#Chuo Main Line

[bonguri]

20250208 Narai 2 by Bong Grit Via Flickr: 南木曽駅の手前で中央西線は木曽川を渡ります。水墨画のような景色。 Photo taken at Near Sakashita station, Nakatsugawa city, Gifu pref.

[guerrerense]

『Mountain Mileage』 por Carlos Ferran Por Flickr: Headlining what was probably the most photographed train in Japan on this day, JR EF64-1022 leads the 25th Anniversary Cassiopeia excursion at the sweeping curve west of Takao. On November 16, 2024, JR East operated a special excursion with its Cassiopeia Sleeper equipment, starting at Ueno bound for Kofu. This was done to celebrate its 25th anniversary of the start of operation. This was also the second time this train has ever headed west from Tokyo into the mountains since starting operations in 1999. On board the sold out train, passengers paid the big yennies for the privilege, especially those in the observation lounges shelling the equivalent of $1,000 one way. Since this was one of the first trips over the mountains during fall, the tori-tetsu lined the tracks to photograph this excursion, especially west of Takao. This particular spot was extremely popular, and that's understating it. Around 75-85 photographers shared this angle in a space the equivalent of a 53' trailer. Clearly for many, including myself, It was worth it in the end! JR Chuo East Main Line JR EF64-1022 (Cassiopeia 25th Anniversary Excursion) Uratakaomachi, Tokyo Pref., Japan

[galakenya]

中央快速線の“顔” 201系トップナンバー「クハ201-1」、15年ぶりに本線走行　青梅鉄道公園での展示か

The "face" of the Chuo Rapid Line 201 series top number "Kuha 201-1", running on the main line for the first time in 15 years Is it an exhibition at Ome Railway Park?

https://galakenya.blogspot.com/2025/07/201201-115the-face-of-chuo-rapid-line.html

[konradnews]

Osaka-Kansai Expo" is the size of 3 Disney Lands? Basic information on how to enter the spacious venue, purchase tickets, etc.

Access The main access to the Expo site is by train. The nearest station is Yumeshima Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo Line, about 40 minutes from JR Shin-Osaka Station to Yumeshima Station, about 30 minutes from JR Osaka Station to Yumeshima Station, about 1 hour and 20 minutes from JR Kansai Airport Station to Yumeshima Station. There are also shuttle buses that depart from Sakurajima Station on…

[ichim-774]

JR East Chuo Main Line night trains “Alps” and “Hakuba” in operation. The period is from Monday, July 1, 2024 to Monday, September 30, 2024.

JR東日本中央本線夜行列車「アルプス」「はくば」運行 期間は2024年7月1日（月）から2024年9月30日（月）まで

[itsayaze]

Day Three - Nakan-oh shit my legs hurt

"Tomorrow will be a chill day"

This is something I've been telling myself every night, and every time it's been a lie. So, we took the Chuo Rapid to Nakano Broadway, which is haven for Mandarake shops. They have specific branches all throughout the mall dedicated to specific things, such as trains, video games, boy's love manga, titties, CDs, etc.

It's also the day where I spent quite a bit of money on a few things. Normally I'm journaling in the morning, but because on the third day of your stay, APA do housekeeping wether you are prepared or not, so I took some time in the morning to clean up after myself a bit to inconvenience the staff less. As today's shenanigans have gone on, memories of yesterdays have become a little more hazy.

The main attraction of the day for me is Namco Nakano Broadway. In there, they have a full-size cabinet of the newest Densha de GO! game. As I've only had the opportunity to play the heavily watered down PS4 version of the game, this was very exciting.

At 300 yen a pop for a 2 station run, it's expensive, but as its a larger cabinet with a whole host of features, I personally think it's worth it.

It has FOUR screens, one of which is a touch screen, as well as a pedal for the horn, and the mascon for power/brake. The touchscreen is used to emulate the point and call system that train drivers in Japan follow to ensure that they make no mistakes. So, for example, if the speed limit was changing for that stretch of track, you'd slide a point on the touch screen, and tap the speedometer to acknowledge the change in speed.

On top of this, there's a bass speaker inside of the seat that I'm pretty sure is tuned to specifically react to the track sounds which makes it pretty damn immersive!

I played on a familiar Yamanote line route to get my bearings with the new controls - I've only played this on PS4 mind - and it went well! I got an S rank on the mission and only messed up a few things such as honking over a bridge. (They don't do this on actual JR trains as far as I'm aware, so I'm unsure as to why this is a gameplay mechanic?)

After this, I wandered around the broadway, poking my nose in all the different Mandarakes. I got a few games, but unfortunately I don't remember what ones. To take a break, we sat in an interesting artsy cafe on the 4th floor. It turns out its directly tied to the artist who was responsible for My Lonesome Cowboy. If you know, you know.

I had a nice melon soda, which had a scoop of vanilla ice-cream shaped like a flour and the juiciest cherry I've ever eaten. With my drink, I also got a special token to play the cocktail arcade cabinet table that you sit at, which was Space Invaders Deluxe.

