The good: 17% of trips in Utsunomiya are by bike, above average for cities other than Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo. When both origin and destination are within Utsunomiya, bike share jumps to 22%. More than half of high school students commute by bike.

The bad: That ride share has been sliding since the mid-70s, the start of Japan's personal transportation motorization and a continued automobile focus in traffic engineering. Moreover, bicyclists are seen as not doing their part to maintain a well-mannered, safe city. Over 7000 bicycles are impounded each year for illegal parking in Utsunomiya. More than 20% of accidents involve bicycles (23% in 2008). More than half of those responsible for bicycle accidents are youth (through high school) or elderly. Bicyclists have lopsided demographics: over a third of bicycle riders are under the age of 18. In particular, men are almost all under the age of 18, while women tend to be 30-50.

In 2006, a group of students in a community development ("machizukuri," the soft term for urban planning) class at Utsunomiya University took a look at safety issues involving bicycles, and came up with a series of proposals which were presented to the city. To their credit, most of their recommendations were put into effect. Some of the ideas may have been the result of field work conversations with officials, but the students really hit the nail on the head.

During their study, the sidewalks around the JR Utsunomiya Station, Tobu Utsunomiya Station and the car-free shopping district in between (see map) were cramped with parked bikes, and rude bicyclists terrorized the elderly and young children.

They discovered that city-owned bicycle parking structures lay underutilized just steps from the shopping district, and their intervention focused on moving bicycles from the street into the lots. From 1993 to 2005, usage levels dropped dramatically, one of them going from 60% occupancy rate down to 8%. The student group conducted a survey which revealed that although people parked their bikes right in front of (and blocking) the signs for the lots, no one knew where they were. A survey of fellow students at Utsunomiya University revealed that almost all of them visited the shopping area by bicycle, most of them parked their bike blocking the street, and nine out of ten had no idea city parking lots existed.

The community development students proposed several strategies. Signage would be improved with clearer messaging, more eye-catching design, and more conspicuous placement. Flower pots left along railing and next to benches would prevent bikes blocking pedestrians. High school students would be assigned to walk the shopping district, asking people not to park illegally.

They also invented a program targeted directly at people doing their daily shopping. A discount program would give a 100 yen (about $1) discount coupon to each bicycle parker, which could be redeemed at the shopping district. So cyclists who made use of the parking lots for short trips not only park for free, they also would get a 100 yen bonus. This was proposed as a double win for the city, because big box stores on the outskirts of town have been drawing business away from the historic shopping core.

Although the text is in Japanese, photos from their field research can be found in their PowerPoint presentation

Outcomes

In comparing their suggestions to the changes in Utsunomiya in the intervening three years, I would like to start with the wild idea of paying cyclists to park in a garage. The city and shopping district business association have not implemented it. But I discovered something amazing while trying to understand how the private-owned parking lots work in Utsunomiya. Attached to JR Utsunomiya Station is the JR-owned department shopping tower Paseo. Paseo has an automobile parking garage, and they validate parking for up to 450 yen ($5). Here's the great part. If the shopper shows proof that they parked in one of the city bicycle parking garages (for free) near the station, they can get the cash equivalent of the validation. Awesome!

What about the other proposals?

They certainly got their improved signage. Large signs with large letters, clearly pointing out the location of the garages and even sitting in the middle of the walkway that bicyclists used to terrorize.

The city also added low-profile vertical signs to utility poles which suggest "let's make wider use of the street" throughout the shopping district.

The "don't park there" and "ride safely" patrols have been started, made up of high school students along with police and members of the community. A photo of them in action can be found here.

Rather than installing flower pots to dissuade illegal parking, the city took three other tactics.

First, a carrot. Working together with the train lines, they extended the free parking length from two to four hours, and dropped the daily price to 100 yen ($1).

Second, alternatives. Recognizing that people who felt rushed still would not use the lots, they introduced short-term, pay parking machines which block illegal parking while taking up less space.

The other alternative was the conversion of car space into bicycle parking, so that pedestrians aren't affected and bicycles can drop their bikes without entering the garage.

