Odakyū speeds. No mistaking the heavy rhythmic thud of the various Romance Cars. White. Red. Brown, Blue. Especially if you are at either of the two Mukōgaoka-yūen level crossings. Discernible thump. The Expresses, at speed, chug more than a touch frenetically. If you are aboard and it is racing, there are several well-known sharp swerves. Brace. Hang on the strap. Grab the handrail. Lean on the door. The Locals, true to name, have a take-yourtime feel. Gentle rail jogs, with longer pauses at some station to let the speeders by (The Rapid Express, The Tama Express, the regular Expresses). Odd, how after time you get to know by sound what Odakyū train is en route. Train recognition by ear rather than eye. Familiarity. Your train the same?

Given the inevitable occasional Odakyū Line delay (ressha ga okurete imasu) due to some technical glitch or the egregious ‘personal accident’, the company (like all others) has a means of helping ‘prove’ that lateness for work or class or anything else was the fault of the train service. In Japanese chien shōmeisho. A ticket is handed out with marked time-panels saying how much the train has run late. One is supposed to hand in the paper at the workplace or wherever. Nice touch, especially if you really are anxious to make good within office or workplace, Japan after all a society built on punctuality and the clock. Out of interest rather than necessity at Yoyogi-Uehara I took one of the tickets today…it supplies a happy reminder of when you had that cast-iron excuse to avoid school games or not to have to attend the dentist.

Music Odakyū? Aboard the Express today there was a gathering of school-age youngsters carrying musical instruments. A huge base, violin case (lettered with Tokyo New City Orchestra), and a flute in its own case. Daily you see people following scores with their finger (and occasionally silent-mouthing chorus words). Which makes you think how much music is everywhere attended to and available in Japan.