Once we were done looking around the huge 4F complex, we headed by Shinjuku on the way back to the hotel. There's a Like a Dragon pop-up shop taking place over the course of this week, and I wanted to take a quick peek to see if there was anything left later in the evening. I got a handful of things, but showing it all would be spoilers to the people whomst I've bought gifts for.

Tomorrow morning (JST) I'll do a quick writeup about my proper experience in the pop-up, the results of the final round of the chigyu championship, and government buildings...?

[okamachi-tuushin]

水道橋駅 SUIDOBASHI Station

東京出張の休日日記 その23

April 23 2017

[y2klostandfound]

Preview - Jet Set Radio Future on Dorimaga Magazine Vol.2 (2002-02)(Video game Magazine)(08/02/2002)

Translation in English:

(Page 168)

Dorimaga Special Report - XBOX

Video Game Consoles : XBOX Scheduled to be released: February 22th Completely: ?% Price: 6,800 Yen Genre - ACT (Street Action Adventure) Manufacturer:Sega/Smilebit Players: 1-4 Number of discs: 1 URL: http://www.jsrf.com/ Controllers/Memory Cards: - Online Shop: -

Battle On The Street

At the Xbox presentation the other day, it was announced again that it would be released simultaneously with the console "JSRF". This time, we will release a battle mode that is as fulfilling as the main story! If you want to play with everyone, hold down as many controllers as you want!

The battle is also juicy!

The game offers a full range of new competitive play that develops based on the "JSRF" rules! Up to 4 players can participate, and you can choose from 5 rules.You can enjoy the fun that you have never experienced before! ?

No problem with split screen

Although the battle is split screen, the movement is comfortable with 1 point. Xbox power all over! Hooray for Xbox power!

DASH - Rudies are playing hard to get!

A speed race in which the person who takes the top spot after completing three laps of the course wins. It has the atmosphere of a typical kart race, with items used to jam the opponents, but with jumps and grinds, it is completely different from a simple racing game.

A race where there is no team battle, and everyone who participates becomes an enemy. It's a battle of speed. Use items!

DEATH BATTLE - Take that ball and run with it!

A slightly unusual race in which the winner is the one who completes one lap of the course with a rolling ball on the stage. The race starts from where the ball is captured somewhere on the area, and that point becomes the goal. If you fumble the ball, the count disappears and the place where you pick up the ball becomes the starting point again. Team battles are also possible.

A team game, passing the ball and circling the field, just like an American football player.

FLAG BATTLE - Get the flag that appears on the stage!

A game that takes flags that appear somewhere in the area. There is always one flag on an area, and when someone takes the flag, the next flag will appear. There are 5 flags in total. The game ends when the fifth flag is taken. The person with the most flags wins.

In team battles, the game is decided by the total number of flags taken.

Use items!

Various items such as bombs, non-scattering, and transparent items are dropped on the battle stage. Use this as a gun and make a difference to your opponent!

BATTLE GRAFFITI - Anyway, drawing graffiti wins!

Draw graffiti on the graffiti points on the stage, developing with the same rules as the main story. Whoever draws the most graffiti wins. Graffiti can be overwritten.

 Draw graffiti like the main story. Draw on a new point or crush the opponent's graffiti! ?

TAIL TO NOSE - Run or chase, dead heat!

When the graffiti meter on your opponent's back decreases to 0, you win. Also, it's over even if your physical strength reaches 0.

 A battle like the scene in which the rival team was chased in the previous work unfolds. In Team Graffiti, you can also erase fellow graffiti.

Roboy - Advisor Robot A new character in the garage!

GG's hideout, Garage Park, is a practice stage. In addition to being able to slide freely, you can learn the basics of various games by talking to the advice robot "Roboy" there.

It's kind of naive, but the guy who can't increase it. Garage Park will give you advice.

(Page 169)

BRAND NEW STREET

Chuo Street Run through Circuit Street!

The new stage is a revolving type!

Chuo Street is the central downtown area of Tokyo. Distinctive landmarks such as fashion buildings and chameleon front are lined up. The city is like a circuit.

Tanks are also available! Let's have fun!

 This time's natural enemy, Inspector Hayashi, throws a tank into the city. Draw graffiti on the body to defeat it.

The Poison Jams have arrived. Beat the race showdown in Chuo province!

Chuo Street

Commentary: Director - Masayoshi Kikuchi

Whereas Shibuya Terminal is a mini-garden type, this is a loop-type town that is perfect for racing. One of the concepts of this game, `` exhilarating and fun to run through '' is strongly expressed. However, the road is not flat, so you can enjoy it.

Action Point - Wall Ride

 There are several places where you can enjoy a refreshing wall ride here. Kick the signs all over the place and jump to the next wall.

[dinneronvenus]

Follow The Leader

⟡ kishibe ༝ fem reader (private sector devil hunter)

⟡ inspired by the song “follow the leader” by magdalena bay and companion missions in silent hill

⟡ tags: fluff, angst, age gap (20’s reader + 50’s kishibe), gentle kishibe, blood, violence, near-death experience, kishibe has worked with her once before, stubborn reader, reader gets mean to hide that she’s scared

⟡ synopsis: kishibe is dispatched to take out a devil that’s been terrorizing a town in a smaller district, a simple assignment that gets complicated when he finds another hunter shares his target

⟡ note: I have no idea if there’s a hot spring in chuo city…. I made that up

“Wolf devil, huh? Only in the sticks.”