The third tactic was guilt. City and rail company employees patrol problem areas, watching for illegal parking and providing meter assistance as well.

Next up for Utsunomiya is a formal network of bicycle routes, a new and positive trend for Japan.

Earlier this year an experimental stretch of separated bicycle path was built out in the less developed, wide- streeted eastern part of town.

I'll talk another time a bit more about other efforts to reduce car dependency in Utsunomiya. For now, here is a link with more information about Utsunomiya's bike programs and policies, in Japanese.

At a house on a Mitaka side street, this sign says "Beware of Dog" above a couple bags of crushed beer cans.  That dog's got a drinking problem.

In Musashino City.  "In the Projects, Dog Walking is Forbidden"

Found in front of a business in Akasaka, across from the Imperial Residence.  "To dogs: Please don't leave your belongings behind."

In front of a Mitaka store.  "Please mind your manners.  Dog poo is the owner's responsibility.  Please, you must clean up and take it home.  Let's stop spraying pee on the walls and dumping poo."

In Musashino City, along Green Promenade perhaps in Sekizen Park.  "To dog lovers: Please don't let dogs into the current"

Up in the mountains.  On a deserted street leading to a golf course.  "STOP! Letting dogs off lead"

For you meow-tans, here's a kitty corner:

  In Musashino City.  "We're having problems with cat poo.  Please mind the rules and your manners.  Uphold your responsibility and pick up cat poo.  Spay and neuter them.  Inoculate them."

In Musashino City along Green Promenade.  "Don't toss it out!! -- animal life and a kind heart.  Inoculate them! Spay and neuter them!"

No-car road in neighborhood around Seikei University (成蹊大) in the Kichijoji area of Musashino City, western Tokyo.

Carless road along west edge of Seikei University in Tokyo.

Park entrance, guarding against scooter bypass. Bikes and people can fit, more or less.  South entrance of Tateno Park (立野公園) in southern Nerima.

Gouged bollards at handlebar and pedal height. Wreckless kids or struggling elders?  Same spot in Tateno park.

Park entrance with another type of scooter stopper.  Over on the east side of Tateno Park.

"Old folks and kids at play. Please ride your bike with care in the park."  Next to that east entrance to Tateno Park, Nerima, Tokyo.

Bicycle Parking.  One of many in Zenpukuji Park (善福寺公園) in the northern Suginami, Tokyo.  No loops, no twists, no space wasted on immense locking stands.  Just space to stop your bike.  99% of bikes in Tokyo are equipped with a built in lock. 90% of bikes are never stolen.

Small lane along Zenpukuji River near its source.  Bikes and people only 7-9am.  Motorized vehicles allowed other times.  It's too narrow for even two bicycles to pass each other.

One way traffic sign on tiny lane, which bicycles can ignore.  Best guess: homes have entrances on the lane, and scooters have to use it for deliveries.

Two way road which you can freely bike and walk on.  Scooter and bikes parked willy-nilly.  Car parked into the street.  People don't freak out.  A river lies exposed, not jammed into some pipe to make lanes.  They're not needed.  A major passenger rail line passes overhead every minute or so.  People don't freak out.  The street is frequented by people, rather empty of cars.

Car stopping barriers at entrance to bike and person path.  This is down at the entrance to Zenpukuji River Greenbelt near Minami-Asagaya (南阿佐ヶ谷).  It's at the Itsukaichi Highway (五日市街道) bridge.

Mini pedestrian overpass at entrance to Suginami Kids Transportation Park (杉並児童交通公園). 

Loaner bikes lined up at Suginami Kids Transportation Park, where traffic safety is made fun.  Each has a different cartoon advertised.  Disney's princesses, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Anpan Man, Hello Kitty.  Hope there's some serious subsidizing going on here, like at Kidzania.

Traffic signal and mini train station at Suginami Transportation Park.  Parents can ride along in go-karts, or kids ride on their own.

Big kids can bike a figure-8 loop out on the main route of Zenpukuji River Park, across a couple of people and bike bridges.

