Christmas 2024

[Gunzel]

3 hours ago, Kingmeow said:

 

Is that true weathering, rust, etc. or painted to look as such?  I find that a building in that degree of disrepair to be a bit shocking in Japan.

It’s in disrepair. On the closer edge they have removed some of the surfacing render, and it is back to bare concrete. There is some sort of leak at the bottom of the glass covered with tape. And you can see some of the other metal skin rusting and the stains from that. Here are some closer up photos. 
 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Kingmeow said:

Isn't the entire table suspended by the green cart underneath/inside it?  There are front wheels.  The one that is visible is head on so you don't see a round wheel.  I have a same folding cart but in red.

I think you’re right, I think I was fooled looking at the photo that the wooden leg touched the ground. 

 

[chadbag]

10 hours ago, Kingmeow said:

Is that true weathering, rust, etc. or painted to look as such?  I find that a building in that degree of disrepair to be a bit shocking in Japan.

 

In rural Japan you see a lot of older stuff that is starting to look it's age.

 

 

[RS18U]

13 hours ago, chadbag said:

 

In rural Japan you see a lot of older stuff that is starting to look it's age.

 

 

Yes, totally.  This bowling alley at Futatsui is one of them, does not look too bad in this photo but from the road it is definitely abandoned (sorry no photo of that).  Even in Tokyo you can see buildings in poor shape.

[Gunzel]

Day 8

 

One recent improvement at Toyoko Inn is that many now offer a takeaway breakfast option (serve yourself in a provided take away container). They even started five minutes early today which eases the pressure to make our 6.41am Shinkansen to Nagaoka where we can enjoy our breakfast bento as we whiz through the countryside. 

 

 

No tarrying though as we need to transfer, seeing some impressive earthquake protection retrofit on the way to the platform. 

 

 

Nice, a single car KiHa, destination Togarinozawaonsen, it’s busy though, and we’re lucky to snag a seat. 

 

 

We pass through Morimiyanohara and get a snap of the monument to the largest snowfall in Japan, 7.85m. 

 

 

At Togarinozawaonsen it’s a quick cross platform interchange to a two car KiHa for the onward journey. Passing through Shinano-Taira the sight of the station building causes some hasty replanning, but we continue on the train to Toyono so we can complete the whole line. Not long here but we can inspect the local playground from the platform. 

 

 

Then it’s back to Shinano-Taira to inspect this lovely station building in more detail. 

 

 

It’s quite a nice fit out inside. 

 

 

And I especially like how they have used the end platform as a telephone booth. 

 

 

I decided to write something in the station visitors book and found this impressive drawing. 

 

 

Stopping here had mucked up the plan to return to Nagaoka on this line, so the opportunity was taken to bring forward our outing on the Ueda Electric Railway. This meant going to Iiyama to change to a Shinkansen where we found this nice photo prop. 

 

At Ueda station they had these nice wooden platform seats. 

 

 

And I couldn’t resist “Small, Large & Medium” at the bus stop. 

 

 

It was a quick run out to Bessho-onsen which is very picturesque. 

 

 

Before coming back to Ueda and on to the Shinkansen to Takasaki, where we find this piano styled clock. 

 

 

And on to Niigata for some meaty ramen. 

 

 

And a tour through the supermarket, I wish we could get crab like this at home. 

 

 

New track: 108.3km

[Gunzel]

Day 9 Part I

 

Today we are moving from Niigata to Hirosaki, towards the very north of Honshu. Sadly the night before we learn that our Inaho train from Niigata to Akita will be truncated at Sakata, due to high winds on the coastal section from there to Akita. We proceed back to the station in order to cancel our reservations, so that we can make alternate ones on the Shinkansen.

 

This exposes a bad mistake made a couple of days before, I still need the track from Tsuruoka to Amarume, 15.3km, and I could have done it the day we went to Tsuruoka, I was just so focussed on going as far as needed to pick up the extra loop of track I dint consider going a bit further to complete the whole lot. Oh well, I still need the Riku West line from Amarume to Shinjo so I do need to come back to the area when that reopens. Hopefully some time in 2025. 