Kishibe spoke to the trees as he started into the forest that surrounded the village. Trudging in the direction the locals had pointed him to as the last sighting of his quarry, he lit a cigarette and let the sound of sticks breaking under his boots serenade him. After what seemed like a long stretch, he started to hear howling from the east and took off in that direction.

The stench of rotting meat hit him hard, the air was thick with the history of carnage. The smoke of the extra strong cigarettes wasn’t enough to make a difference. He walked for another ten minutes through the bloody miasma before coming upon a large, sprawling, dilapidated house—source of the assault on his senses.

Time for the big bad wolf to meet an old mad dog, he thought as he crept through long grass alongside the back of the structure. It was built strangely: facing away from the small town and towards the mountains as if meant to emphasize the exiled location. With two floors to the main home and multiple sections, it offered him a challenging game of hide and seek under the full moon.

Air made humid by a mixture of rotting wood and human remains pressed down on him as he hoisted himself inside through a window. He steadied himself, let his eyes adjust to the darkness, and listened hard for any sign of the devil. Bug song and leaves rustling gave background noise to the silence; a faint whimper cut through it like a razor.

Kishibe explored the home in search of whatever made that sound, caution putting a slow and steady pace into his every move. He was more concerned about falling through the floorboards or stepping in a pile of something than he was about running into the wolf devil. Stopping every so often to listen for the sound, it began to get louder as he walked up the stairs.

The scene of carnage before him when he arrived at the top of the stairs was its own picture of Hell. Walls coated in viscera to the point of scabbing, a complex anatomy puzzle created by the remains of victims strewn across nearly every surface, and that ominous whimpering noise had turned into a low drone of death throes from those not lucky enough to have been torn apart properly.

Following the sound, he rounded a corner of the long hallway and started to check the rooms lining it. Finding more scenes from Hell or broken locks on each door until he came to a one he could hear grunting through. Tired of the broken locks, he decided to kick this one open.

The sudden crack and crash pulled you back to consciousness. You looked up meekly at him standing there with his weapon drawn, looking far too clean. You extended your arm to push yourself up which caught his attention. He walked up to you, weapon still ready and crouched closer to get a better look at your face. You were already a beautiful corpse to him, until you coughed and asked if he had something to drink. All the cold fierceness in his eyes melted away when he realized you were still alive.

“This is going to burn,” He pulled his flask out of his pocket, unscrewed it and held it to your mouth. “But it’ll help keep you calm so you don’t go into shock.” You let the liquor work itself into your mouth as he tilted the flask against your lips.

“Doesnt burn as bad,” you coughed and tried to prop yourself up again, succeeding this time. “As bad as the scratches from the wolf devil.”

“I didn’t take you as a small town girl, shame about your neighbors.” He was reaching to investigate your wounds and a minute went by when it clicked what he meant by that.

“Can’t take me for something I’m not, old man. I came here to kill it.”

“And how’d that go?”

You kissed your teeth at the insult he was attempting to add to your injuries. The liquor was working in full swing now, dulling your pain and making it easier to breathe. He was closing the deepest wounds on you with a vial of liquid stitches, starting at a gash on your collarbone and a trio of them on your side where the devil had gotten a good connection.

“Not great… but I didn’t fail.”

“It almost took you with it.”

“Keyword: almost. I shouldn’t even,” you grunted in pain as he held the last deep wound closed to give the liquid stitches time to seal it up. “…Be here right now… must’ve been passed out when the extraction party came to collect its body.” You flinched at his touch as he continued to hold your skin together.

A sour look painted your face and you turned your head away from him, thinking about how pathetic you must’ve looked to have been left for dead and how much hassle wrangling payment would be if your employer thought you died.

“Be still, or these are going to pop open again.”

A grumbling “hmph” escaped your lips as you resigned to letting this jaded old man patch you up. It suddenly dawned on you how weird it is that he was here at all.

“Hey, what are you doing out here anyway?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I was sent to kill the wolf devil, alas some punk beat me to it. Second time that’s happened.”

He was referring to the first time you two had met. Both of you sent to handle a pack of insect devils, this time purposely, making bets on who would kill what first. He would be lying if he said you didn’t impress him that night. Your moves were all power, speed, and brutality that was so hard to come by in someone your age, let alone a woman. By the time the night was over, you’d handled most of the pack yourself and he owed you a few thousand yen and dinner. Recounting the memory made the right side of his mouth twitch into a small smirk. He was pulled from the fond memory by the sound of a distant howl.

“I thought you said you killed that thing.” His entire demeanor shifted. Realizing he’d have to protect you and kill your quarry.

“I-I did,” fear stuck your voice to your throat. “I don’t know what the fuck that noise could’ve been.”

