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| View from my room |
We landed non at Haneda, but at Narita airport. Narita was opened to traffic inwards 1978 after Haneda became overcrowded as well as facing employment relating to expansion. The flying from Shanghai took almost an hr as well as a half. From the clock within the terminal I noticed that Tokyo was an hr ahead of Shanghai. We presently headed for the urban meat 63 kilometres away inwards a shiny regular-sized bus. Outside it was a contrast from PRC alongside latest Japanese cars zipping past, their bodies sparkling inwards the Sun every bit if given a vigorous spit-and-polish. After some fourth dimension every bit I looked out of the window I constitute the motorcoach climbing a flyover that spiralled on to go a multi-tiered thing as well as I could run across downward below at other 2 levels cars speeding upwardly as well as down. In front end I could run across a nondescript truck climbing the flyover, its tail-pipe emitting no fume indicating its perfect combustion  |
| Same persuasion during the day |
as well as engine efficiency.
We were lay upwardly at the Tokyo Grand Hotel inwards the expanse known every bit Shibakoen. It was maybe a 3-star thing as well as each 1 of us was given a unmarried room. The room was pocket-size but the direction of infinite was to live seen to live believed. Every conceivable comfort had been provided inwards those 120-odd sq.ft. In that pocket-size expanse in that location was fifty-fifty a tv set laid which had 8 color channels. In 1982 nosotros had alone 1 B&W channel, the minute coming later. The toilet was pocket-size but it was neatly planned alongside no clutter despite a pocket-size plastic tub inwards which 1 could alone stand upwardly to accept a shower. Plastic was optimally used from toilet tub to walls. Nihon is brusque of infinite and, hence, fifty-fifty their houses are pocket-size alongside the available infinite optimally used. The room overlooked a broad route alongside a baseball game the world on 1 of its sides.
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| The Bullet Train speeding away |
Having checked inwards I had some fourth dimension earlier the adjacent engagement. I wanted to remove maintain the celluloid rolls exposed inwards PRC to live processed. Taking directions from the Reception I headed to the studio which was within walking distance. Colour celluloid rolls – for slides as well as negatives – were kept exterior the store inwards a heap inwards a basket. One could selection upwardly whatever as well as larn out the coin nearby inwards a container. The same was the illustration alongside pocket-sized calculators which were really scarce inwards Republic of Republic of India till then. The gent behind the counters took all my details as well as said that the prints would live stimulate past times evening. I was surprised every bit inwards Delhi 1 had to deposit the rolls at Kodak on Janpath who would ship them to Bombay. The films would come upwardly processed alongside prints alone after 3 weeks. Here it was enormously different. Obviously automated printing of colour-negatives had already commenced inwards Japan. It came to Republic of Republic of India subsequently inwards mid 1980s. Those who remove maintain grown upwardly inwards the digital era wouldn't know almost all this.
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| Demonstrators passing by |
The kickoff solar daytime of the month was an introductory session alongside the senior officials of the Ministry who informed us of the schedule as well as the itinerary for the fortnight that nosotros would live spending inwards Japan. While nosotros would live looking at the postal facilities as well as doing some sites inwards Tokyo nosotros were also to view Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto as well as Nara. In the procedure nosotros were told nosotros would live having a ride on the Bullet Train, till as well as so a technological marvel as well as at that fourth dimension the fastest inwards the world. At the inaugural, I also saw for the kickoff fourth dimension the wireless microphones. The absence  |
| At the totally computerised Nihonbashi Post Office |
of a tangle of wires on the flooring made me await roughly when I saw the amplifier inwards 1 corner. Japan, after all, was as well as so the technological superpower.
Soon after returning from the Ministry of Communications I headed for the photographer. As presently every bit he saw me he said he had delivered the rolls at the Hotel. I asked "to whom?" He said to the Reception. I asked "payment?” He said they made it. This was incredible. Thanking him I returned to the Hotel as well as checked alongside the Reception as well as they gave me the fatty parcel as well as said I could pay anytime I wished. Thoroughly overwhelmed I paid for the films in that location as well as then. Things remove maintain been made incredibly smooth past times evolving a work-culture that ensures conveniences for the people.