One of Tokyo's first bike lanes.  Drivers are good about sharing the road, but this is a fast, narrow street that cyclists can't avoid.  This is on Honan Avenue heading into West Shinjuku.

A few years back I talked about Temples and Streets in Utsunomiya, Japan.  Really I was talking about shrines, not temples.  Shrines go to Shinto, temples go to Buddhism.

Here's another look at the intersection of streets and shrines, and some commentary on kids thrown in for good measure.

This is a michi-shirube (道しるべ), which my dictionary calls a "signpost" or "guide".  Before looking it up, I'd settled on "road guardian."  These tiny shrines not only mark the road, but also are a great place to ask the powers that be to keep you on the right track.  I get lost all the time, so I need to get right with them.

This shrine is a local monument, a relic of an older era.  Directly behind it, and dominating its presence, is a branch of Nippon Rent-a-car.  They get in their back door by cutting between shrine buildings.

This shrine straddles the gap in a fork in the road.  It's gorgeous, really, brilliantly capturing the true beauty of a shrine.  A tall, ancient tree envelopes the shrine grounds, casting an impenetrably dark shadow over its resident.  The gate offers the deity a clear view out to the world it oversees.

This tiny shrine sits in the now-corner of a residential lot.  They've carved off a piece for a parking lot.  Probably this was once part of a small farm parcel.

This shrine sits, coincidentally, in the corner of a parking lot. The van was being warmed up, spewing exaust over the sidewalk that wafted back over the shrine.  That dude was asking for trouble.

This shrine is truly amazing.  It belongs in the short review of mixed use buildings I wrote last year.  It is located at the base of an office building, accessed up a flight of stairs from the courtyard.  A modernist, steel screen shields its resident from the prying eyes of office workers.  Best of all, it is placed right above the entrance to the building's parking garage!

Not so long ago, streets were kid space.  Likewise, shrine grounds have always served the commons as park space, a place to view cherry blossoms, watch leaves change color, and for kids to play.

This shrine is ringed in high-contrast signs, "You musn't play in the shrine grounds."  How distaseful.

Following the same ill-logic, this shrine has a sign painted on the maintenance shed, "Don't bounce balls off of door."  There are also spooky signs for kids to beware of kidnapping outside.

This shrine is on the southwest corner of Chofu's Jindai Temple.  The shrine grounds are packed with playground toys.  This is the way it's supposed to work.

At Hikawa Shrine in Akasaka, the city has taken over the playground from the shrine for management purposes, and operates it as a tiny children's park.

What a great compromise.

I think I'm supposed to make an analogy here to skate parks keeping kids off the street.  But when did the street become analogous to homelessness and crime?

On a make-shift sidewalk/shoulder in a major construction zone, there is a bike "stop" sign painted on the left, a pedestrian "stop" sign with feet painted on the right, and then heat appliques for a red "stop" sign and a blue "look left and right" sign.

This is a unique painted pedestrian stop sign.  It's in the shape of a shrine gate.

This must be the tiniest pedestrian "Stop" sign in the world.  The real foot is only a size six and a half womens (US size).

Along the same under-constrction highway, this sign says "This way to the entrance to the pedestrian overpass."

At the beginning of a pedestrian mall, this sign says "Pedestrian only street.  3pm to 7pm.  Yoyogi Police Department and City of Shibuya."

At the entrance to a narrow street not open to motorized vehicles is this picture of Momotarou on a bear, with "Pedestrian Road" above.

"This street is a pedestrian only road from 2pm to 6pm."  It lights up at night.

The sign says "Pedestrian Use Push Button."  They have to put the sign up to draw attention to the button because, well, people don't expect them.  Push buttons are scarce in Tokyo, and only used when necessary.

I'm confused by this crosswalk.  On the left is a white, accessible pushbutton for use by elderly and the visually impaired.  It's covered over haphazardly with duct tape and some paper.  On the right is an older, common pedestrian button.  Maybe they're in the process of upgrading?