The howling doubled up, then tripled, and it was getting closer. When it dawned on kishibe that the wolf devil had given birth to cubs, he scooped you into his arms without saying anything and started downstairs, hoping the threat wouldn’t be able to smell your fresh blood through all the old blood, part of him knew better so he picked up the pace. You clutched him, realizing in that moment just how strong he was as you felt his well-built back and chest.

“Pretty strong for a senior citizen…” you made the comment under your breath, thinking he’d not be able to hear you.

“If you keep calling me old, I’m going to use you as bait,” he said it jokingly at first but then he realized his best bet at killing the cubs would be to do just that. He started making his way through the house, retracing his steps to a storage room he’d found on his way inside that had a great choke point for him to exploit.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. It’s the best way to make sure these things don’t get the jump on us,” He said as he sat you in the farthest corner of the room, using its small maze-like shelves to force a route for the devils to follow that would lead them right to him, and you.

“You’re fucking insane! You think I’d let you do this?” As if you had enough blood in your body to stop him. Defying your reality was normal though, and you started to get up and move towards the door. Gravity seemed to turn itself up though, and you swayed hard with no control over your legs. Strong arms caught you and a rough hand softly pulled your chin up, where you met kishibe’s black eyes with your own. Wordlessly, he asked you to trust him.

“Okay, I’ll do it. You’re the only chance I’ve got.”

You let him put you back in the corner, grateful for the softness of the rolled up cloth tarps stored there. The cacophony from the pack’s approach grew louder and louder. As they breached the room for the promise of a meal, they were met with the unbridled violence of Kishibe’s assault.

“Young animals always take the bait,” he said his comment on their nature more to himself than you. “I love it. So predictable.”

He tore them to shreds in such a manner that made you almost think he was showing off for you. The thought amused you, but not for long. You were getting sleepy, body heavy from the longest night of your life. You began to drift off, head resting on your shoulder. The sounds of horror fading away.

Tapping on your face slowly brought you back to consciousness. Opening your eyes just a little, you saw his concerned face inches from yours. Flecks of blood littered his face like freckles. Relief came over him as you blinked.

“I thought you went and died on me,” his voice was soft as he picked you up again, this time with more care. The two of you finally got out of that hell hole and into the open field of tall grass that surrounded it. The moonlight shone on your face, and despite everything, he remembered how pretty you are and how he had to push that thought out of his mind when you’d met. Now he was able to let it linger.

“Now, will you try to stay awake?”

“Yeah, I’ll try.” You said weakly, one arm draped around his neck and the other resting on your stomach. “Can’t m-make any promises though.”

He realized he needed to keep you talking to keep you alive.

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Steak… or shrimp pasta…”

He wanted to laugh at your answer’s simplicity. He smiled freely since he knew you couldn’t see him do it, didn’t want you to know he enjoyed this.

“Do you drink?”

“Yeah… not, not the way you do,”

“Hey…” he sounded almost hurt. “Drink of choice?”

“Sweet red wine,” your voice perked up a bit. A sign that relaxed him somewhat. He’d be able to make it back to the village with you alive.

“When I take you out to dinner, where do you want to go?”

Silence. You weren’t sure if you heard the words right. Maybe you were dying for sure. Darkness edged your vision, so you closed your eyes. Sleep sounded so good.

“Hey, answer me.” The pace of his footsteps quickening as much as possible without him moving fast enough to jostle you too much. “And look at me when you do.”

“What?” You snapped weakly, pain and exhaustion putting a knife’s edge on your voice. You looked up at him as he looked down at you, the moon big and shiny behind him, stars littering the sky. You realized he was attractive, and not just for an old man. His ashy blond hair was bleached by the moonlight and his cheekbones caught the light piercing the darkness of the trees every so often. Despite him not necessarily liking that tone, he was relieved to hear it. If you have the energy to be upset with him, you have the energy to make it the last mile back. Plus looking into your eyes as they reflected the moon, with you against his chest sent a feeling through him that felt so natural and warm. A feeling he’d not had in years, and wasn’t ready to let go of just yet.

“When I take you out to dinner, where do you want to go?” He spoke more evenly and even put some sweetness into his gruff voice.

You sighed, closing your eyes for a pause before resuming looking at him.

“Gyuan Ginza,” your answer was so matter-of-fact.

“That a steakhouse?”

“Mhm, best in Tokyo. Plus there’s a great hot spring spa in Chuo City too.”

Unbeknownst to you, the two of you had arrived at the back gate of the town’s small hospital. Your eyes closed again and this time, he didn’t make a fuss. He just held you a little tighter.

“I’ll take you there, too.”

[carlessvalley]

μ's Case Studies - A $220k new house 900m from a train station with a direct line into the heart of the largest city in the world is possible when cities are built with the idea that people will be living in them instead of cars. (A a 900m walk from a 200k house in Reno, Nevada for reference)

The train station, by the way, has a direct line to downtown Tokyo.

A comparison to a similar house in Reno, Nevada:

Alright, so it's less expensive. Less bang for your buck, right? Well, consider that this is a townhouse. The home in the first example is a brand new, 4-bedroom single-family home. So by that metric, we should see pretty similar results.

