urban walking along the yamanote : August 17 2024

it was a very posh looking place (sorry, i don't know if posh is still a word used nowadays); let us just say it was "lit". is that how gen z use that word? nevertheless, i hope those reindeer heads are not real or if they were, i hope they were done humanely. but that is really not the point of this story, this is a story about the progress.

nippori (日暮里)

after my dentist appointment, i had all the time i had in the world. as if that was not the usual, but this time it was never this much real. i was alone at home, and here i was thinking of a way to spend some time out.

the sun was still up, this is no nightwalker thing. but i was already in the middle of it, too late to back down as i was already enjoying the bales of fabric and the strings of laces on this street leading to nippori station. fabric town wass what it was called due to the high agglomeration of fabric and tailoring related shops in the area.

nishi nippori (西日暮里)

onwards, i finally found the familiar statue beside the busy street leading to nishi nippori station. it was a statue of a doji, buddhist deities believed to protect children. worship of these were very common in old japan specially when childcare medicine was still not advanced and child mortality was prevalent.

under the heat of the sun, i continued to walk further and saw dokanyama, the picturesque hill i mentioned in this article below.

it does look great from this view across the street, and the clear sky gave it more pop. i avoided the main roads from then on, had to find ways to at least walk in the shade. it was a sunny sky, clouds were sparse after the supposed typhoon yesterday.

i walked on side streets until i reached this main road perched under two high walls, and a beautifully arched foot bridge was straddling both banks. this road led to the next station.

^dokanyama

^warabebashi

tabata (田端)

the station was inside this modern structure and the whole place looked modern. i was suddenly in the concrete jungle, finding my way around buildings to go back up the main streets.

tabata is apparently home to a number of famous writers and artists from the 1910s to the 1980s. i could see 15 individuals marked on the map and that is a lot in a small district. i wonder what brain stimulating thing is found in this area, probably the lush greenery or the rolling hills. i was getting exhausted from this uphill and downhill roads of the place but at least the breeze was constantly coming.

komagome (駒込)

without much warning, i reached the next station, komagome. it was but a small one, no large buildings this time.

but what it lacked in height, it made up in width. i was in a residential area after all, and the houses occupied wide lots, and that shows wealth.

completed since the early 1700s, the rikugien park was close by and i would have loved to enter. it was about closing time when i reached the place, but this park or garden, i should say, is designated as a special place of scenic beauty by the national government.

sugamo (巣鴨)

at the very end of those wealthy houses street, i finally reached the next station. sugamo was also residential but more on the normal working class way of living. this area was also fondly dubbed as the shinjuku of old ladies. others also said, harajuku of grandma and grandpa. well this grandpa riding a bike did not disappoint.

sadly, the road i took was on the silent side, away from where the bustle and hustle is at. the sun was now comfortable and this point, the people should now be out. but instead, i was greeted by narrow side streets and very few people walking.

otsuka (大塚)

it was quiet until i reached otsuka station where it seemed like people has finally gathered. the station had a modern feel to it, and the installations outside were equally amazing. i could finally feel the lively and youthful atmosphere once again.

they will apparently host a summer festival this august end, and cultural dances were on the posters. it is a vibrant place with some hints of luxury.

as i moved away from the train station, i found myself in the outskirts of the area. and these outskirts seem to be in the worst condition possible. rent must be high around here and small apartment units were the main thing. i wouldn't dare walk in such small alleys between unmaintained buildings at night, that would surely feel scary. but that is the reality of people living in such big cities, i was nearing a major hub after all.

ikebukuro (池袋)

this is the last greenery i saw in the area, filled with buildings and people, it is such a major station. i have been here for many times now, but it is my first time to visit on foot. it was so different from all the other stations i have passed, there were so many people even from a kilometer away from the station.

by this point i was overwhelmed, and i was very sweaty. i had to cool down and entered a book shop. it was at this point where i contacted @appleeatingapple and @wittyzell who also happened to be in the vicinity. the daywalker journey ended at a dark but "lit" darts bar.

that was around 3 hours of walking for a distance of around 10 km. that was 7 stations of the great yamanote line, one of tokyo's busiest and most important line. i walked westward from home this time, i wonder how far i will reach when going south.

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!

_{all content is by yours truly unless otherwise specified}

^{all photos are taken with a galaxy s23 ultra}

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

17/08/2024

20091

Daily Activity, Photowalking, Walking

Height 168.0 cm		Weight 72.4 kg		Body Fat 19.5 %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm