Photography

Wire in the air tends toward the absurd and some days I think the transformers are breeding...  electricity here is 100 Volt, 50 Hertz in the east (Hokkaido, Tokyo, Yokohama) and 60 Hertz in the west (Nagoya, Osaka, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa)...
 
01) urban totem with shadow...

02) Shinjuku from the trenches...

03) organized overhead

Thanks for looking,
Casey

the presence of these overhead wires in a modern Japanese city, as your photos so clearly shows.

In a tramcar, they might be forgiven.

Cheers Casey

fernando

Looks new ! Not been on one in ages , come to think of it , not been in HK in ages.
Trust u are keeping well, my friend !

It's a tram going to the highest peak in Kobe, Japan.
The HK Peak tram is still going strong and maybe it's time you paid us a visit? I'm well thanks!
Take care.
fernando

But I have read that subterranean systems are a lot more expensive, with some estimates of up to ten times that of a comparably sized network of above-ground poles.  In areas that might be impacted by flooding or landslides there are some service related advantages to being above ground.

At the end of the day my (unscientific guess) is that it's a financial consideration for the power utilities...

Casey

Absolutely love the play of light and shadow ! Gives it some much texture and context.
As Fernando eluded to , very much unique to Japan.

It was more about the shadow than the wires... and actually I don't even notice the wires... We even have the huge long distance power lines running through the neighborhood, and a network of substations around the city... Casey

Sometimes they appear to be running across the city, only to gather in groups around a substation...

Taken a few minute ago: 5D Mark II, EF70-200 F/4 at 263mm with EF 1.4x II extender, ISO 400, 1/500 second, and f/11.

Casey

So, did you have to get onto the tracks for the final one?  You're a brace man if you did.

Not that brave... just next to the station there is a Grade Crossing (U.S.A.) /  Level Crossing (UK) / Railway Crossing (Canada and Australia).  Mind you when I lived in Shimokita I use to duck under the boom gate and cross the tracks against the lights as the slow moving morning commuter trains were backed up such that a wait of 10 minutes for a chance to cross was not uncommon.

Casey