...Nope. If you walk 900m from the Reno house, you end up... almost at a freeway entrance. Your walk is mostly on a high-speed arterial, as well. Want to take residential streets to get there? An extra 100m. For a sidewalk next to a freeway exit.

Oh, on top of that: The Tokyo house has a private parking space, unlike the share parking lot had by the townhouse. So it's even better for drivers.

But I hear you. You want a lawn right outside your front door so your children can play and you can hang out and enjoy the great outdoors within a little pocket of nature. I hear you. And, indeed, the Tokyo house doesn't have a lawn...

So how does a walled garden sound? (Plus a great view from your bedroom) Same price, too.

I will say, it is almost double the distance to a train station. About 1.1 miles, for reference.

But if you're not a wuss then you can take the bus to the train.

The bus arrives pretty frequently (for American standards) and, unlike America, public transportation here isn't dangerous.

You also get a better deal, since this station is on the Chuo main line, a direct route to Shinjuku Station.

The point here is that urbanism isn't really stopping you from having the things you like. Even the second house still has parking. The goal, really, is to just allow cities to be developed in the way that they need to right now. Seattle is in a housing crisis, yet 80% of its housing stock is still single family homes.

Reno is in a similar situation. Downtown is full of neighborhoods of decrepit houses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that can't be turned into more productive multi-use developments due to zoning regulations. A housing shortage leads to homelessness, which leads to crime, which leads to the belief that dense areas are inherently dangerous, leading to the continuous construction of developments that won't fix anything. -μ's

[dokifluffs]

Relieving Stress | Makoto, Rin

Pairings: Makoto X Reader (gender neutral), and Rin X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: (angsty to??) comfort fluff

Author’s Note: Cause the free fandom needs to be fed too plus I’ve been dying to write more free!

Makoto: 

You couldn’t breathe through your nose, your nostrils completely blocked, your eyes puffy and red

Tear drops littered your notes and workbooks as you sat hunched over your desk, your hands holding the side of your head as you cried silently to yourself in the room, wanting to give up so badly but knowing you would feel too much guilt if you stopped

It was an endless cycle you wanted out of

Sitting in your seat had taken its toll on your body, your back and neck killing you from how much you had been sitting, your stomach hurting from how little you ate, not wanting to waste as much time as you did before

The college entrance exams were nearing and you were demoralized seeing the results of your mock

The worst of all was seeing the disappointment that was clear as day in your parents’ eyes when they asked about your results, the light of hope vanishing from their eyes

They didn’t say it but you could feel the disappointment, and you could still feel it

Your house was still and empty, excluding you. Your parents would be coming home late from work, saving every bit of money they could to send you to the school you wanted, hoping for you to get into Meijo Chuo University

A soft knock on your door pulled- no, freed you from your miserable studies

“Y/N?” The kind voice of your loving boyfriend Makoto sounded from your doorway as he peeked his head in through the door, his olive eyes widening seeing your crying face. “What happened?” He set the plastic bag filled with snacks and drinks down beside him as he knelt before you, taking your hand in his, cupping your face to wipe away your tears with the other

“Are you hurt?” He scanned your arms and legs, trying to find a source of the pain you were clearly in, finding none as you meekly shook your head, tears dripping off your chin

“What’s wrong, then?” You bit into your lip as you nuzzled into his touch, his warmth already melting away a slim fraction of the stress that was crushing you from the inside out

“Entrance exams,” your voice cracked as you felt a hot burn in your chest just thinking about it. You and tests were nowhere near compatible and you hated it- sitting in one spot for hours in complete silence, hearing everyone else diligently working while you sat there, feeling useless with your brain

“I’m not gonna get into Meijo Chuo and- and- I just want to skip this…” you spoke, your voice shaky, your breaths uneven as you continued to struggle to breathe through your nose, making it feel even more like you were suffocating

“Hey, shhh…” He pulled you into his embrace, your head resting on his shoulder, breath tickling his neck as he rubbed his hand over your back. “Don’t say you won’t, not now when they haven’t started yet. There’s still time.”

He knew the stress you were feeling over the exams. He felt the same but he thought you were in a better boat than he was since you actually knew where you wanted to go whereas he didn’t

The reason as to why he was actually here was because of your mother. She contacted him, worried you weren’t giving yourself enough breaks and she was right seeing the state you were in

“Let’s take a break, okay? Tell me why you think you won’t get in…” The two of you sat in the center of the room on your carpet. He handed you a refreshing drink, offering you some snacks he knew you liked

You told him abut your mock, which led to multiple branches of thoughts like what if you didn’t get in as the main concern, the guilt you felt toward your parents for working so hard for the sake of your future

It was all wrapped around the concern of not getting in

He listened intently, getting a feel for how you felt

He held you close, his arm wrapped around your shoulders, hand rubbing your arm as the two of you leaned back into the side of your bed. He wipes your tears away with his tissues, telling you all about the exam and how it really would go, explaining the curves every year, financial aid, the process of applying too

“We can work through this together,” he squeezed your hand in his 

It sounded like a lot more but with the way he put it, it sounded achievable but it wasn’t enough to make all your stresses disappear into thin air