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| At Ginza |
In Nihon the emphasis was on showing their processes which happened to live unlike from PRC alongside to a greater extent than engineering scientific discipline inducted into them. We were taken to their information processor centre where nosotros had to larn out our shoes outside. The machines, dust-sensitive as well as huge similar cupboards, were lined upwardly against the walls. Surely, primitive inwards comparing to today’s progressively miniaturized versions, these were beingness made usage of for diverse operations.
Nihonbashi post business office was a totally computerized business office alongside minimal manual operations. Everything, from booking of a post service slice to its sorting as well as bagging for finish moved on the footing of information processor programmes that were guided past times optical graphic symbol readers (OCRs). OCRs were extensively used so much so that the Japanese regime had fifty-fifty printed postal stationery amenable to  |
| The highrises of Shinjuku |
processing past times them. At that fourth dimension the OCRs inwards Nihon could read hand-written digits inwards 8 unlike styles. Watching the machines inwards operations many a fourth dimension 1 felt that every bit if an invisible supernatural manus was behind the moving trays, bags inwards pocket-size trolleys that would move on rails to predetermined destinations guided remotely past times computers.
The OCRs were also inwards usage at subway stations inwards ticket dispensers. The machines could read the currency notes shoved inwards as well as spit out a desired railway ticket as well as also drib the alter inwards a tray. At the Communications Museum I saw for the kickoff fourth dimension facsimile machines. Unlike the electrical current tiny ones, these were of the size of a smallish refrigerator, state of 150 litres. I signed on a slice of newspaper as well as it was run through the machine alone to yield a re-create from some other 1 kept a few metres away.  |
| Ginza at night |
Japanese technology, specially inwards the expanse of consumer electronics, was moving towards its peak. The dry soil was withal inwards manufacturing – the shift to PRC came much later. Soni, Sansui, National, Sharp etc. were household names inwards Republic of Republic of India but their products were largely unavailable. The marketplace was starving for them as well as was partially fed past times smuggling. And, in that location inwards Tokyo inwards the expanse called Akihabara electronic goods were stacked upwardly inwards store after store from flooring to the roof. Until as well as so I had never seen video recorders/players, nutrient processors as well as such like. It was mindboggling. That’s when 1 realised the differences betwixt an industrialized rich state as well as an un-developed country. Ours was a closed economy, trying to live self-reliant without much capability – as well as a (pseudo) socialist democracy to boot.
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| Ginza every bit an opened upwardly air huge cafe |
Japan had already wrested leadership from Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany inwards the expanse of photographic equipment. Gone were the days when Exaktas, Leicas, Agfas, Rollies used to telephone telephone the shots. The character products from Asahi Pentax, Nikon, Minolta, Konica as well as so on were a rage, I dare say, fifty-fifty inwards China. Even I had acquired from my sis inwards the U.S. of America a Minolta SLR alongside a 50mm lens alongside f stop of 1.4. The Japanese subsequently broke the “zero barrier” making the lens incredibly powerful.
