Japan's Green Car
Japan's Green Car
Overview
In this short live stream from September 2017, John Daub takes viewers along for a ride in a Green Car (luxury train car) while traveling through the Japanese countryside. Broadcasting via 4G on his phone, John shares the stunning views outside his window as the train moves from urban areas into rural landscapes. He discusses the benefits of riding in a Green Car, including guaranteed seating and comfort, while enjoying a coffee and a Belgian waffle from the restaurant car.
The video captures the transition of seasons in mid-September, noting the green leaves still holding on despite the approaching autumn chill. John also comments on the pristine sky following a recent typhoon, explaining how the storm clears the air for beautiful visibility. Throughout the journey, he interacts with viewer comments, shares details about his upcoming location shoot in Fukushima, and promotes his recent video on Aogashima Island.
Highlights
- 00:00:18 John introduces the Green Car and shows off his coffee and Belgian waffle.
- 00:03:38 The view shifts from city to countryside, revealing farm fields and mountains.
- 00:04:57 John explains why the sky is so beautiful after a typhoon.
- 00:06:38 He reveals his destination is Fukushima for a location shoot.
- 00:07:17 Train announcement details the upcoming stop at Shimo-Imaichi.
- 00:08:08 John shows off his Zhiyun gimbal stabilizer used for filming.
- 00:08:47 Explanation of Green Car pricing and benefits (guaranteed seat).
- 00:09:18 Promotion of his Aogashima video and thanks for super chats.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00:18 Intro & Snacks: John starts the live stream, showing the view and his refreshments.
- 00:03:38 Scenery Change: Transition from city to rural farm fields and tunnels.
- 00:04:57 Post-Typhoon Sky: Discussion on weather conditions and visibility.
- 00:05:38 Signal Issues: Brief connectivity drops due to tunnels.
- 00:06:38 Destination Reveal: Heading to Fukushima for work.
- 00:07:17 Station Announcement: Approaching Shimo-Imaichi and Tobu World Square.
- 00:08:08 Gear Check: Showing the gimbal stabilizer.
- 00:08:47 Green Car Details: Cost and luxury benefits.
- 00:09:18 Outro: Thanks to viewers and promo for Aogashima video.
Japan Travel Tips
- Green Car Benefits: Riding in a Green Car (luxury car) costs almost twice as much as standard class but guarantees a seat and offers a quieter, more comfortable environment.
- Signal Expectations: Expect 4G signal to drop when passing through tunnels or remote countryside areas, even on major networks like DoCoMo.
- Post-Typhoon Skies: The days immediately following a typhoon often offer the clearest skies and best visibility for photography, as the storm clears humidity and pollution.
- Train Transfers: When traveling to niche destinations like Tobu World Square, listen carefully to announcements for transfer points (e.g., changing trains at Shimo-Imaichi).
- Seasonal Timing: Mid-September is a transition period; while leaves are still green, there is a noticeable chill in the air indicating approaching autumn.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Green Car (グリーン車): The term used for first-class or luxury cars on Japanese trains. It implies larger seats, more legroom, and a quieter atmosphere.
- DoCoMo (ドコモ): NTT DoCoMo is one of Japan's largest mobile network operators. John mentions having five bars on their 4G network.
- Harvest Season: John notes the rice fields are nearing harvest time, which typically occurs in October in this region.
- Typhoon Aftermath: Culturally, there is an appreciation for the clear air following a typhoon, despite the disruption they cause.
Food & Drink Guide
- Coffee
- Where: Restaurant car on the train.
- Context: John enjoys this while streaming the view.
- Timestamp: 00:00:18
- Belgian Waffle
- Where: Restaurant car on the train.
- Context: A snack enjoyed during the ride.
- Timestamp: 00:00:18
People
- John Daub: Host and creator. He is traveling alone for a location shoot, dressed specifically for the work ahead. He engages with live stream viewers throughout the ride.
- Jim: A viewer mentioned by John who supported the 4G data costs via super chat.
- Rene Hopka: A viewer mentioned whose family is from Fukushima.
- Train Announcer: Heard via the PA system announcing stops like Shimo-Imaichi and Tobu World Square.
Key Takeaways
- The Green Car offers a significantly more relaxed travel experience with guaranteed seating, ideal for working or enjoying scenery.
- Rural Japan offers stunning landscapes that change quickly from city views to mountains and rice fields.
- Technology (4G) allows for live sharing of experiences, though terrain (tunnels) can interrupt connectivity.
- John balances travel enjoyment with professional obligations, using the transit time to connect with his audience.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:18 "But the view is awesome. So while I have you here, this is just going to be a short live stream."
- 00:03:38 "It's turned from the city to the country really fast. This is special."
- 00:04:57 "The typhoon the day after the typhoon, you get the most beautiful skies because it wipes out all of the bad air."
- 00:06:38 "This is luxury. And I'm dressed like this for the location shoot that I'm on."