“I can come over again tomorrow and we can review together, okay?” He cupped your face and rubbed his thumb over your cheek, his gentle smile spreading on his lips, widening when he saw you smile for the first time today

He wasn’t able to relieve all of your worries completely, but he was able to lighten the weight of them, staying by your side throughout the entire process til you were accepted and he kept his word to you

Rin: 

The chair creaked loudly in your ear as you leaned back into it with a heavy sigh, closing your eyes to massage them after burning holes into your textbook with them

They burned in the best possible way as you massaged them, closing your dried eyes after staring at the same text, taking in information you had learned in your lecture already, but just rereading everything from the beginning of the semester to make sure you had everything down

But it was a lot more now that you were rereading through all the chapters, some things felt like you were learning for the very first time yet they weren’t when you found notes you had taken

Sitting still in your chair, resting your eyes and body, which so badly wanted to collapse into the covers of your bed, you could hear the faint shrills of cicadas and chirps of crickets outside your apartment

You were getting lost in the sound, feeling yourself slowly fall asleep but you had to keep yourself awake, no matter how many cups of coffee, tea, or energy drinks you had to down, you had to stay awake and get through at least half of the reading you were forcing yourself through

Failing this final meant retaking the class next semester but it also meant losing money down the drain

The faintest sounds of keys jingling followed by the sound of your front door opening caught your attention

Turning your head, you saw Rin’s figure as he stepped through the door, tucking his keys back into his pocket

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” You turned your head back, resting your sore neck on the back of your chair, swaying side by side ever so slightly with your foot guiding you

“You haven’t answered me at all today and I wanted to see if you were alive.” He nudged your chair as he sat himself into the seat beside yours

“Oh, sorry, my phone was off like all day.” You had told quite a few people and your parents that you wouldn’t be available all day/ as well as basically this entire week until your final had passed

“Why? Also why’re you still up?” He poked his finger into your cheek, making you flinch, amusing him

“My history final is coming up and I’ve been basically cramming.” You drew your lips into a straight line, locking gazes with him as he read you, taking in your features

He could see the bags forming beneath your eyes, how disheveled your hair looked

“Come on,” he stood, opening his hand to you. “Let’s go.”  He waited patiently for you to put your hand into his, wrapping his fingers around yours securely, hoisting you up from your seat

“Where are we going?”

“To bed.” You refrained yourself from yawning when you heard him say that, pulling back your hand where you stood

“I can’t, not yet at least. I have to finish reading at the middle so I can have enough time to review.” You pulled your body as he securely held your hand, pulling you toward your bedroom at the end of the hall, your bed calling your name

As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t not yet

“Y/N, I can physically see how tired you are, baby. Let’s just go to sleep. I can help you review tomorrow and all the way up until your exam. You know I make a great study buddy,” he winked, swinging your arms as he gestured his head toward your bedroom

You stood hesitantly, facing the table as you looked at your textbooks, little slips of paper and colorful sticky notes peeking out from the edges

“I know you want to,” his breath tickled your ear as you let out a groan, almost sinking to your knees when you felt his hands massage your shoulder and neck, your muscles stiff from being hunched over your book for hours on end

“You need so much sleep and relaxing,” he kissed your shoulder from behind. You leaned back and rested your head on his shoulder, sighing for the nth time all day as you went to war with yourself

“Your brain is a muscle and it needs to relax before you cram more, overworking it. It’s already late, sleep will do you some good,” he promised, finally able to lead you away from your table, switching off the light as he led you to your bedroom as you let out a big yawn, your body melting into your bed and his arms  

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

[bonguri]

20250208 Narai 8 by Bong Grit Via Flickr: 雪煙を巻き上げて疾走するしなの号。 Photo taken at Near Sakashita station, Nakatsugawa city, Gifu pref.

[claudiosuenaga]

The Cyclopean Walls of Osaka Castle, by Claudio Suenaga | Megalithic Japan

When visiting one of Japan's most famous castles, Ōsaka-jō or Osaka Castle, in the Chūō-ku district, the most central here in Osaka, in the south of the island of Honshu (capital of the Empire in the 5th century and today the thirdlargest Japanese city after Tokyo and Yokohama), I came across something unusual, not only because I was at the opposite end of the world but also because I expected to find only historical relics typical of the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603) and the beginning of theEdo (1603-1868), the Japanese Feudal Era.

Amazed, I saw that I was facing the same perfect masonry work present in the Inca forts of Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, in Peru; in Tiahuanaco, near the southeastern shore of Lake Titicaca, in Bolivia; in the pyramids and tombs of Ancient Egypt; on the walls just above the line of statues prior to the Ahu Period (1200-1680) in Anakena and at the other end of Easter Island, in Vinapu; on the Baalbek terrace, north of Damascus, Lebanon; in the temples of Milandu, an island in the Maldives archipelago, in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka and India; and in so many other places, attesting to the existence in the remote past of an advanced civilization capable of handling, transporting, cutting and polishing large stones and uniting them without mortar, a culture of Sun worshipers - among the Incas, according to several chroniclers, Manco Capac, the founder of the Inca Empire and first governor Cusco (1200-1230) was the one who instituted it in the 13th century - which spread throughout the world and was present even in Japan (the land of the rising sun!), Taking with it an old and improved technology that has been lost. Cultural links extend everywhere.

