5 ms·

I took a trip to this place when I was in Tokyo last spring; here are my pictures for the curious: http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2018/11/18/maoudc http://w

by 240dl 8y ago

I took a trip to this place when I was in Tokyo last spring; here are my pictures for the curious: http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2018/11/18/maoudc http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2018/11/18/maoudc It cost about 80 bucks all told and was a bit of an ordeal to organize (you need a fluent Japanese speaker), but was definitely an experience. It was a little disappointing in how limited our tour was. I get the sense that they've narrowed down the area you can wander since opening. Still, I've explored storm drains in the US quite a bit and this was a whole different level.

forgot-my-pw 8y ago
Wikipedia says this place can be visited for free. Is the part you paid basically for transportation and translator / tour guide? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Outer_Underground_Discharge_Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Outer_Underg...
- 240dl 8y ago
  The tour is free, but yeah, I had to pay transportation for myself and the guide (who I arranged online after some googling). The actual site is fairly far from central Tokyo, so it's about a 20-30 dollar train fare. The guide himself was free, a nice older gentleman who used to be some sort of government liason. He insisted on taking a taxi for the 2 miles from the train station to the tour though, which was pricey. But I didn't have much of a choice (despite a whole face-saving false choice he offered of walking vs taxi that was deeply emblematic of a certain strain of Japanese cultural weirdness).
  - hnaccy 8y ago
    What happens if you choose to walk?
    - 240dl 8y ago
      He offered to walk or take a taxi, but when I said I was fine with walking he just kept repeating the same the question with increasing emphasis until I agreed to the taxi.
pseudolus 8y ago
Your pictures are stunning. The entire facility has quite a sci-fi aspect to it. Did you actually run into any hornets? :)
- 240dl 8y ago
  Thanks! Didn't see any scary hornets sadly. The whole structure is totally sci-fi, even inspiring a level in Mirror's Edge. You might also enjoy some of my other drain exploration shots from stateside: http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2015/3/31/minolta-af-s http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2015/3/31/minolta-af-s http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2014/1/19/understructure http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2014/1/19/understructure
- Robotbeat 8y ago
  Either Scifi or Fantasy as it also looks like Peter Jackson's Moria. http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Khazad-d%C3%BBm http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Khazad-d%C3%BBm
- RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u 8y ago
  > The entire facility has quite a sci-fi aspect to it. Which is likely why it's a common backdrop for many a Tokusatsu shows[0]. Every season of Kamen Rider[1] -- and likely Super Sentai[2] as well; I'm not sure since that's too juvenile for my taste -- is all but guaranteed to have at least one episode filmed there. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokusatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokusatsu [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Series [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sentai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sentai
kweks 8y ago
I went here in 2006. Didn't need a translator or Japanese (but booking the appointment in the site pre-google translate was fun..) We caught a train out, and walked the remaining 2km to the facility. Great to see you can get onto the floor now ! http://ninjito.com/2006-07-04 http://ninjito.com/2006-07-04 http://ninjito.com/images/2006-09-22/qx-pano-18.jpg http://ninjito.com/images/2006-09-22/qx-pano-18.jpg

by 240dl 8y ago

forgot-my-pw 8y ago

Wikipedia says this place can be visited for free. Is the part you paid basically for transportation and translator / tour guide? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Outer_Underground_Discharge_Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Area_Outer_Underg...

240dl 8y ago
The tour is free, but yeah, I had to pay transportation for myself and the guide (who I arranged online after some googling). The actual site is fairly far from central Tokyo, so it's about a 20-30 dollar train fare. The guide himself was free, a nice older gentleman who used to be some sort of government liason. He insisted on taking a taxi for the 2 miles from the train station to the tour though, which was pricey. But I didn't have much of a choice (despite a whole face-saving false choice he offered of walking vs taxi that was deeply emblematic of a certain strain of Japanese cultural weirdness).
- hnaccy 8y ago
  What happens if you choose to walk?
  - 240dl 8y ago
    He offered to walk or take a taxi, but when I said I was fine with walking he just kept repeating the same the question with increasing emphasis until I agreed to the taxi.

pseudolus 8y ago

Your pictures are stunning. The entire facility has quite a sci-fi aspect to it. Did you actually run into any hornets? :)

240dl 8y ago
Thanks! Didn't see any scary hornets sadly. The whole structure is totally sci-fi, even inspiring a level in Mirror's Edge. You might also enjoy some of my other drain exploration shots from stateside: http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2015/3/31/minolta-af-s http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2015/3/31/minolta-af-s http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2014/1/19/understructure http://www.lucashayas.com/journal/2014/1/19/understructure
Robotbeat 8y ago
Either Scifi or Fantasy as it also looks like Peter Jackson's Moria. http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Khazad-d%C3%BBm http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Khazad-d%C3%BBm
RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u 8y ago
> The entire facility has quite a sci-fi aspect to it. Which is likely why it's a common backdrop for many a Tokusatsu shows[0]. Every season of Kamen Rider[1] -- and likely Super Sentai[2] as well; I'm not sure since that's too juvenile for my taste -- is all but guaranteed to have at least one episode filmed there. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokusatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokusatsu [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Series [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sentai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sentai

kweks 8y ago

I went here in 2006. Didn't need a translator or Japanese (but booking the appointment in the site pre-google translate was fun..) We caught a train out, and walked the remaining 2km to the facility. Great to see you can get onto the floor now ! http://ninjito.com/2006-07-04 http://ninjito.com/2006-07-04 http://ninjito.com/images/2006-09-22/qx-pano-18.jpg http://ninjito.com/images/2006-09-22/qx-pano-18.jpg