This is a narrow street, one way for cars, that gets quite a bit of quick traffic.  So this sign reminds them, "Pedestrians have priority."

This sign, and the one up ahead, are at a pedestrian underpass below the JR Chuo Line, which is under construction to raise the rails and remove crossings.  The near sign says "We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the Chuo Line elevated construction.  Please work with us toward compromise as we pass through."  The far sign says "PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY.  Bicycles, scooters are HAZARDOUS so please DISMOUNT and pass through."  This tunnel is dangerous, as community members, delivery people, and postal workers all race through on both kinds of bikes.  With barriers on both sides you wouldn't think they could do it, but the gouges in concrete and metal attest to the number of collisions.  Luckily the construction will be done in a couple of years and this tunnel can be removed.

Among the most famous Japan lore as the vending machines found on Mount Fuji, loaded by old guys humping bottles up the mountain.  Mount Takao is more amusement park than alpine nosebleed, but there are great vending machines to go with the clientele of families and elderly.

In the waiting room at the base of the Cable Car is this Hello Kitty popcorn machine.  Right next to it is a cup coffee vending machine for dad.

The cable car track is a crazy quarter-pipe, with max incline of more than 30%.  Up at the top station, you can get some gum to help pop your ears. (note to self: no need to photo the Green Gum machine in Shinjuku now!)

Around the corner in the tourist shop is this film and instant camera vending machine.  This is a relic!  Maybe some of the hordes of elderly hikers still use chemical film.

This ice cream machine is just outside of the Takao Monkey Park.  At least one more of the same type is located down in the shopping district at Takaosan-Guchi Station.  This is Lady Borden, a brand of confectionery giant Lotte, from Korea.  In my ranking of snack food companies, Lotte is at best number four behind Morinaga, Meiji, and Bourbon.

They've got a catchy tag line, though: "Lady Borden Premium Ice Cream.  Just choose your favorite one and its delicious taste will take you to the world of happiness. . . ."

Next to the ice cream machine is a cup vending machine for soft drinks. 

Up in the top left is the vending machine license.  The police department requested to have every license include the address that the vending machine is located at.  Not only does this stop people from putting machines in illegal locations, it also serves a much more practical purpose.  When people call 119 (police emergency number in Japan), the operator asks them to find the nearest vending machine and read the address.  It's a very reliable way of getting the caller to accurately give their current location.

On this machine it just says "Hachioji, Tokyo."  not very helpful.  you'd think they'd include information about which trail it's on or something more useful.

Check out some other posts on vending machines: sundry, beverages, or rarities.

Musashino City in western Tokyo encourages walking by laying maps out on the sidewalk with interesting routes.  This map is just outside the north entrance of Mitaka Station, and itentifies two courses, Aqueduct and City Hall. 

The aqueduct course follows a dirt path along Tama River Aqueduct, then up the pedestrian promenade of Green Park to Musashino Central Park.  The promenade was formerly a small gauge rail bed, and Central Park was a fighter plane park factory in WWII and then a baseball stadium.  The course loops back past the water resevoir to the station.

The City Hall course loops out past municipal landmarks: the cultural hall, community gym, and City Hall.

Other, much smaller tile maps are scattered around Musashino City for wayfinding. 

On this one, the arrows on the corners point to nearby parks. 

In the top left is a "you are here" marker.  We're on a walking route that starts at Musashi-Sakai Station.  The route drops onto a couple of dirt pedestrian promenades and passes fifteen parks.

This sign found on Mushino City's aqueduct walking course is shaped like the tiles and provides more details of the route.  The images of frolicking children, strolling couples, and bountiful green are the real deal, and not just wishful thinking.

The caption on the right says "On this course you will listen to the babbling brooks of Tama River Aqueduct and Sen River Aqueduct, explore pedestrian promenades, and take break in the prefectural Musashino Central Park."  On the top the title exclaims "Take a walk!  Everyone's promenade"

Found in southern Suginami, this map has a punned title that I'll translate as "Beautiful Leaves: A path of tree-mendous, fateful encounters." 

