Stage One: The Map and Blog Post that Started it All
| Subject: Mandy, the Cartographer | Reply Quote Modify Set Flag |
Author: Amanda Martin
Posted date: Thursday, October 21, 2010 1:51:09 PM PDT
Last modified date: Thursday, October 21, 2010 1:51:09 PM PDT
Total views: 63 Your views: 12 | |
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Stage Two: The Blog Entry that Started it All...First?
I think Kayoko and I walked for like 3 or 4 hours straight. It was intense. We went from Meiji Jingu Mae to Ebisu Metro Station by foot, and pretty much back. My old old body aches. Crazy men tried to pick us up, and, strangely, we both pretended we didn't speak English ^^*****. Well, you know how it goes.
Here is an artist's map of our route, rendered in lively colors for your enjoyment:
Glaciers, I'm beat. I also got some fun shopping done. Bought Bridget Jones II, the book, because I need something light for the airplane (there is not much that is lighter). Also an Ozaki tribute album (as though you know what I'm referring to ^^*) and THE Spice Girls Album (I guess there were more than one, but only one made number one, yo!). Also got some Matcha Candy at Meiji Jingu. I wanted to get the tea but it basically just looks like normal tree leaves and I didn't think it'd make it past customs. Pooooooh! T.T
Anyway, I's gotta get to bed so's to get up early and bring my sweet self over to Kawagoe. EXHAUSTED.
<3
Posted by Amanda Martin Sandino at 6:21 AM 
Stage Three: The Subway Map
| Subject: RE: Mandy, the Cartographer | Reply Quote Modify Set Flag |
Author: Amanda Martin
Posted date: Saturday, October 30, 2010 10:10:13 PM PDT
Last modified date: Saturday, October 30, 2010 10:10:13 PM PDT
Total views: 22 Your views: 7 | |
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tokyo_subway_map.jpg (758.221 Kb)
So you can tell where we actually walked, here is a Tokyo subway map. Ah, Tokyo is gigantic. Good luck finding the places-- we went from Meiji Jingu (nearest station= Harajuku), to Ebisu (station= Ebisu) and back to my apartment (Yoyogi Uehara). Actually, they are really nearby each other on this map- though they are farther on foot. |
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Stage Four: My Second Map
Available here, because I cannot load PDFs to Blogger.
| Subject: RE: Mandy, the Cartographer | Reply Quote Modify Set Flag |
Author: Amanda Martin
Posted date: Saturday, November 13, 2010 7:43:30 PM PST
Last modified date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 8:38:17 PM PST
Total views: 31 Your views: 13 | |
Author: Amanda Martin
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2010 10:10:13 PM PDT
Subject: RE: Mandy, the Cartographer
So you can tell where we actually walked, here is a Tokyo subway map. Ah, Tokyo is gigantic. Good luck finding the places-- we went from Meiji Jingu (nearest station= Harajuku), to Ebisu (station= Ebisu) and back to my apartment (Yoyogi Uehara). Actually, they are really nearby each other on this map- though they are farther on foot. |
TokyoSubwayMap.pdf (3.663 Mb)
So, I was more inspired to mark up the previously linked Tokyo Subway map to more or less match (and add to) the map I made showing my walking tour. This post largely draws on the radical mapping ideas/concepts presented in An Atlas of Radical Cartography-- let's just say I was quite inspired. The marked up map instead marks everywhere I traveled while living in Japan. The point is not to make you see how cool I am (though I am pretty cool), but to make us think about 1) WHO this map was really made for, 2) what this map does not show, 3) what this map highlights.
First off, this map is definitely not for people who are native Tokyo-ites or people living in Tokyo for the long-term who speak Japanese. Notice how the map is marked A-F, 1-4 in the margins. I updated this aspect to be instead (or actually, in addition, because I had some computer troubles)あーか and 一 through 四 using the Japanese alphabet in hiragana and kanji numbering.
Secondly, look at the key at the bottom. What sites are being highlighted?