The largest megalith, the Tako-ishi or Octopus Stone, also called Drum Rock, which measures 11.7 meters in length by 5.5 meters in height, occupies an area of 59.43 square meters and weighs about 108 tons.Located at the end of the Sakuramon Gate courtyard, the main entrance to the inner courtyard (hommaru), the Octopus Stone, whose name derives from its octopus shape in the lower left corner, as well as the others that make up the wall, were built in 1624, at the beginning of the Edo Period, by Tadao Ikeda (a feudal lord from Okayama ordered to take control of this region by the Tokugawa shogunate) to protect the front entrance.

In addition to the Octopus Stone, the wall surrounding the Castle also includes four colossal stones over 100 tons and fifteen stones over 50 tons!How were these gigantic stones cut, transported and assembled in the middle of the Japanese Feudal Era? The magnitude of the constructions - in contrast to the apparent and supposed lack of technology of the time - makes us soon come up with fantastic theories.

Location: 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002 Latitude: 34° 41' 8.39" N Longitude: 135° 31' 19.79" E.

Learn more about Osaka Castle and other megalithic monuments in Japan on the Hidden Japan page of my website.

[galakenya]

山梨県・長野県を走る211系置き換えはE131系／JR East Chuo Main Line (Chuo East Line) and Shinonoi Line Replacement Trains are Virtually Decided to be the E131 Series

[konradnews]

Osaka Metro Chuo Line to unify weekday and weekend timetables during Expo period, up to 24 trains per hour (every 2 minutes and 30 seconds)

Osaka Metro (Osaka City Rapid Transit) will revise its Chuo Line schedule from April 2 in preparation for the Osaka-Kansai Expo. The revision will be in effect from April 2 to October 13. The main revisions include, first, unifying the weekday, weekend, and holiday timetables and operating the same schedule regardless of the day of the week. In addition, the number of trains on the Chuo Line will…

[hypmic-info]

ARB Prologue Part 1: The Setting

The prologue is quite lengthy and thus will be split into multiple 'sections’  as some may want to be skipped for the sake of time, and reading large chunks of text on mobile would be difficult. On autoplay, the voiced story is about 15 minutes so this will take quite some time.

The entire main story is voiced so please do choose the LEFT option when starting a chapter to hear the voices. I personally do not recommend leaving things on autoplay because there are no gaps between lines and it’s therefore easy to listen to your favourite boys!

Also, do not worry too much about picking the ‘right’ option because there’s very little difference between story branches - about two or three lines at most are given before returning to the main branch.

This section deals with the world building of Alternative Rap Battle, a slightly different setting from the main plot of the series. Please click the read more to venture on! Part 2 will be where the main cast enters. 

DISCLAIMER:

This story is different from the original plot. This story is original to the app. There are no relations between actual people, groups, events, etc.

MC H-Era, Year 3. The two of us walked through the gates of Chuo, and towards the Colosseum ahead. It was only the two of us.

??? Oi! Hurry up and get over here!

[ FOOTSTEPS ]

??? You only ran a little and you’re panting so much already? Really… What a weak kid.

MC CHOICE

A: S-Sorry…!!

??? Ha… In that condition, you’re a hundred years too early to be my apprentice.

B: It’s cause teacher’s luggage is so heavy

??? No excuse, brat. If you’re going to be my disciple, don’t complain about carrying luggage.

MAIN BRANCH

[ BEEPING NOISE ]

??? Hm? Ah. Time for my meds.

MC CHOICE

A: [SILENTLY GIVE HIM THE MEDICINE]

??? That’s right, I forgot I put it in the luggage.

B: I have the medicine

??? Tch. If you had it, just give it ‘ere. What a careless kid, jeez.

MAIN BRANCH

??? Hh... Now, let’s get going. Chuoku... where rappers take the stage.

[ TRANSITION: CHUOKU STAGE ]

MC CHOICE

A: Wa... It’s so big!

???

It’s not just big. The Colosseum's optimised for rap battles. You won’t see anything else like this.

B: It’s not as big as I expected?

??? You’ve got a mouth on ya. This is the optimal facility. You’ve never seen anything like this before.

MAIN BRANCH

??? Size, equipment, no matter how you look at it - this facility dedicated to rap battles by the pride of Chuoku is state-of-the-art. Look.

GIRL A Wow... This is going to be my first live rap battle!

GIRL B We’ve still got some time left, but let’s go sit in the audience. I’m so excited, I can’t keep calm!

GIRL C I get you! I can’t wait either! Who are you guys rooting for today?

GIRL B Hm... I’m a little worried, but ‘Buster Bros!!!’

GIRL A MAD TRIGGER CREW’S cool too, right?

GIRL C It’s gotta be Matenrou for me!

GIRL B But Fling Posse is hard to ignore... Hmm!

MC CHOICE - No branching

A: There’s so many women!

B: The venue’s so large but there’s even more seats

??? That’s right, since today today is the Alternative Rap Battle’s semi-finals. All the women in Chuoku come to watch.

