by the mail carriers and the big avenues have got names. But those are not visible signs in the urban structure and therefore not usable. The fuzziness in the identification makes the way finding a bit uneasy.
Therefore all locations have in addition to the written address an information based on the relation to the next subway station and a certain exit. For instant: 11 minutes walk from Exit B2 at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station on the Hanzomon Line.
Published on March 22, 2010
Filed under: address, navigation, signs Tags: address, navigation
I’ve got instructions from the apartment agency but the equipment divers slightly from them on the pictures. So I try to recognize patterns and words which are in the descriptions. This is my washing machine and a water boiler by the way.
Published on March 22, 2010
Filed under: navigation, signs Tags: navigation, signs
The second gift was probably as decisive as the first one. I’ve got it from a stranger. We spent one afternoon together visiting an exhibition and talking about Japan. At the end of the day he gave me the ultimate book about Japan “Empire of the Signs” by Roland Barthes. Likely the best “travel guide” that has been written.
Published on March 18, 2010
Filed under: gifts, navigation, people Tags: gifts, navigation, people