* Tokyo Tower (an architectural feat) [dark side-- people have been known to get crushed in the doors. This is also located in one of the most theft-heavy areas of Tokyo]
* Ueno Zoo (largest zoo in Japan-- really crowded by the by) [Ueno Zoo-- overcrowded and said to abuse animals]
* Tokyo Dome (large sports venue, but also a musical and events venue) [insanely expensive, and the subway line there is super dirty-- usually smells of vomit]
* Meiji Jingu Shrine (cultural and religious site-- also a big spot for cosplayers)[this shrine was actually rebuilt in the 1950's, though it is still marketed as being hundreds of years old. Also, you have to go on the vomit-y subway line]
* Tsukiji Fish Market (famous for having "freshest fish in Tokyo"- sushi places go here early early to get fish)[Well, I'm not sure what you would do here as a vegetarian, but then again, I never went]
* Imperial Palace (where the Emperor lives... more or less)[You pretty much have to walk for forever from the subway. Also, there is a museum commemorating Japanese WWII victories along the way- which seems kinda problematic to me]
* "Electrical Goods" (Akihabara is marked this way- it is famous for having lots of computer things, and is also otaku central-- lots of cheap cosplay items)[Akihabara is known for so much more than electrical goods! Like free anime stuff all over!]
* Kaminari Mon (old old Japanese buildings, market, shrine, not-so-old amusement park, and a Hollywood-like hands in the cement thing for kabuki stars)[I'm actually pretty happy with this one. Many different things to do. Although, if you want to see Kaminari Mon itself- which is a gate- prepare to be disappointed. It is behind a fence so thick that you can't see much on account of vandalism]
* Narita Airport (one of two Japanese international airports)[The map is really deceptive here- Narita airport is about an hour and a half out of Tokyo on a bullet train]
* Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo Disneyland is famously NOT in Tokyo but Chiba)[Not in Tokyo either, and much farther away than, say, Ghibli Land]
* KDD Otemachi Office (big place for business travelers to go for work)[Um, there isn't really anything to see in Otemachi. Unless you need to go to a bank. And it is REALLY easy to get lost]
* KDD Shinjuku Office (see above)[At least Shinjuku has some culture, but still, this is pretty obviously aimed at visiting businessfolks.]
Now, what is most annoying, is that most of these sites are super commercialized and cater to English-speaking tourists (which is not to say they do not get a huge number of Japanese tourists and non-English-speaking international tourists as well). But certain things are pretty obviously aimed at American tourists, such as Tokyo Disneyland; Ghibli Land is similarly a theme park based on an animation franchise, but actually a Japan-based animation franchise, and might have also or instead appeared (it is in Mitaka, which must be on the map somewhere, but was really hard to find, even knowing where it is). Also, things like Shinjuku Station, the busiest (and largest) train station in the world, is not highlighted at all (though the rarely used Haneda airport is shown).
If I was going to replace these sites, I would instead highlight:
1. Shibuya Station- Hachiko statue is here!
2. Shinjuku Station- cost of travel (above)** I lied, Hachiko is at Shibuya station
3. Roppongi street musician and celebrity watching sitting place- free (versus Tokyo Tower, which is really expensive)
4. Yanaka- Old old graveyard, also the guardian animal of this area is the cat, so the community takes care of a large number of stray cats. If you go to the stray cat center, you can help feed, groom, and play with the cats-- all for free.
5. Tennozu Isle- Ah, it sounds so nice, but it is actually a big place for storing trash. There is also a ton of graffiti. Also, where one must go if you want a stamp to visit Korea. You may have figured, but most of the sites included above are pretty durned clean-- they make Japan look "perfect" in a Big Brother type way. Free.
6. Mitaka- To go see the Ghibli Museum! It is about $15 or so, and well worth it. You also get a movie ticket with the price of admission.
7. Ikebukuro- They have a festival here pretty much every weekend. I went to one that celebrated the opening of a new business. And it was a HUGE festival.
8. Ueno- The zoo is terribly busy and I'm told the animals are known to be mistreated (i.e. prodded if they fall asleep during the day, because it is bad for business). So, it is better to go see the gigantic "America Town" and buy "authentic American goods." Or, you know, not buy them- because they really don't seem authentic. I actually saw a U.S. flag that used purple instead of blue. Good times.
Thirdly, which subway lines are depicted on this map? As Martha already mentioned, these are ONLY private lines being depicted, the public JR lines (i.e. the cheaper ones that Mandy usually took to save money) only appear as a dotted line across the map (and the tracks extend far beyond what is depicted).
So, the map in An Atlas of Radical Cartography depicting "Latino/A America" got me thinking of the personal element to mapping as well. I think that an interesting future project would be to more Google Maps-y document these places in Tokyo, and include personal stories that link, such as the blog posts I wrote for those days.
In any case, the readings this week have made me a lot more conscious about how maps are political. After all, this Tokyo Subway Map included Tsukiji fish market and a zoo that abuses its animals-- kinda makes me want to go out and protest, anyway. |
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Stage Five: The New Map
View Tokyo- Cheap in a larger map
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