 

Taking the Shinkansen involves an earlier start at just after 7, and due to seat availability heading north we will have to wait a half hour or so in Omiya. The ekiben shop has a nice soybean mascot. 

 

 

Unfortunately we are too early for the General Store Railyard shop. 

 

 

It’s an uneventful run to the north and I use the opportunity to catch up a bit on this report. North of Morioka it feels like a lot of time is spent in tunnels and I’m in an aisle seat anyway. Shin-Aomori is cold, and there’s lots of snow. 

 

 

So much in fact that the Ou main line to Hirosaki is currently closed while snow removal is taking place. We repair to a restaurant for a welcome warm repast, to emerge to find the line is expected to open soon, with the passage of the Super Tsugaru 2. We hurriedly booked seats and noticed this unusual decoration on the side of the ticket machine. I thought Aomori was all about apples. 

 

 

Once on the windswept platform complete with snow flurries there was delay after delay, but just as we were about to give up it was announced that the train had left Aomori, so we stuck it out. Starting to get cold feet though, literally! We were in the front car, and once we passed Tsugaru-Shinjo, which was as far as trains had been running we seemed to be doing a fair bit of snow ploughing ourselves. Capturing the feeling of snow being thrown up and tossed against the windows is hard, but this photo kinda works to capture my feeling. 

 

 

This is the door of our car after we got off. 

 

 

On the way to the hotel finally some apples. 

 

 

 

So we still have a few hours today, maybe we can knock off the track to Odate, but is that a good idea, this is the rear of an arrival from there. 

 

 

Actually we can only make it as far as Shirasawa if we want to make it back before dark, and a bird in the hand and all that, who knows what the weather may bring tomorrow. There’s a nice old post box at the front of the station. 

 

 

I was pleased to see my ride home appear, only a few minutes late. 

 

 

The sunset was interesting. 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by Gunzel
Remove duplicate photo

[Tony Galiani]

Great photos.  This is exactly what I was worried about this past February.  We shortened our time in Hakodate to spend a day in Aomori with a trip to Hirosaki on the Ou Line.  My wife wanted to see Hirosaki Castle.  She was disappointed that we did not have a lot of snow while we were there but we enjoyed the castle as well as our time in both Hirosaki and Aomori.  Got to ride a Tsuguru 4 and a couple of locals.  Want to get back there on a future trip.  Hope you enjoyed your time there.

Ciao,

Tony

[cteno4]

23 hours ago, Gunzel said:

Then it’s back to Shinano-Taira to inspect this lovely station building in more detail. 

 

 

Lovely,

 

Wonder what the car is. Looks close to wafu29500 

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10731273

 

jeff

[Gunzel]

7 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

Great photos.  This is exactly what I was worried about this past February.  We shortened our time in Hakodate to spend a day in Aomori with a trip to Hirosaki on the Ou Line.  My wife wanted to see Hirosaki Castle.  She was disappointed that we did not have a lot of snow while we were there but we enjoyed the castle as well as our time in both Hirosaki and Aomori.  Got to ride a Tsuguru 4 and a couple of locals.  Want to get back there on a future trip.  Hope you enjoyed your time there.

Ciao,

Tony

It was a good time at Hirosaki, we certainly had lots of snow, not sure I’m in a rush to go back n the depths of winter again, but I’ve enjoyed some other visits as well, including riding the nearby Tsugaru Railway “stove train” where they grill dried squid on coal fired pot bellies inside the car, but that was in late February. I’d like to go back in apple season and try some different varieties of fresh apples. The scenery on the JR Gono line around the coast is also fairly spectacular. 
 

Matthew 

[Gunzel]

6 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Lovely,

 

Wonder what the car is. Looks close to wafu29500 

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10731273

 

jeff

It does look pretty close. I bought a book, 探訪 貨車駅舎 かつて線路を走っていた建物たち from Suruga-ya just before we left, but I didn’t have time to review it properly. It may have the donor vehicle identified, I’m not sure. 
 

