International Railroad Discussion > Visiting Little TGV (Tokyo, Japan)

LittleTGV was mentioned in the "Food and trains" thread posted about 6 months ago:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3391169

After catching three different steam locomotives last Sunday, I went to Akihabara (Tokyo) to do the usual rounds to browse retro-computing and model railroad items, then visited LittleTGV for the first time, and to get away from the pre-Typhoon rain and wind.

It's located on the 4th floor of a rather cramped building, but once inside, I was greeted by a cute "maid" who asked if it was my first time "onboard." I was issued a retro-paper ticket, then she took me to a seat next to the N scale layout inside.

- The sign outside LittleTGV, a "Tetsudo-Izakaya" or railroad bar. Izakaya isn't actually a bar, but more like a brewpub, where cocktails and other alcohol are served along with food (small plates, tapa style) to go with the drinks.

- Menu's middle page is laid out like a Tokyo railroad route map. Each color (and line) represents a certain type of item. For example, blue is for salads, red is for fried items, and black is for specials. Other pages of the menu are more conventional (with photos), so first timers won't get confused.

- As with the entire Tokaido area this month, everyone was celebrating Shinkansen's 50th Anniversary. On the blackboard are Shinkansen-themed cocktails available that night. The items written on paper below are tapas specials from different regions, Yamagata, Fukushima, and Akita Prefectures.

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The maid said it's forbidden to take photos of her and the other maids, but she had no problems with my taking photos otherwise. I also tried to avoid taking photos of customers. She asked me right away if I was a "tori-tetsu" (railfan who takes photos), and I told her I was. Here's a quick reference that I posted regarding the types of railfans in Japan:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3392774

Some of the customers were definitely regulars, as the maids addressed them on a first name basis. Two of the regulars also had cameras with them, and were showing off the shots they got of the D51-498 + C61-20 double departure and a pair of Series 115 EMUs in JNR "Shonan" colors lined up perfectly. I joined the conversation, since I was there, too.

- LittleTGV has its own drumhead. Don't know if it has actually been used on a train.

- Chuo Line "Special Rapid" service display board/drumhead. It's no longer used, because of digital display boards.

- N scale layout next to my seat. The two-car DMU running in the foreground has a video camera inside, and the video is fed wirelessly to a nearby LCD panel in real time.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/14 00:00 by cchan006.

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One of the regulars showed great interest when I told him I was visiting from the U.S., and wanted to see photos or videos of American trains. I showed him a video of ZNPOA exiting Tunnel 41 on Donner, which I posted several months ago in the "Troy and Cisco" thread. He was impressed enough to call one of the maids over, and she was impressed, too. I also showed clips of a mid-train DPU, which is unheard of in Japan.

We talked about all the train sets in Japan that are no longer in service while watching the video being played on the big screen. Time passed quickly while we reminisced, and it was almost 11 pm, closing time. One of the maids made a JR-style closing announcement, so I paid for my drinks and meals, and rushed back to Akihabara Station so I don't miss the last train.

- Shinkansen Onigiri is one of the novelty items on the menu, so I ordered one. Detail items (tracks, windows, headlights) are made out of seaweed, or "nori."

- The maid assembled the Shinkansens at my seat.

- Shinkansens are almost complete. The yellow one of the left represents "Doctor Yellow", which is used for track inspection and testing. Don't tell Godzilla it's curry-flavored. :-)

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Amazing... even train sushi?!? That really rocks! And... you're showing Donner Pass Video and Dupe's --too much... lol! Maybe I can become a hit sensation Trainstar in Japan similar to my all-time favorite rock band, Cheap Trick-- live at Budokan!
Really enjoying this, Charles...

IC_2024 Wrote:
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> Amazing... even train sushi?!? That really rocks!
> And... you're showing Donner Pass Video and
> Dupe's --too much... lol! Maybe I can become a
> hit sensation Trainstar in Japan similar to my
> all-time favorite rock band, Cheap Trick-- live at
> Budokan!
> Really enjoying this, Charles...

Glad you are! Maybe you might get access to employee-only locations in Japan with your "creds." Maybe even run a train... but the engineer sits on the left side in Japan!