On the left side, text describes the Korean Fir which stands behind the sign.  Along the walking course there are six more spots with tree descriptions.  In addition, there are about twenty spots marked with memorable, though commonplace trees.

Found in Suginami City's Silk Forest Park, this simple, steel map plots two jogging courses through the park.

This map is on a bus shelter located just outside of the north exit of Mitaka Station.  Most bus lines in Tokyo are privately owned, but recently cities have launched community buses using small vehicles and doing short loops on poorly served routes between stations and public facilities.  This stop is for one of those, Musashino City's "Mu Bus".  The map makes it clear where the bus goes, and where to get off for your destination.

At an entrance to Toei's Shinjuku Station, this map is for visually impaired commuters.  The top right button gives a spoken description of how to get to ticket dispensers and turnstiles.  The second does the same for exit A1.  A third button is unlabeled and apparently does nothing. 

The fourth button is labeled "Intercom to Station Attendant."  However, the fourth button is taped over with a sticker that says "call button."  It looks like the maintenance people missed the whole point of the braille and voice map.

The map itself is quite functional, with routes mapped out where the yellow tiles are laid.

Another route map in a station, this is for the JR Chuo Line.

Growing out in either direction are the times from this station.  Spread out to the left are a variety of express trains.  Since the expresses don't actually stop at this station, they don't give any benefit to riders.  The farthest posted stop, Ootsuki, is only a minute faster (72 vs. 73) on an express.

This route map is inside a Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line train.  It's by far my favorite in-train route map. 

Keio trains have a baffling paper map with about 20 possible branches on it.  JR trains vary by age - newer ones have displays that rotate a variety of route and station information.

The Marunouchi map elegantly shows a light for the current station and direction, and a simple linear representation of a near-looped train line.  If you wake up in a panic it provides an immediate understanding of where you are, with no thought required. 

They can get away with it because cars are never used on other Metro lines, and the Marunouchi does not continue on other companies' rails.

In Nakano, this map shows the locations of neighborhood businesses.  It's hand written in red and black over a print out of the street network with major property lines.  I find the use of red particularly interesting.  It is used to write the type of business, for folks to easily find the what they're looking for.  It's applied some what prejudicially, though, because not all businesses are included.  An architect is, but not a construction tool shop.  For a yakiniku restaurant, but not a yakitori restaurant.  A convenience store, but not a cookware shop.  Red is also used to make symbols stand out: a cross for a Christian church, a swastika for a buddhist temple, a postal symbol for a post office, and a "7" for a 7-11.  Only two phone numbers appear on the map, both in red, for a dentist and an internal medicine doctor.  A gynecologist has no number.  The final message in red is in the bottom center, saying "Shin'i Yakushi Area Business and Industry Guide Map - Kanto Sign Design Company". 

There's a great selection of maps like this - and the one below - at the site Scenes with Trains.  The author, a model train fanatic, noticed these maps everywhere as he traveled the country taking train photos.  He comments that there are nothing unique about them regionally, they only net $50 or so for the advertising agency, and he's yet to find one with useful information (to him).

This map of southern Koenji shows businesses and major property owners.  As with the above map, text is hand written in red and black, though the red has faded badly.  Red is used for the gate symbol of a shrine, parking lots (P), condos and apartments (which are not named), and business types.  Driveable (?) roads are marked in yellow, and red is use to indicate a staircase.  Someone has written in a mobile phone number, apparently for a paint supply store.

One thing that jumps out at me is that there are a number of foreign names (written in katakana) for businesses along the wide north-south highway, Ome-kaido, but almost none elsewhere.

It's strange that the train buff above was so stymied by the prevalence of these maps throughout Japan.  To me they're clearly direct descendents of Japanese maps made up until the early 1900s.  Compare it to the map I included with my article about Fukuyoshi Rise, from 1858.  No red is used on this map, but the streets are yellow.  Shrines have a gate symbol next to them.  Property "owners" are written along the street.  Instead of アパート (apartment building) and マンション (condominium), it has クミ (communal home) and 小ヤシキ (shack).