Keep your eye out for more to come. 
 

Matthew 

[Gunzel]

Day 9 Part II

 

Fortified by my special conbini dinner of curry cup noodles, cheese and a famichiki I felt strong enough to head out into the cold to find the local HARD OFF Hirosaki. I was lucky to be able to catch a local bus to really close by. First I found the trains. 

 

 

Then a Star Wars soundtrack LP, in fact they had all three of the original trilogy, but this was the best cover. 

 

 

And what is a Genecon? Going by the back of the box it is a slot car controller where you make the power by turning a handle. I wonder if this would work for a model railway, would probably get old fast. 

 

 

 

I was really, really, really taken by this radio. 

 

 

Time to head home, after about a kilometre of this I was seriously questioning my choices.
 

 

Then the wind picked up and it started to snow.  Eventually made it to the bus stop, should be a bus in two minutes and another bus in 15 minutes, then that’s it for the night. I’ve been able to watch the road for a few minutes as well and no bus has gone past. 

 

Waiting and waiting, no sign of a bus, or a taxi. Check and it’s another 600m or so to a railway station. Double the suggested walking time means I need to leave 8 minutes or so after the second bus is meant to come. Check the JR East website and trains on the Ou line seem to be running. Snow is increasing in intensity and the wind is whipping snow off the roofs of buildings as well. It’s 9 minutes past the second bus time with no bus showing, time to go to the railway. Of course 100m down the road a bus sails serenely past. A great sight. 

 

 

The train is about five minutes late, but I had somewhere out of the weather to wait so I was feeling a lot better. Can you tell I’m from somewhere with mild weather? Their evacuation instructions are a bit less charming up here. 

 

 

New track: 37.7km

[Tony Galiani]

@Gunzel wrote:  "I’d like to go back in apple season and try some different varieties of fresh apples."

 

Apparently, the tourist board publishes an apple map listing various locations for apple treats.  Solo Travel Japan did a video on this and tried out three of them.  I hope to get back in the Autumn to try this out so this is on my list of things to do in Japan.  (Of course, this list is constantly growing .... )

Ciao,

Tony

[Gunzel]

Day 10 Part I

 

 

The first day with no new track planned. Plans changed after our initial booking and so we ended up with an extra day in Hirosaki, with a JR Pass in hand what better to do than take a trip through the Seikan tunnel and visit Hokkaido. No issues on the Ou line this morning, at Shin-Aomori we find a cross section of our trip under the sea. 

 

 

And some Shinkansen lanterns. 

 

 

A quick trip under the Tsugaru Strait, including updating this thread, and we are off the train at Kikonai, the terminal for the South Hokkaido Railway. Here we see a KiHa 40 from inside the Shinkansen station. 

 

 

It’s gonna be cold, so let’s add some chemical help to keep our toes toasty. 

 

 

And then head to the South Hokkaido Railway station where we will purchase a one day pass for Y1000 from the ticket machine.
 

 

Some railway memorabilia in here, as well as some nice O? Scale JNR steam locomotives.

 

 

Our KiHa 40 is patiently waiting in the snow. 

 

 

First stop is Moheji, where we find this snow gauge.
 

 

The gang are in residence, taking a break and warming up in the station building, but we’re going for a walk, where we find work going on with the grates in the road, with them all opened. 

 

 

We find our destination, Hokutosei Square, where a couple of former JR sleeper cars are preserved. They look quite a sight in the snow, but they are closed so we can’t go in. 

 

 

Back to the station where the gang are back at work and we can use the roaring fire to warm up. 

 

 

Our old friend arrives to pick us up. 

 

 

We’re still nice and warm, it’s a toasty 24.2 degrees onboard. 

 

 

Off at Kamaya to find this beautiful station building from a converted wagon. 

