Train Spotting Locations in Japan

[serotta1972]

Please share your favorite train spotting locations.  As much I love riding trains, I love watching them just as much if not more.

 

• City, neighborhood, station
• Briefly describe the area
• Accessibility - how to get there
• Type of trains you will get to see   
• A google map location would be very helpful
• Sample pictures

 

[Kiha66]

I haven't been myself yet, but this spot looks amazing if you can get it on a clear day.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/薩埵峠山之神遺跡の石柱/@35.0711813,138.541779,299m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x601a3261e70056ed:0xda5632fa7b639239!8m2!3d35.0715195!4d138.5413279

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

I haven't been myself yet, but this spot looks amazing if you can get it on a clear day.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/薩埵峠山之神遺跡の石柱/@35.0711813,138.541779,299m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x601a3261e70056ed:0xda5632fa7b639239!8m2!3d35.0715195!4d138.5413279

 

If you can't get there, there are always live cams:

 

 

 

 

[railsquid]

Nishi-Urawa station on the Musashino line - popular spot for freight photography:

 

Photographers at Nishi-Urawa, 2018-01-21 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

As an added bonus you can see the Saikyo and Shinkansen lines in the distance.

 

A bit exposed to the elements; if in search of shelter from the wind, rain, heat etc. a trip westwards to Nishi-Kokubunji will get you to a First-Kitchen/Wendys accessible directly from the east-bound Musashino Line platform and provides a view of passing trains.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

Ochanomizu !!!

[katoftw]

On 2/21/2019 at 10:27 PM, railsquid said:

Nishi-Urawa station on the Musashino line - popular spot for freight photography:

 

Photographers at Nishi-Urawa, 2018-01-21 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

As an added bonus you can see the Saikyo and Shinkansen lines in the distance.

 

A bit exposed to the elements; if in search of shelter from the wind, rain, heat etc. a trip westwards to Nishi-Kokubunji will get you to a First-Kitchen/Wendys accessible directly from the east-bound Musashino Line platform and provides a view of passing trains.

Do you need to book ahead online and reserve your spot along the fence?  30 or 60 minute slots?

[railsquid]

There's a public lottery.

 

Meanwhile, here's an interesting one I just noticed: a public road going right through the middle of the Takasaki depot:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/hLU5sn1pb1U2

 

I haven't been there, but it should be easily walkable from Takasaki station.

 

Edit: ca 1.3 km according to Google maps

Edited March 3, 2019 by railsquid

[EH500 (12)]

On 3/1/2019 at 4:42 PM, railsquid said:

There's a public lottery.

 

Meanwhile, here's an interesting one I just noticed: a public road going right through the middle of the Takasaki depot:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/hLU5sn1pb1U2

 

I haven't been there, but it should be easily walkable from Takasaki station.

Nice catch!

Besides the road you have a bridge at each end and one side has some nice open spots along the depot. I wish every depot was as accessible as this one!

[stevenh]

Nishi-Urawa Station is simply awesome. Yes, it gets busy... especially if there's a special service coming through.

 

 

 

But when it's unexpectedly snowing, there's no rush! 🙂

 

 

More here:

https://modelrail.otenko.com/japanese-trains/tokyo-japan-november-2016

 

Meanwhile that road in Takasaki is perfect! 

Just a fair distance from any station either side. Would make a great walk through suburbia though!