A sticker in the top left indicates that this map was produced by 都市町村標識社 (To Shichouson Hyoushiki Sha, Capitol Municipalities Sign Company).

Here's a bureaucratic take on a community.  It was made by one of the departments of the city of Shinjuku.  Like an Edo era tourism map, there are major area sites pictured on either side, including Kumono Shrine, the Municipal Art Gallery, Shinjuku Central Park, Naruko Shrine, and Joen Temple.  Oddly - maybe ominously? - one of the sites has been hidden by a blank sticker.

The map itself is colored to reflect postal address divisions.  Text indicates the names of those address divisions as well as the locations of shrines, temples, skyscrapers, schools, hospitals and parks.  Street names are also listed.

In southern Nakano, this streetside pedestrian map shows the building locations for the headquarters of the Japanese Christian church Rissho Kosei-kai.  The major destinations are again imaged in the Edo tourist map style.  Other than Rissho institutions, only a Salvation Army Hospital, two public schools and two subway stations are named. 

A post office is pointed out with a symbol no one in Japan will recognize.  And out of some sort of brotherly love, they've chosen to pinpoint the locations of neighboring Buddhist temples.

One of the oddest aspects of this map is the huge legend on the left.  The map's colors and icons really need no explanation because they are very clear.  The only information to be gained from the legend is the names of the parking lots.  They also try to describe the two most used bus stops, but people must only be more confused by the odd reference system - just label the bus stops themselves!  Without the legend, the map could have been enlarged, with totally empty areas at the south of the map removed.

In southern Koenji, this map shows the community development (町づくり) activities of  the city planning department.  Really, it looks like an appeal to the local population that someone does care.  A full half of the space is a textual description of planning board names and when they were formed.  Finally they give the three categories of development: fire preparedness, livability, and street work.

Looking at the map, all I can see are numbers.  They're the postal block numbers.  Next is the blue dotted line, which are two roads that have been designated as sub-arterials, and will be widened to six meters.  They ain't there yet.  The green trapezoid hits me next, but the legend says it's a pocket park or plaza - huh?  Searching the text on the map, I find an indicator that explains it's a pedestrian loop that has been created through the planning process.

The map is really a total failure.  This group has done excellent work on their three goals within the project area, but it's tough to tell with this placard.  The map does nothing to inspire new residents to get involved, or reassure old ones that their community is in good hands.

Okay, this isn't Tokyo.  It's Yokohama's Chinatown.  Close enough.  This is very tasteful map, split in two parts.  To the left is a broader area map showing how to get to the nearest train station.  To the right is a map of the Chinatown gates (there are a dozen or so), as well as street names, public instituations, hotels, and parking.

Another map found in Yokohama's Chinatown, this was placed on a utility cover by NTT, the phone company.    It was done in celebration of 100 years of phone service, in 1990.  It's not nearly detailed enough to be of use, but gives you an overall impression of the greater area and Yokohama's character.

With the reduction of kiosks, JR has installed a number of new vending machine varieties.  This is for newspapers. There are four different papers being sold through ten slots.  According to JR's Kiosk site, breath freshners are the top selling candies and gums, so maybe we'll see another new machine soon.

Outside of a newspaper delivery depot is this smaller news vending machine.

I remember cigarette machines in the US 15 or 20 years ago, but they're still everywhere in Japan.  Maybe they'll suddenly dwindle like beer machines, but for now they proliferate with more than 630,000 country wide.  The first step comes next July, when all machines are required to confirm the buyer's age electronically.  Just west of the north exit of Koenji station, this machine goes all out, selling chewing tobacco and cigars.

  Until recently machines selling snacks were fairly uncommon, except at bowling alleys and movie theaters (instead of a refreshment counter, most theaters have a bevy of machines).  This is in a train station, filling in the kiosk niche.

On the truly rare side - probably one of a kind - here is a Disney themed snack machine.  It's at Maihama Station, next to Tokyo Disney Resort.