- 00:08:47 "Now the green car is almost twice as much. You pay for the luxury. But it's almost twice as much. And the good thing about the green car is that you always get a seat."
Related Topics
- Train travel in Japan
- Green Car vs. Standard Class
- Fukushima travel
- Nikko area attractions (Tobu World Square)
- Live streaming while traveling
- Japanese countryside scenery
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo #travel #green-car #train #tochigi #fukushima #shimo-imaichi #countryside #live-stream #john-daub #japan-rail #luxury-travel #2017
Full Transcript
00:00:18 John Daub: But the view is awesome. So while I have you here, this is just going to be a short live stream. I just want to show you the view and this green car. And I'm just passing through the Japanese countryside. It's awesome. We're live. I got a coffee. There's a restaurant car here and I have a Belgian waffle. Hey, Jim, thank you. Enjoy the ride. Here's a little something with 4G. Much appreciated, Jim.
00:03:38 John Daub: Wow. Look at this view. Oh, my. It's turned from the city to the country really fast. This is special. So going through kind of a dark area right now. The train cuts through the tunnels, cuts through the forest. It's a wonderful view of farm fields. It's the middle of September. There's still summer, right? The leaves are green. We have colors yet, but we're getting there. You can feel it. There's a little bit of a chill in the air after the 15th of September. Yeah, it's getting there to where autumn is starting. Well, look, you could see up there some of the trees. Looks like we're going to be going through a tunnel. There's more mountains coming up in the distance. You can see we're going through hills. Look at this beautiful stream. This is great to share this with you guys, but you get some colors. That's awesome. That down there is rice and it's getting closer to harvest. Harvest would be next month.
00:04:57 John Daub: This is such a beautiful sky. Sorry if it's pixelated, if the signal is not very good. But there was a typhoon here the day before yesterday and the typhoon the day after the typhoon, you get the most beautiful skies because it wipes out all of the bad air and all of the moisture, all of the steam, everything that's just lingering. The typhoon takes care of it. And then the next few days, it's a pristine sky like this. Wow. Look at the colors.
00:05:38 John Daub: OK, I'm going to try the thing is I might cut off. I apologize for the pixel. The captain asked why I'm dressed like this. We're going in and out with the signal. Maybe it's because we went to the tunnels. I think the signal might be a little bit better now. I have five bars on the DoCoMo 4G network. So I love it. I love these compartments because we have a view on this side and we have the view on the other side. So I can kind of just like take you on both sides of the train.
00:06:38 John Daub: So, Rene Hopka, part of my family is from Fukushima. Have a good trip. Thank you very much. Should be fun being in Aizu-Wakamatsu and Togakure. Nice train car you got. Yes, very much. This is luxury. And I'm dressed like this for the location shoot that I'm on. You OK? Are you all right? Yeah. So I'm dressed like this for the location shoot that I'm going on. I'm going to be in Fukushima just for one day. And they're making an announcement. Tunnel.
00:07:17 John Daub: Thank you very much for using the special space. We will soon arrive at Shimo-Imaichi. The passengers on the east side of the road are on board. When you leave Shimo-Imaichi, you will be at the east side of World Square. Next stop is Shimo-Imaichi. Thank you.
00:07:38 John Daub: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for riding the Tōhoku Line today. This train will be arriving shortly at Shimo-Imaichi. Those passengers wishing to go to Tōgō Dippo should change trains here. The stop after Shimo-Imaichi will be Tōgō Largo Square. Thank you. The train is about to arrive at Shimo-Imaichi. Thank you very much.
00:08:08 John Daub: You should see what I'm seeing. It's just so beautiful. I just wanted to say hi. This is my stabilizer. Are you okay? Are you okay? I better stop this live stream. This is my gimbal stabilizer. This is what I'm using for the shoot. See how it'll stand on it. This is the Zhiyun version 2. So get some nice smooth good footage for you.
00:08:47 John Daub: I'm going to say goodbye. Show you this green car. Now the green car is almost twice as much. You pay for the luxury. But it's almost twice as much. And the good thing about the green car is that you always get a seat. You always have a place to sit.
00:09:18 John Daub: I guess because we cut the feed a couple of times. So wherever you are in the world, thank you everybody. Thank you very much for the super chats to help support the 4G. I appreciate it. I'm glad that I got a chance to share some of this view with you. Although a little bit pixelated. I'll have more from you in the next couple of days. I hope you enjoyed the Aogashima video that I uploaded yesterday. That video is doing really well. It's a tropical island paradise in the middle of the Pacific. It doesn't look like Tokyo. It's a special place to me. So I'm glad I could share that as well as you. If you haven't seen the Aogashima video, I'm going to put the link right here in the cards. Check it out.
00:09:58 John Daub: We're making a brief stop. So I'm going to say thank you to everybody. Show you this station and cut off. It doesn't look like there's much out here. We're not quite in Fukushima yet. This is still Tochigi. See you.