Playing with Tokyo train data and google maps today, I was looking through some of the big lines. When I tried the Yamanote (Tokyo’s loop line) it’s shape really surprised me. I’d always thought that it was kind of egg-shaped, roughly following the representation on train maps. In fact it makes this cute almost-heart shape as it travels around the megalopolis.

You can see the Emperor’s palace (the big patch of green inside on the right) and Yoyogi park (the patch on the left, just outside the loop).

Another picture after the jump..

At the bottom of the loop, the Yamanote takes a sharp turn, almost like that crazy 150 degree that always messed me up in Formula 1 driving games. At that point, the Shinkansen line branches away on it’s merry way to Yokohama.

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Tags: google maps, heart, japan rail, jr, shape, Tokyo, train, train line, yamanote

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 13:02 and is filed under The Bark. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.