Our consultant, Pat Kearney, was a professional person photograph as well as used to shoot regattas held inwards Hobart inwards Tasmania, his abode town. While he was looking for a telescopic long lens I wanted a few accessories. I joined him in the bespeak for  |
| A Tokyo temple |
some photographic equipment. We had to go to Shinjuku, the commercial centre, where a reputed store dealing inwards cameras as well as other photographic materials was suggested to us. We took the Metro from closed to our Hotel. It was my kickoff subway ride. We inwards Republic of Republic of India did non remove maintain metros nor was in that location whatever inwards Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore or PRC - the countries I had been to. The Shinjuku subway station was likely a junction of several lines as well as was hence huge. It had seemingly some other urban meat surreptitious alongside shops, restaurants, tailors, beauty parlours as well as what remove maintain you. People were relaxing, sipping java or having beer. The whole house was so good lit that 1 actually did non miss daylight. It was simply every bit crowded every bit maybe the urban meat over-ground. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 similar atmosphere I subsequently saw inwards Hibiya City where nosotros used to alter to go to Ginza. Once I fifty-fifty walked correct through the surreptitious passageway to Ginza from Hibiya; it was similar going past times an entire township.  |
| Another persuasion of Ginza at night |
Yudobashi inwards Shinjuku alongside a crowd of tall high-rises was non a really large store inwards its 2 or 3 floors yet was into retailing almost all brands of Japanese cameras. That is why the salesmen would heighten a dissonance every bit presently every bit 1 entered the store inviting the visitor to their respective shop. It was to a greater extent than similar the meat marketplace nosotros had inwards Gwalior where 1 would live greeted alongside a chorus of shouts of invites every bit presently every bit 1 entered it. Yudobashi was indeed a peachy store as well as 1 would notice every conceivable camera, lens or accessories there.
After buying an aperture-priority Minolta SLR trunk as well as a few accessories I came out as well as sat on a thoughtfully provided bench to remove maintain a smoke. Street lights had come upwardly on. Soon I noticed a salesman inwards his tunic of blueish serge trousers, a low-cal blueish half-sleeved shirt as well as a peak cap came out alongside a broom inwards manus as well as started sweeping the expanse inwards front end of the shop. It was maybe closed  |
| Animated mannequins of Ginza |
to closing time. It seems everyone inwards Nihon sweeps build clean their respective trace organisation areas – within as well as exterior – earlier closing for the day. That is why fifty-fifty early on inwards the morning time the urban meat is build clean as well as litter-free. It is so unlike from our non-functional methods regarding cleanliness inwards populace places.
A swamp that was filled upwardly means dorsum inwards the 17th Century to exercise what subsequently became Ginza is at in 1 lawsuit an upscale commercial as well as trace organisation hub alongside subdivision stores, boutiques, restaurants as well as java shops. Mitsukoshi, an establishment as well as so of chain stores, had its outlet in that location as well as I bought from its huge store a lovely-looking orangish as well as dark Silver Reed portable typewriter. One would ever run across crowds milling inwards the area, specially inwards the evenings as well as at nighttime it is a veritable fairyland alongside coloured neon illuminating billboards of every well-know Japanese firm. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 house ideal for window shopping, I saw animated mannequins swinging their hands belongings high-end bags. There is zippo that was non available there. Perhaps on Sundays, a master copy thoroughfare is blocked for people to come upwardly as well as relax alongside their families. The cafeterias lay their chairs as well as tables out on the street. It was almost similar a fair.
The host management gave us a fabulous even at the Imperial Hotel. Located closed to the Imperial Palace inwards the neighbourhood of Ginza, it was a  |
| At the Imperial Hotel |
luxurious house as well as looked every flake similar that. Food was mostly Japanese alongside some Western materials thrown in. What I liked best was tempura, a dish of battered sea-food as well as sake, the Japanese vino made out of rice. Quite curiously, it is taken warm.
Since in that location were no women inwards our group, wives of Japanese officials were non invited. Instead they had hostesses – immature girls inwards elaborate hair-do, wearing traditional kimonos that by as well as large were non seen on Tokyo streets. During a conversation alongside 1 of as well as so I was told that they were all students as well as had volunteered to live hostesses for the even mostly to brush upwardly their English. I thought it was a really skillful idea!
The Japanese are really traditional as well as polite people. Bowing, for illustration is  |
| A side street behind the Tokyo Grand Hotel |
really of import as well as the deeper the bow the greater is the abide by shown. At a store the lady gave me a deep bow as well as I also had to bow non in 1 lawsuit but twice to enable her to straighten up. Likewise, “arigato” is a much used word. The discussion conveys cheers as well as it is used far also frequently. Japanese people remove maintain go westernised inwards many ways but the concur of their civilization as well as traditions go along to live really strong. Sumber https://bagchiblog.blogspot.com