[240dl]

I took a trip to this place when I was in Tokyo last spring; here are my pictures for the curious:

https://memorymulch.net/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.

[kweks]

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/images/2006-09-22/qx-pano-18.jpg

[forgot-my-pw]

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_Underg...

[240dl]

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]

What happens if you choose to walk?

[240dl]

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]

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

[240dl]

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:

https://memorymulch.net/journal/2015/3/31/minolta-af-s

https://memorymulch.net/journal/2014/1/19/understructure

[RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u]

> 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

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamen_Rider_Series

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Sentai

[Robotbeat]

Either Scifi or Fantasy as it also looks like Peter Jackson's Moria. http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Khazad-d%C3%BBm