Gaikokujin? Gaikokujin? Koreanna? Koreanna?

One thing awesome about Tokyo - trains. No, not those shuttling sardine cans you see on some Japan Hour programme. THESE.

THESE PRETTY LONG-NOSED GAIS. The "SHINKANSEN" BULLET TRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recently bought a semi-pro DSLR and decided to spend a little more on train tickets just to get into Tokyo Station's Shinkansen platforms to do some test shots and try on the lastest and currently fastest Shinkansens "E6 Komachi" (red) and "E5 Hayabusa" (emerald). "Komachi" means in Japanese Akita dialect "beautiful lady" and "Hayabusa" is an agile species of eagle. At a certain stretch of the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, their top speed hits 320km/h, which I have yet to, perhaps never will experience because I'll probably need to sell my TV to do that. Isn't that ridiculous that Shinkansen rides actually cost more than domestic flights?

Seeing folks in down jackets? Yep, this' a waaaaaaaaaaaaay tooooo laaaate post. Everything was shot in February, the coldest month in Japan and it took me until late Spring to get everything nicely edited. Anyway back then I never gave a damn about the weather (8 deg, sunny) and only wore a thin MA-1 Jacket, cropped tank top, high-waist shorts, boots and a camera strapped over my jacket. Totally touristy, totally regrettable.

Dead by the time I finished the test shots. Started queuing up for the my train, not knowing it was the wrong queue for a later train. Tokyo Olympics 2020 huh? Where the English signs? Then this train otaku dude tried to be very kind and asked me in some Tohoku-ish dialect if I am really waiting for this particular later train. He went on to try to ask me for tea or something. NO WAY DUDE. I didn't reply at all and he kept asking "Gaikokujin? Gaikokujin? Koreanna? Koreanna? This? Train?". THE HECK DUDE WHAT'S A "KOREANNA"? I tried so hard not to laugh, headed back to where I came and found the right queue. The shit that I always get if I pay for a non-reserve shit - weird-as-fuck people. The price to pay for being cheap though, can't complain more. Come to think of it, I should have replied him "Ya know? Wakaru? Mirror? Kagami?? Look??? Face???"

Oh yes Shinkansen tickets allow for transfers in between different trains as long as you pay the correct fare so it means I get to board 2 different kinds of trains for my very short 1400yen ($14), 25-minute trip.

Boarded the right train to do a little more test shots at Ueno's underground platform. Can't get used to DSLRs. Still doing fine with a little Photoshop help.

Transferred to the next train here, a "Hayabusa" train to meet up with my friend at the next major station, Omiya. She was kindly waiting at the Shinkansen exit so she could punch me for taking a bullet train to visit her at a place totally accesible via a normal train at a friendly, civilian price of $5.

There's so much more photos that I still want to share! If you are interested, please see my genious test shots over here on my facebook page (no sign-up required)→ http://is.gd/JkTd6T

Ending with the mandatory what-kind-of-camera-used show off thingy. PENTAX Q10 in RED!! READ THAT? READ THAT????

All photos taken and edited by me. Please credit if you intend to use any of them, if not I will find you and tie you onto one of these trains JUST LIKE THIS: