from bubaigawara to shinjuku (JR)

始点：分倍河原（東京都府中市）
終点：新宿（東京都新宿区）
経由：立川（立川市）、拝島、高麗川（埼玉県日高市）、高崎（群馬県高崎市）、小山（栃木県小山市）、大宮（埼玉県さいたま市大宮区）、赤羽（東京都北区）、錦糸町（東京都墨田区）
利用した鉄道：ＪＲ南武線、青梅線、八高線、両毛線、宇都宮線（湘南新宿ライン）、総武線、中央線

Start station: Bubaigawara (Fuchu City, Tokyo)
End Station: Shinjuku (Shinjuku ward, Tokyo)
Passed Stations: Tachikawa (Tachikawa City, Tokyo), Haijima(Akishima City, Tokyo), Komagawa (Hidaka City, Saitama), Takasaki (Takasaki City, Gumma), Oyama (Oyama City, Tochigi), Omiya (Omiya ward, Saitama City, Saitama), Akabane (Kita ward, Tokyo), Kinshicho (Sumida ward, Tokyo)

Railways used: JR Nambu Line, JR Ome Line, JR Hachiko Line, JR Ryomo Line, JR Utsunomiya Line (Shonan-Shinjuku Line), JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, JR Sobu Line, JR Chuo Line

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Since it is my first time to spend the golden week here in Japan, I made my first day adventurous. I was still in the Philippines when I planned this thing but what happened today was a little bit different from what I planned. I am living in Chofu and the most accessible JR station near my house is the Bubaigawara station (the other one is the Inadazutsumi station but it is farther from Tachikawa Station, which I made my first change train in this adventure).
Using the Keio Line from Tobitakyu to Bubaigawara, I started my JR train adventure in Bubaigawara station (1130). Riding a Nambu Line train, I reached Tachikawa at around 1147.

Going to Okutama shall be done later...

While at the Tachikawa Station platform, I was thinking if I have to go straight to Okutama using the Ome Line, because I'd gone through a research about Okutama being a paradise for me, and it was a sunny day. But I wanted to know what I shall see more in the Gumma and Tochigi prefectures that is why I went instead to Takasaki using two lines (Ome and Hachiko lines). It is better to go to Okutama with somebody.
I departed from Tachikawa at around 1206.
Within Tachikawa and Haijima, the surroundings seemed to look a quarter rural, but you can already see a lot of hatake (farm fields). For more than ten minutes I got off at Haijima, and waited for a Hachiko Line train going to Kawagoe that will arrive at 1220.

Most parts of the Hachiko line has one common rail (usually a railway line comes in two rails for each direction). This is another line that uses common rail (the first time I ride a train passing on a common rail was in the Sagami Line) and the time interval of every train arrival is very long.
I reached the Komagawa Station at around 1245, when another train was waiting for its departure to Takasaki. At first, I hesitated to ride in because the train, although small, was really something like riding a green car, so I went out of the Komagawa station and confirmed the prices.

Hindi pupuwede sa Pilipinas ang mga eki na ganito...

The Komagawa Station does not have a wicket. The only thing you have to do is buy a ticket and ride the train (without inserting the ticket in the wicket). The station has a Suica scanning machine but you may not do it because it is open (sayang at hindi ko nakuhanan ng picture) and you can pass freely. And furthermore, there are staions like this that doesn't have a station personnel (something you might not believe). Some stations in the Hachiko Like are like this.
For sure, having such stations in the Philippines is not recommended (even those who are very honest to themselves may not recommend; sa Batanes puwede pa).

Of course, I want to be honest so I used my Suica to go back to the station. I rode the train waiting there anyway (because there were people standing inside), but I stood in front so I would be able to see the path and its surroundings (I usually ride in the front car near the driver of the train when it is possible). The train departed at 1302 and it is an hour-and-a-half ride to Takasaki station.

(to be continued...)