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A very fine front view video by HKASAMA, this is KIKUHA 32-502 and an unknown KIHA 185, possibly KIRO 185-26. RO would mean it has green class seating. There are two KIKUHA 32 cars, 501 and 502. They were new builds(?) by Niigata Engineering in 1997 and 2003, respectively. Whether or not the trucks, etc came from retired KIHA 32s, I can't exactly tell. The KIHA 32s themselves are interesting budget minded DMUs, at least in that they entered service in the last 3 weeks of JNR. My understanding is that the KIKUHA designation includes KI not because they have diesels (they're not powered) but because they're meant to be attached to a DMU. One site includes the word 付随気動車 fuzui kidousha. 気動車 is kidousha, a railcar with an internal combustion engine, the source of KI in KIHA. 付随 fuzui means attached, accompanying, etc. I don't recall seeing this before and I don't know if it's a standard term or just what that page's author calls it. I crossed this bridge many times, usually on the Marine Liner using a Seishun 18 ticket. Seto Ohashi Line is I guess a marketing name, but there are formal names for different parts of it, explained on this wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seto-Ōhashi_Line Points of interest: :15 - Kojima Station, Kurashiki City, Okayama 4:30 - beginning of Great Seto Bridge 18:20 - divergence of tracks, straight is southwest on to Utazu, the ramps turn east to Sakaide/Takamatsu 20:25 - Utazu Station, Town of Utazu (Kagawa Prefecture from here on) 24:50 - Marugame Station, Marugame City 30:35 - Tadotsu Station, Town of Tadotsu 35:35 - Dosan Line diverges from Yosan Line 41:10 - Zentsuji Station, Zentsuji City 49:15 - Kotohira Station, Town of Kotohira Google map centered on junction of Seto Ohashi Line and Yosan Line: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3157152,133.8220375,17z Bonus: KIKUHA32-501 in its excellent Ao Yoshinogawa Torokko livery. Hi res image suitable for desktop wallpaper: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:藍よしのがわトロッコ.jpg

I was interested in trains when I lived in Japan, but I wasn't clued in and the internet was only starting to become the clearinghouse of information that it is now. Despite living reasonably close to depots that would have had open days, I never went to one, and at this point if I get back to Japan ever, I'll be a bit surprised. Well the guys at JR East Akita Depot have really come through with a little Christmas gift, an "online tour" of their facility via Zoom that they have now posted on YouTube. Looks like they did this 3 times on December 19. Most of it appears to be live, and they do a great job. There is some stop motion footage of a thorough DE10 inspection/overhaul, and quite a wild time testing a DE10 engine on a dynamometer. Folks who blow up their $100,000 diesel pickups on a portable dyno at the county fair have nothing on these guys. Seriously, where do I apply? Later they checkout a few more interesting pieces preserved 583 series driving car, KUHANE 583-17 485-700 series joyful train Kirakira Uetsu Akita Cruise joyful train DMU, formerly the Resort Shirakami Buna (Japanese Beech) formation, and prior to that, rank and file KIHA48s DE10 1651, built by Kawasaki in 1973

Missed the announcement on this one, didn't see it on the JNS forum either when I searched for Kairi Started running 5th of October between Niigata and Sakata https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/joyful/kairi.html

Here's one from the Japanese rail news feeds: a new KIHA40 refurb to be operated on the far western sections of the San'in Line. I first thought it was just a wrap, but then I noticed the non-JNR interior :). The trafficnews.jp article mentions that this is the successor to the Misuzu Shiosai; I don't understand if they mean that in spirit, because that service ceased in late January and this one will begin in September, or if these are the same 2 cars. The name has (what I assume are considered) punctuation in it, and it would be read Maru Maru no Hanashi. I believe it's a play on words and I'll leave a proper translation to someone else. Anyway, in this case hanashi is not 'talk' or 'discussion' but a sort of acronym for Hagi, Nagato, and Shimonoseki, where the train will operate. http://railf.jp/news/2017/06/01/160000.html https://trafficnews.jp/post/72013/

Another KIHA40-based (KIHA40 2027) excursion train has emerged from JR West's Matto shop. Called the Belles Montagnes et Mer (Berumonta in Japanese), it will run on the Johana and Himi Lines. Great livery on this one... http://railf.jp/news/2015/09/11/153000.html http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2015/09/jr_2024.html No suitable YouTube material yet, there must be a lack of railfans up in Hokuriku.

