Railway Pilgrim Passport

[Brennan91]

 

So after reading about and getting obsessed with Japan Railway Journal, I saw a recent episode about Tenryu Hamanako Railway (I’ll add a YouTube link at some point), and in it there was this interesting concept of a railway passport. It’s like the national park passport here in the U.S. (which I enjoy quite a bit), but is based off of the Japanese goshuin stamp book. You go to a station of the railway and get a goshuin design based on the railway you are visiting. Apparently there are 40 different rural third sector railways participating, but the only ones shown in the episode are:

Tenryu Hamanako Railway 

Isumi Railway 

Kashima Rinka Railway 

Watarase Keikoku Railway 

Shigaraki Kohgen Railway 

They do give a map of all of them, here is a screenshot:

A couple more that I found from google maps are:

South Hokkaido Railway 

Sanriku Railway 

Hisatsu Orange Railway 

Hokuetsu Express

Tosa Kuroshio railway (all 3 lines)

Matsuura railway (found by Kiha66)

Getting a stamp from all 40 railway gives you the title of *inhale*

RAILWAY PILGRIM MASTER 

When I ever got Japan (I am going someday, mark my words) I hope to someday become an RPM. I’d treasure that book more than most things I own.

What are your thoughts?

Edited August 17, 2021 by Brennan91

[katoftw]

So it's a giant stamp rally?

 

Normally the Japanese don't do nation wide promos like this as they don't travel far for holidays.

[Brennan91]

5 minutes ago, katoftw said:

So it's a giant stamp rally?

 

Normally the Japanese don't do nation wide promos like this as they don't travel far for holidays.

I think it’s not that much of a promo (granted it still kind of is one). The basis of the Goshuin stamp book is to go around collecting stamps from different shrines, like the National parks here in the U.S., so it’s kind of a promotion for each railway but also a fun adventure and challenge for railfans.

[Kiha66]

Sounds neat, would be really cool to do if you had some time in the country as you'd really get to see a lot of Japan doing it.  I see little Matsuura Railway is on there down by Sasebo, that was the first train I ever rode in Japan.

[Brennan91]

5 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

Sounds neat, would be really cool to do if you had some time in the country as you'd really get to see a lot of Japan doing it.  I see little Matsuura Railway is on there down by Sasebo, that was the first train I ever rode in Japan.

Thanks, I’ll keep updating the list.

[katoftw]

https://re-how.net/all/1020731/

 

In link has the 40 railways listed

Edited August 18, 2021 by katoftw

[katoftw]

Also found heap of pics and/or info googling 'tetsuincho'.

[Brennan91]

7 hours ago, katoftw said:

https://re-how.net/all/1020731/

 

In link has the 40 railways listed

 

6 hours ago, katoftw said:

Also found heap of pics and/or info googling 'tetsuincho'.

Whoa, thanks!