I'm sure there are more of these around, but I sure don't see many on the street.  Like the snack machines, ice cream is common at karaoke boxes, bowling alleys, ping pong spots, and other sporting/youth activity businesses.  This one is for Glico ice cream, and is right next to that Disney snack machine in Maihama.

Here's the other ice cream machine I know of, at Kichijoji Station.  It sells Morinaga, my favorite snack maker.  I've tried just about everything, and I think there are 3 or 4 snacks I didn't like.  Best chocolate, best cookies, best ice cream.

Now for some heathly eating.

Perhaps common in rural areas, this sight will surprise new visitors to Tokyo.  It's a fresh egg and produce vending box outside of a small farm on the border of Mitaka City and Chofu City, Tokyo.  Small farms are plentiful from here on west, throughout Musashino, Koganei, Fuchuu, and other cities in the area.  Most of the farms sell some of their produce - and maybe flowers, rabbits, chicks, and other sundry - right on the spot.  Often you'll see tables set up for a few hours a day.  Others have setups like this, which are refrigerated but look more like station lockers or surplus shoe rental maybe.  Every once in awhile you'll see a spot selling on the honor system, with a piggy bank nailed to a post for payment. 

This farm has a slew of chickens sheltered from the sun (and fed by?) kiwifruit vines.  They sell eggs in packs of 5, off on the left.  The daily vegetables hadn't been placed out yet when I took the photo, with only a few bags of potatoes up for grabs.

First up, beverages.

Folks who visited Japan up until the mid-90s will remember beer machines on every street corner.  Beer was just another beverage, and any mom or pop could buy it and stick it out in front of their neighborhood business.  Probably most of them did it to get discount beer for their own consumption. Way back in 1922, in became law in Japan that you must be 20 to consume alcohol.  It's still not enforced at all, and until recently all those beer machines meant anyone who could reach a button could buy.  Finally in 1992 the National Association of Alcohol Retailers (Zenshukyo) passed a resolution to limit the selling hours, locations, and place other restrictions on beer vending machines.  A few years later, under pressure from the World Health Organization, citizens groups, and the Japanese government, they actually started enforcing those rules.

You can still find them around, but I've seen many more in hotel ice nooks than on the street these days.

It's amazing the variety of machines that are available for each distributor.   This Coke machine is the only machine I've noticed with 1.5 liter bottles in it.  Disturbingly, they have big bottles of both Fanta orange and Qoo orange - somebody has an orange drink addiction, I'd say! 

Adjacent to it is a machine with regular, smaller bottles.  They're located on a high traffic corner next to a pedestrian/bicycle-only train crossing of the Chuo Line.  During the 10-to-30 minute wait while the crossing bars are shut, you might actually be able to finish a whole bottle (the wait was cut to just a couple of minutes recently as phase two of JR's raised railway was completed).  I really can't shake the feeling that the business owner put these machiens in for their own pleasure, but then again the nearest convenience store is maybe 10 minutes away by bicycle. I could hang around for a few days to see who buys, but the biggest entertainment would come from someone opening a big bottle right after it gets shaken up in the shoot.

In this 120 yen era of soft drink vending, it's truly a rare site to see this: an 80 yen machine!  This was way out in the middle of nowhere, a 30 minute walk from Takao Station, opposite diretion from Mount Takao.  There's Coke in there, but I bet it's sold out all of the time.  The machine is mostly packed with second rate drinks like Pokka Coffee.  The bad taste in drinks goes along with the bad taste in store names: Blackie Lounge.

Obviously this isn't a vending machine.  This is a Kiosk on JR's Chuo Line, Ogikubo Station.  The vendors used to be extra eyes and ears on either end of each platform.  In a recent cost cutting move, JR East has begun shuttering them after the morning rush hour, and replacing them with vending machines, like the one just below.

