After all, the world’s smallest escalator still involves travel.
As usual, there’s an unrelated backstory involved. While studying abroad in Hong Kong in 2005, I used to walk around Kowloon Walled City Park. The park was built on the foundation of the infamous Kowloon Walled City, which was entirely demolished in 1994. Then, after having watched the movie Bloodsport, I became temporarily obsessed with the place.
Years later, a timely visit to Japan made me aware of a new video game arcade in Kawasaki city, just south of Tokyo. The name was Anata no Warehouse (“your warehouse”), and the theme … Kowloon Walled City!
Although the arcade no longer exists (how ironic), I luckily snapped a few shots of the place:
Having never visited Kawasaki before that visit, there was still one other point of interest on the list– the world’s smallest escalator:
Nicknamed the puchicalator (“puchi” stems from the French petit), this oddity comes with five steps, and measures around 2.7 feet tall (roughly 83 centimeters).
If you want to ride the world’s smallest escalator, look for the subterranean grocery store entrance of More’s department store. It’s quite close to Kawasaki’s train station, which is easily reached by train from Tokyo and Yokohama.
I have visited the Warehouse in Kawasaki and it was awesome!
Needed to kill some time before a client visit and it was right next to their office.
Went back after the meeting and spent hours there!
Have been multiple times since I used to visit that client frequently.
Sucks it is closed now.
The location is not good and would still be around if it was in Tokyo near a large train station. Would be perfect in Shibuya or Shinjuku l.
Anyway RIP Warehouse ;(
Appreciate your comment, Boris. Ah, that’s neat that you had visited a lot … did you get to play the original Street Fighter arcade?
I’m sure if it were in Tokyo, it would’ve gone gangbusters. However, it was a good excuse to visit that escalator!