Shin-Yokohama station
The picture here is not the construction site for the Olympic Games in Beijin. It’s in front of the north side of Shin-Yokohama station. I don’t know what they are building. A huge dumpster for scrap metal??
Shin-Yokohama has been turned into a more passenger-friendly station recently. Although it is used by quite a few people every day as there are two JR lines, Tokaido Shinkansen and Yokohama-line, and the City Subway serving, there weren’t many services available before, and it was really just a station to pass by. Now a 19-storey commercial building rises above it. It contains a mall called CUBIC PLAZA, with more than 80 shops and restaurants, including a big bookstore, a mid-range hotel, HOTEL ASSOCIA with 203 rooms, and offices. The concourse is bright and spacious, the escalators and elevators are smooth, all the signs are in big letters and easy to follow. It’s only 12 minutes to Shinagawa, or 20 minutes to Tokyo by Shinkansen, and of course, you have easy access to any part of Yokohama from there. All things considered, it could be a good base for business or even pleasure trips.
When I was walking through the corridor, enjoying the new look of the station in a cheerful mood, the sign of a doughnut shop, “DOUGHNUT PLANT NEW YORK CITY” caught my eyes. Next moment, I was holding two doughtnuts in a paper bag, which cost me 770 yen, with a taint of regret for my adventurous and spontaneous shopping. Well, it tasted great and I was happy after all, but the 40-yen mini-doughnuts from a bakery close to my place is as good as those fancy ones.
Jun 27th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Those big American donuts are just too, well, too big. Speaking of donuts though, one of my friends gave me a Krispy Kreme donut not so long ago. They are so famous that I almost thought that they would be amazing. It was just OK though. I like Mr. Donut. Good size and good taste. I think there is a Doughnut Plant New York in Queen’s Isetan at Yokohama Station too.
Regarding Shin-Yokohama, I also hardly ever go there but recently I had to in order to do research for a job. I saw the big construction and while it seems that it will be an ugly thing even when finished, it will be very functional. It’s not so easy to get across the road near that station.
Jun 28th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Yes, Mr. Donut is good because you can get free coffee refills. Usually, I choose quality over quantity for food. I go to Shin-Yokohama once a month to change train on the way to work, and when I go to Nissan Water Park in the Nissan Stadium. That is a great place for having a swim or enjoying jet bath, aloma sauna, etc.