It’s different from the street raps you’re used to with the scale and prize money on the line.

GIRL B Oh look! Over there, isn’t that DJ ROKURO?

GIRL C Ah, it’s really him!

GIRL A Huh?.. Who’s that?

GIRL B He’s a DJ! The Chuo Ward specially invites a DJ for the Alternative Rap Battle.

GIRL A Huh? But in the territory battles, don’t the speakers come out when the MCs start their ‘Hypnosis Mic’?

GIRL C Yup. In territory battles, or in rap battles elsewhere, the MCs speakers will start the beat. But in Alternative Rap Battles, it’s a DJ with both popularity AND SKILL who leads the match.

GIRL A Huh... Then DJ Rokuro must be pretty good then?

GIRL B Of course! You can’t be into rap battles and now know who DJ ROKURO is. [1]

GIRL C You don’t get anyone better scratching on the decks like DJ ROKURO.

MC CHOICE - No branching

A: Teacher, you’re pretty well known!

B: Teacher, they’re all looking at you..

ROKURO Tch. Don’t bother getting involved with them. Let’s go.

[ ROKURO AND MC GET UP TO LEAVE ] 

GIRL B Ah! Wait! DJ ROKURO! I’m a fan!

GIRL C Can I shake your hand please!

GIRL D Eh? DJ ROKURO? Where?

GIRL E I want to get his autograph!

??? You over there! Make way and get away from that man.

GIRL C Ah...

PARTY OF WORDS A Excessive contact with the participants will be regarded as obstruction of business and you will be removed immediately. Don’t make extra work for us Rokuro Doudantsutsuji. Come with us.

DJ ROKURO Yeah yeah.

[ ROKURO LEAVES WITH THE ATTENDANT ]

GIRL B Eh, no way...!

GIRL C Look over here!

GIRL B Just a second! Stay there!

[ A GIRL BUMPS INTO MC ]

GIRL C What big luggage, annoying!

GIRL D DJ ROKUROー！！

GIRL E

Can I get your autograph?

[ THE GIRLS CHASE AFTER HIM ]

MC CHOICE - No branching

A: Wait, teacher! Don’t leave!

B: Excuse me. P-Please move out of the way...

[ TRANSITION: HALLWAY ]

ANNOUNCER

Customers going to the venue, please listen for guidance. Today’s match is expected to be very crowded.

Those who have completed registration procedures, please take a your designated seats as soon as possible.

GIRL A DJ ROKURO already went so far ahead.

GIRL B Ah no... I though I’d be able to meet someone famous

GIRL C It’d be dangerous if you were called out by The Party of Words officials, so it’s not worth the risk.

GIRL B Well, I’m sort of nervous since the audience is so big this time.

GIRL C The number of people’s definitely increased. Even people who aren’t as interested in Hip Hop are coming to watch now.

GIRL A Of course, that’s cause when you fight with ‘Hypnosis Mic’, it’s so cool! The performances are amazing.

GIRL C Security for the Alternative Rap Battle is supposed to be tight and it’s pretty safe, but it’s also easy for beginners to enter as well.

GIRL B Unlike territory battles over territory, the alternative rap battles are way more entertaining

GIRL C Yeah yeah! It’s pretty easy to watch

GIRL A Oh, hey, our seats - I think we can get in from that gate.

GIRL C Really? Let’s go, let’s go

[ THE GIRLS LEAVE ] 

MC CHOICE - No branching

A: Rap battles are pretty popular huh.

B:  It get it, so MCs are really cool!

??? ーhey, you. 

ICHIRO Yeah, I’m talking to you. Tell me something. Earlier, didn’t you call that person teacher? No point in hiding the truth. The logo’s embroidered right there on your bag - DJ ROKURO.

JIRO Oi you. Don’t think Ni-chan doesn’t know if you’re lyin’ to him!

SABURO Unlike some morons, Ichi-nii is a smart person. There’s no point trying to deceive him.

JIRO Bastard... Who you calling a moron?!!

SABURO It’s obvious without me saying who it is. Ah, of course you would know who I’m talking about. Talk about a pitiful guy.

JIRO What ya say?!!

MC CHOICE

A: You know about DJ ROKURO?

SABURO Of course we know. You’d definitely know the name if you were even a little caught up with modern rap battles. What’s more, we’re participants in the Alternative Rap Battle.

B: It’s the ‘Buster Bros!!!’! 

JIRO What’s that to ya, huh?

MAIN BRANCH

ICHIRO

...Oi you, what’s your name?

[ MC NAME ]? I don’t think I’ve heard of you.

[ FOOTSTEPS APPROACH ]

SAMATOKI What? ‘s there something wrong with my eyes? I'm seeing that bastard Ichiro over there.

ICHIRO Samatoki...!!

— — — — — — — — — —

[1] There was a line that says モグリだよ、モグリ I have literally never heard this in my life. But judging by context, I assume it’s affirmation or a noise of excitement. 

I’ll post the next part in an hour or so while I do checks... and grind for Rio’s event. Please, this emu is giving me a hell of a time.

PART 2 >