This machine is for herbal drinks. Let me come at this from the side. There are two kinds of medicine in Japan, Western drugs and Japanese herbs. If you notice early symptoms, run to a 薬局 (yakkyoku, herbalist), who will give you preventative medicines. If you find yourself floored by something, or dying of something, get a prescription and pick it up at a ドラッグストア (doraggo sutoa, drug store). Both require difficult licences to run. Definitely the most common herbal remedies are for hang overs, and every convenience store sells watered-down versions of them. So does this vending machine, located on a train platform.

In Tokyo Station, this is a true oddball. Coffee has been vended in cans in Japan since the late 60s. Cup machines like this, while still found in private businesses, are almost unheard of in public. I know of two (the other is below). This is over by the Keiyou Line platforms.

Here's another, newer cup coffee vending machine, found in a lonely, subterranean part of Shinjuku Station, in between Marunouchi Line Shinjuku Station and Oedo Line Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Station. In lieu of selection, they have an LCD screen with advertising to make some extra cash.

Here's one you'll never find on your own.  A milk vending machine, outside of a mom and pop milk seller on a neighborhood shopping street in southern Suginami-ku.  They sell Koshin Milk, from Chiba.

Normally I take dog poo signs in Japanese and translate them to English.  It's an ongoing addiction I've enshrined as the Dog Doo Signs of Tokyo.  This time they're from the US-of-A, so I'll do the opposite.  But I'll provide some commentary to keep the search engines happy.

ふんは片付けましょう。園内ではかならず引き綱をつけ！他人や環境に迷惑を掛けないようにしましょう。On the side of the dispenser is a handy guide on how to use a dog doo bag.  Step two is missing some sort of "hold your breath" graphic.
非常警備ボタン。警報がなる。つないで始末。So, are you supposed to call the guard if you see a dog off leash, or someone leave a pile behind?  Or will it sound automatically?
 犬を花壇に上げないでください。This is very tasteful.  I'd like to think they chose the paper stock before the flowers bloomed, and are just that talented of gardeners.

東京ディズニーシーの時計巡り

This is kind of a follow-up to my Tokyo Disneyland Clock Walk, which was inspired by my Seattle Clock Walk, which in turn actually required research and everything, so you should definitely check them out. You can also see them in my collection on Windows Live Maps with clocks from both parks.

If you accidentally leave Maihama from the wrong direction, you'll find this art clock at the bottom of the stairs from the North Exit. Go back and take the monorail, don't try walking past stinky hotel back entrances to Disney Sea.

Head left from the entrance. As you cross the bridge of the Venitian waterway, you'll see the wedge-shaped McDuck's Department Store straight ahead. The clock is on the top of the facade.

Take the road on the left side of McDuck's, past New York Deli. On the right hand side of the street is a classy old post clock.

Keep going straight under the Electric Railway track. In front of Tower of Terror you'll find the creepy (especially at dusk) Hotel Hightower post clock.

Next to Tower of Terror is the giant steamship SS Columbia. The entrance has a brightly lit sign with a big clock on it.

Head across the bridge to the Boston/Cape Cod area of American Waterftont. Right in the center of town in front of the marina is a tall white building (maybe a school?) with black clocks on each face of its tower.

Continue on to Port Discovery. In front of Storm Rider is a clock installation.

Head north, and cross one of the bridges on the left hand side. Way on the other end of Lost River Delta, there's a clock in front of Raging Spirits.

Continue around the curve into the Arabian Coast. Cut through the bazaar or head through the main gateway. In the back of the courtyard is the entrance to Magic Lamp Theater, which has an Aladdin-styled clock over the doorway.

Cross the bridge to Mermaid Lagoon, or go around the edge of Arabian Coast - you'll end up at a tunnel entry way to Mysterious Island. Go left, and on your left will be the entrance to "20000 Leagues Under The Sea". You can find a clock at the Fastpass station. Actually, the ride (and book) is called "20000 Miles Under the Sea" in Japanese, which is only about 5800 leagues.

Back at the entrance to the park, over and to the left of the walkway exiting Mediterranean Harbor is the Hotel MiraCosta. Way up on the wall is a very attractive stained-glass clock with images of the 12 (western) zodiac symbols on it.