 

 

 

It’s nicely fitted out as well, although the heater is not running. I suspect we could have started it if we needed to (and knew what we were doing!)

 

Across to the other platform as we’re heading towards Hakodate, and another KiHa 40 is here to pick us up. 

 

 

And drop us at Kamiiso, where it’s not too far to walk to a Hakodate institution, Lucky Pierrot, for lunch. 

 

 

I was hoping here would be a big better than the downtown location, which was heaving with tourists last time I went. It was pretty empty, but seemingly understaffed, they had a warning sign that meals could take up to an hour. Hoping that they were underpromising we went ahead and ordered anyway, and our meal arrived in about half an hour. This photo undersells it, but this is their number 1 seller, the Chinese Chicken burger which is three pieces of chicken in a burger bun, tasty as always, I was so hungry I only got this crap photo. 

 

 

 

[Tony Galiani]

I am envious.  Riding the South Hokkadio Railway was on my list to do last year but we had too much to do.  Hoping to get back there next winter.  And Luck Pierrot too!

 

Tony

[cteno4]

7 hours ago, Gunzel said:

Off at Kamaya to find this beautiful station building from a converted wagon. 

 

 

what a nice little model scene! Thanks

 

jeff

[Gunzel]

Day 10 Part II

 

On the way back to the station we discover that the use of old crates for traffic management is perhaps not as rare as we thought. 

 

 

Our old friend is here to pick us up again. 

 

 

It’s an uneventful trip to Nanaehama, where we reverse direction again. 

 

 

And alight at Higashikunebetsu, where we find another station building formed from old rolling stock. 

 

Along with the almost obligatory vending machine, in this case the ultra thin edition. 

 

 

The interior is nice although the ticket machine takes up a bit of room. There’s even  a toilet, although it is currently cordoned off. 

 

 

 

And we’re all set for new year. 

 

 

Onwards to Goryokaku, we haven’t seen a freight train running all day, but we manage to catch this one just after we arrive. 

 

 

And an empty KiHa 261. 

 

 

We popped into Hakodate and got an obligatory shot of the 0 post. 

 

 

Our Hakodate Liner was delayed, the delay kept getting extended, but there were repeated assurances that the Shinkansen connection would be held. This proved to be the case and although it felt like it would take ages there were plenty of staff and announcements to shepherd a full standing room only Hakodate Liner onto the  Shinkansen in only a few minutes. However when we got back to Shin-Aomori. 

 

 

The Ou line is suspended again. Rather than wait here we decided to use the privilege of having a pass and go in to Aomori with a wider selection of of food and other amusements to soak up the time, and earlier dibs on a seat for the no doubt busy first train. We found some nice ramen to warm us up. 

 

 

We checked at the station a bit early and the 7.57 train was going to run. It wasn’t too busy from Aomori, but really filled up at Shin-Aomori. You could feel the shocks from hitting drifts of snow on the way back but we made it successfully without much delay. 

 

New track: 0.0km

[Tony Galiani]

Wow.  Glad you made it okay.  I was not aware of that JR East app so have made a note for future planning.

 

And we missed the 0 Kilometer post when we were in Hakodate.  Now I really have a reason to go back!

 

Tony

[Gunzel]

The JR East status page is useful. The English version uses automatic translation so sometimes you need to read it carefully with that in mind. 
 

I’ve also found in a disruption situation putting the journey you want to do in Apple Maps can bring up live disruption information with expected new arrival times of trains. Can be very useful.

[Gunzel]

Day 11 Part I

 

Our first trip of the day is on the Konan Railway Konan Line from Hirosaki to Kuroishi. We purchase the one day pass and then find our two car electric train waiting at the platform. 

 

 

No issues with snow on this line, overnight they’ve been out with the “Russell Plow”. 

 

https://konantetsudo.jp/2024/12/28/konan-works20241228/

 

At Nisato station we spot this SL just in time to grab this fairly average photo. 

