{"id":2405,"date":"2014-03-30T12:29:11","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T03:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2014-03-30\/2405"},"modified":"2014-03-30T12:29:11","modified_gmt":"2014-03-30T03:29:11","slug":"modern-progress-japans-first-utility-wires-coming-down-after-120-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2014-03-30\/2405","title":{"rendered":"Modern Progress: Japan’s First Utility Wires Coming Down After 120 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 360 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nAnd The Angels Sang<\/span>\nunremarkable photo showing a remarkable situation\nyesterday   ;\u6628\u65e5\u3001<\/span>\u3084\u3063\u3068\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda<\/span>\u306a\u3057\uff01\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Yesterday, for the first time in 120+ years, Niomon Street in Kyoto is not draped in utility wires.<\/p>\n\n

\u65e5\u672c\u521d<\/span>\u306e\u96fb\u6c17\u8857\u706f<\/span>\u306e\u4f4d\u7f6e\u5834\u4ec1\u738b\u9580\u901a<\/span>\u308a(\u4eac\u90fd\u5e02\u5ca1\u5d0e)<\/span>\u306f\u6628\u65e5<\/span>\u3084\u3063\u3068\u90fd\u5e02\u7f8e\u5316<\/span>\u3067120\u5e74\u3076\u308a\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda\u7b49<\/span>\u304c\u7121\u304f\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n\n

The first electric-power generator in Japan was built just up the street\nfrom where I live,<\/span> around 1890. As such, the street in front of my place\nbecame the first in all Japan to have electric streetlights. At the time<\/span>, I'm sure the<\/span> associated power lines were a source<\/span> of pride as a symbol<\/span> of\nJapan's march toward modernity, but of course now they're just urban\nblight, and urban blight that Japan has traditionally taken to extremes.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f\/3.5-5.6 VR at an effective 142mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>350 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nEight Years Ago<\/span>\n\u516b\u5e74\u524d\u3001\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda\u3044\u3063\u3071\u3044\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f\/3.5-5.6 VR at an effective 63mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nYuck<\/span>\n8 years ago — \u516b\u5e74\u524d\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The photo above appeared on my blog more than eight years ago, in\n“<\/span>It will be a traffic<\/span> nightmare\u2026.. but I can<\/span>\u2019t wait!!<\/a>”<\/span>, when I found<\/span> out about\nthe urban-beautification initiative that would bury the utility wires under the street. At the time<\/span>, the view from my place was marred by 20+ utility wires:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f\/3.5-5.6 VR at an effective 157mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/14, ISO 100 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nEight Years Ago<\/span>\n\u516b\u5e74\u524d\u3001\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda\u3044\u3063\u3071\u3044\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 18-200mm f\/3.5-5.6 VR at an effective 27mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPart of the Construction<\/span>\nEight years ago\n\u516b\u5e74\u524d\u3001\u90fd\u5e02\u7f8e\u5316\u306f\u59cb\u307e\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Unfortunately, the construction eight years ago to bury pipes and such\nmerely paved the way for the removal of the utility wires, but the wires\nand the utility poles didn't actually get removed.<\/p>\n\n

\u7d50\u5c40\u3001<\/span>\u516b\u5e74\u524d<\/span>\u306e\u5de5\u4e8b<\/span>\u306f\u6e96\u5099<\/span>\u3060\u3051\u3067\u3057\u3066\u3001\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda<\/span>\u3084\u96fb\u5b50\u67f1<\/span>\u3082\u6b8b\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nUgly Utility Poles in the Sidewalk<\/span>\nfour years ago, from this blog post<\/a>\n\u56db\u5e74\u524d\u3001\u919c\u3044\u96fb\u5b50\u67f1\u306f\u6b8b\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRight in the Way!<\/span>\n\u90aa\u9b54\uff01\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