Yet another KIHA40-based joyful train, looks quite good although I think my favorite is still JR Shikoku's Iyonada Monogatari. This is the Hanayome Noren, intended for limited express sightseeing service on the Nanao Line, which will begin October 3rd. The livery is meant to look like the lacquerware from Wajima, a city on the northwest side of the Noto Peninsula. http://railf.jp/news/2015/08/27/100000.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanao_Line http://www.samurai-japan.biz/other/af_wajima/ http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/8898-jr-shikoku-kiro47-iyo-nada-monogatari/ good video of August 23rd open day at Kanazawa Depot, this train is featured at 6:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Ba9NuVj_w

Two of JR East's observation cars, SUROFU 14-701 and 14-702, were moved to Nagano Depot on July 7 for scrapping. These cars started life in 1974 as SUHAFU 14-53 and -57. 53 was built by Niigata Tekkyo, 57 by Fuji Heavy Industries. In 1983 they were modified into a European-style joyful train called the Salon Express Tokyo with observation, compartment, and lounge areas. They were reclassified as SUROFU 14-700 series. The full formation was 7 cars with 5 ORO 14s as intermediate cars. They were modified again in 1997; the compartment and lounge areas were removed and replaced with Japanese-style furnishings, tatami mats and kotatsu tables with lowered floors below (hori kotatsu). It was called the Yutori, which I think means 'pressure free' or something to that effect. It became a 6-car formation and was used until 2008. They were last stored at Oku Depot. SUROFU 14-701 was car 1 in the formation, -702 car 6 (or 7 during the Salon Express era). During the first modification, -702 got computer controlled lighting allow for various in-car moods :). It also had a video camera and some kind of karaoke system (and presumably somewhere to stow the requisite alcohol). After becoming the Yutori, seven swivel chairs existed in the observation areas, they're visible in some of the videos below. As I understand it, all lounge areas and compartments throughout the formation were removed and replaced with the tatami mats and hori kotatsu tables. The intermediate cars were ORO 14 series, -701 through -705, originally OHA 14s. In the Salon Express Tokyo formation they were all compartment cars with a capacity of 30 passengers each. Excepting -702, these were scrapped in 2008. When it became the Yutori, -702 was reassigned to Niigata, modified to be a lobby/lounge car, and renumbered OHA 14-1702. It was scrapped in 2002. Tetsudou Fan news item: http://railf.jp/news/2015/07/08/140000.html Hobidas news item: http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2015/07/jr14_14.html Japanese Wikipedia entry for Salon Express Tokyo and Yutori: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%A8%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%82%B9%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC blog entry about the move: http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kiha58okukuzitokiwa/12137833.html Japanese Wikipedia entry for 14 series passenger cars: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%89%8414%E7%B3%BB%E5%AE%A2%E8%BB%8A Previous JNS Forum thread about sister formation with JR West, Salon Car Naniwa: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/9513-what-train-is-this of actual interest to forum members [ ] Kato item 10-250: http://www.katomodels.com/n/14kei/ at Oku and Omiya, by tobu8111F: some detail visible at Hachioji, by powerskyaccess. Railfans out in force: more detail at Shiojiri, by ya1964ma: moving around Nagano with KUMOYUNI 143-3 as locomotive, by hyama5071 interior shots, maybe at a depot open day, by 東雲ちの（苺餅地域鉄道部）(can't translate this):

It's rare to get such a good view of this line. In this case it's possible due to the modified 485 series NO.DO.KA joyful train used for this "Sakata Kandara Festival" service. The train is classified as a rapid, so there's no express surcharge, although all seats are reserved. The 3-car formation has 96 seats. I've been trying to fill in some background on this; the cities of Sakata and Tsuruoka, both in Yamagata Prefecture, have this festival (28th and 27th times, respectively) for kandara, which I believe is cod caught in cold water. A soup is made with it, which does not appear to be cold :). This service conveys people from Niigata, which is the regional big city. One of my goals for any meaningfully long trip to Japan is to travel as much of the Sea of Japan coast as possible. I've only covered Tsuruga to Hagi so far, leaving quite a bit to do . video by tejy Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6LK0a-tL54 And here at Shibata Station, we can see tejy Train making the video. :) :). Video by Igarashi Satoshi. JR East Niigata Branch publication on service (pdf format): http://www.jrniigata.co.jp/20141128kandara.pdf page for festival: http://www.sakata-kankou.com/event/102 Uetsu Main LIne: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uetsu_Main_Line Sakata Station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakata_Station_%28Yamagata%29 lastly, cod ('tara' in Japanese): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadidae

JR East will modify a 719 series 2-car train for excursion operation on the Ban'etsu West Line. Called the 'Frutia' or 'Frutea' (apparently a combination of fruit and tea), one car will have a cafe counter and the other will have seating. The livery is inspired by red brick and traditional black plaster of lineside neighborhoods as well as the region's beautiful natural areas. Also influencing both exterior and interior details and styling is Japanese/Western architecture and design from the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods. There's more about this that I can't seem to shape into coherent English :(. It will run on the Ban'etsu West Line between Aizu-Wakamatsu and Koriyama, primarily on Sundays and holidays from the end of April 2015. On board, original sweets and beverages made from Fukushima produce will be served, http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2014/11/27/476/ http://railf.jp/news/2014/11/28/150000.html http://www.jr-sendai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/fruitea.pdf