 

At Hakunokoko-Mae I feel like this says karaoke more than station waiting room. 

 

We reach the terminal, there’s been a bit of snow. 

 

 

But we can still get to the vending machine. 

 

 

On our return trip arriving at Hirosaki I notice the onigiri theme for the station numbers.

 

 

Now we are off to Owanionsen on a JR Tsugaru service, thankfully on time today. 

 

 

Owanionsen station has a nice public telephone. 

 

 

And a footbath. 

 

 

Another two car electric is waiting at the adjacent Konan Railway Owani Station to whisk us along the Owani Line to Chuo-Hirosaki. 

 

 

Once there there are some ladies to greet us on the platform. 

 

 

And some apples on the station sign. 

 

 

The manhole cover won’t be left out either. 

 

 

Here’s a view of our train waiting at the platform. 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later we’re ready to leave and the sun is out. 

 

 

The sun stays out for our trip back, here is the JR Ou mainline as we cross it near Ishikawa. 

 

 

When we return to Owani the sun is still out and lighting up this rotary. 

 

 

[RS18U]

Very cool!  Both figuratively and real.  Thanks for braving the weather and posting the photos.

[Gunzel]

It’s much colder than I’m used to, will be interesting to see this winter at home whether it feels quite so cold. Glad you’re enjoying it. 

[Gunzel]

Day 11 Part II
 

But it’s clouded over again once we get back over to the JR tracks to watch this local train heading for Hirosaki. 

 

 

We are back on a Tsugaru service to complete our trip to Odate. 

 

 

Where we meet Sora, the new station master. 

 

 

 Not far from the station is the Akita Inu Centre where we can learn about their history and watch the dogs play. 

 

 

And buy lots of things. 

 

 

Out the back is the train car that used to be outside Shibuya station, but today it’s under a tarp. 

 

 

The plan was to travel home on another Tsugaru service, but with the weather getting worse we decide to go earlier on a local train. 

 

 

And we get back to Hirosaki to try out Neparu (Nepal) yakisoba at the local Indian restaurant, run by Nepalese (as often seems to be the case in Japan). 

 

 

New track: 37.2km

[maihama eki]

Great snow photos!

 

I want to get up to that part of Japan sometime in the winter. With appropriate clothes!

[cteno4]

Those Akita are so small! I’m use to the old school ones mostly here in the US that are like 100lbs and always ready to take on a bear!
 

One of our club members and his wife moved to Iwate area for 2.5 years and took their two huge Akitas with them. Everyone was amazed at the huge “American” Akitas but all the older folks would tear up remembering the old days in Japan when Akitas were this sized and later bred smaller in Japan.

 

Their big old male Moki had a huge head and ring of fur around it and as he walked up to you when you were sitting on the couch he was at eye level and his head just kept getting bigger and bigger! He was a sweet heart unless you were a squirrel in his yard.

 

jeff

[Tony Galiani]

Looks great there.  Eager to get back on a future trip.  A couple of questions if I may.

 

How was the food?

 

And how was the Akita Inu Center?  My wife went to a dog cafe in Tokyo and did not enjoy it as the dogs were totally food motivated and had no interest in any humans unless they were being given food.  I am thinking / hoping the Akita center is not like that but it would be helpful to know.

 

BTW, there were places both at Hirosaki Station and at Shin-Amori that had wonderful apple cake deserts.  Highly recommended.

 

Cheers,

Tony

[Gunzel]

The neparu yakisoba was fine, I always find it interesting to see how cuisine adapts to the local culture. We also had ham and cheese naan, and then a familiar dish from Australian Indian food, butter chicken. And they used Japanese style shorter grained rice rather than the longer grained rice at Indian restaurants in Australia. My spice tolerance is fairly low but they asked what level we wanted. 
 

The dogs at the Akita Inu centre are behind glass, but did seem very keen on treats. There were some visitors with their own dogs that also got a lot of attention, but I guess that’s just random. And they are not allowed in the room with the performing dogs.