It's difficult to imagine just how ridiculously in-the-way these utility poles are. Check out this photo from\na post<\/span> four years ago showing Anthony on the way to a haircut<\/span><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\u3081\u3063\u3061\u3083\u90aa\u9b54\u3001<\/span>\u96fb\u5b50\u67f1<\/span>\u3055\u3093<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Every few years a few of the wires would come down, but it was slow progress. Just a year<\/span> ago it was still pretty much the status quo.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOne Year Ago<\/span>\n\u4e00\u5e74\u524d\u3067\u3082\u3001\u307b\u3068\u3093\u3069\u306e\u30ef\u30a4\u30e4\u306f\u307e\u3060\u6b8b\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSame Pole as in “<\/span>Yuck”<\/span> Above<\/span>\na year ago\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

But finally they've been coming down more quickly!<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSame Pole as in “<\/span>Yuck”<\/span> Above<\/span>\ntwo weeks ago\n\u4e8c\u9031\u9593\u524d\u3001\u307b\u3068\u3093\u3069\u306a\u304f\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\uff01\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMuch Cleaner<\/span>\nwire-wise, at least, but the ugly in-the-way utility pole is just to my back in this shot\n\u90aa\u9b54<\/span>\u306a\u96fb\u5b50\u67f1<\/span>\u306f\u6b8b\u3063<\/span>\u3066\u308b\u3051\u308c\u3069\u3082\u3001\u30ef\u30a4\u30e4\u306f\u307b\u3068\u3093\u3069\u5947\u9e97<\/span>\u306b\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3001\u4e8c\u9031\u9593\u524d<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

As nice as it is to get down to just one wire, the difference between 1 and 0 is substantial, a point<\/span> brought home in spectacularly clear\nfashion a couple<\/span> of weeks ago as I walked<\/span> to the\nHigashiyama Lightup<\/a>. Jingu Street had apparently just had all its wires taken down,\nand though I'm sure the following photo doesn't show it, it felt surreal to walk down it sans wires. It felt as<\/span> if I was<\/span> on a movie<\/span> set.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 2800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSurreal<\/span>\nJingu Street sans wires, two weeks ago\n\u4e8c\u9031\u9593\u524d<\/span>\u306e\u795e\u5bae\u9053\u3001<\/span>\u30ef\u30a4\u30e4\u7121\u3057\u3067\u30b7\u30e5\u30eb\u30ec\u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\u30e0\u306a\u611f\u3058\u3002\u64ae\u5f71\u6240<\/span>\u307f\u305f\u3044\u3002\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Later that evening I noticed that all the wires and poles were down in\none of the more quaint areas of Kyoto, as illustrated by two photos\nstarting here<\/a>. It was wonderful<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

So finally, as of yesterday, all the wires strung in front of my place\nare down. The utility<\/span> poles are still there, just as in the photo of Jingu\nStreet above, but hopefully they'll be down soon as well.<\/p>\n\n

And in other in-my-neighborhood news, cherry blossoms have started to bloom.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.5, ISO 500 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nShirakawa River<\/span>\nyesterday\n\u767d\u5ddd\u306e\u685c\u306f\u958b\u82b1\u59cb\u307e\u308a\u307e\u3057\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, for the first time in 120+ years, Niomon Street in Kyoto is not draped in utility wires.<\/p>

\u65e5\u672c\u521d\u306e\u96fb\u6c17\u8857\u706f\u306e\u4f4d\u7f6e\u5834\u4ec1\u738b\u9580\u901a\u308a(\u4eac\u90fd\u5e02\u5ca1\u5d0e)\u306f\u6628\u65e5\u3084\u3063\u3068\u90fd\u5e02\u7f8e\u5316\u3067120\u5e74\u3076\u308a\u96fb\u6c17\u7dda\u7b49\u304c\u7121\u304f\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>

The first electric-power generator in Japan was built just up the street from where I live, around 1890. As such, the street in front of my place became the first in all Japan to have electric streetlights. At the time, I'm sure the associated power lines were a source of pride as a symbol of Japan's march toward modernity, but of course now they're just urban blight, and urban blight that Japan has traditionally taken to extremes.<\/p>

The photo above appeared [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2405\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}