Christmas 2024

[Gunzel]

Day 12

 

Today is a moving day, and the plan is fairly simple, local train to Shin-Aomori, Shinkansen to Kitakami, drop the bags, then pop back to Hanamaki to close the gap to Shin-Hanamaki. Because we’d have spare time and a pass then we could do something a bit crazy, zip down to Utsunomiya, try the new tram, check out a HARD OFF, and have gross for dinner, before returning to Kitakami. 

 

Get to the station though, and what do we see. 

 

 

The Ou line to Shin-Aomori is closed again. Oh well, we can give it some time. We really need to get to Kitakami, but all the other stuff is optional. An hour and a half later (and a nice warm apple pastry from Brick, the cafe in the station) things are not looking good. 

 

 

The Ou line is still open to Odate though, and it looks like the Hanawa line from there to Morioka is also open. Let’s exchange the Shinkansen ride for a leisurely cross country KiHa.  We can skip the big queue for rebooking at the Midori no Madaguchi and just go because we have a pass. A local to Odate, and a few familiar faces from the waiting room also make the transfer to the waiting KiHa for our onwards journey to Morioka. No photos until we arrive for a twenty-six minute pause at Kazuno-Hanawa, where we find this driving wheel. 

 

 

Inside the station are some nice photos of trains back in the days of steam. 

 

 

Our KiHa is still basking in the sun waiting to depart. 

 

 

After some more lovely snowy scenery we hit the Tohuku main line at Koma and continue the run into Morioka on Iwate Ginga Railway (IGR) tracks. On arrival at Morioka I’m expecting to pay a surcharge for the travel on IGR but am just waved through. I’m not sure whether they made a mistake or whether due to the disruptions that day using a Japan Rail Pass was allowed. 

 

Up to the Shinkansen and it’s a short run to Kitakami. We made it!

 

Once we drop the bags we can still try to get none of today’s tasks done, the short section of line between Hanamaki and Shin-Hanamaki. Returning to the station we find a new years welcome. 

 

And this display of safety posters, made by students?

 

 

And on the conventional lines side this impressive artwork over the ticket gate. 

 

 

At Hanamaki the station forecourt had this nice old sign and flag holder for students crossing the road. 

 

 

And an art installation set off by the setting sun. You can’t see the little fans spinning or hear the music in this photo but it all works together well. 

 

 

At Shin-Hanamaki it’s a bit of a trek from the Kamaishi line to the Shinkansen entrance, they’re doing some work here and I like this fence. 

 

 

With our new track complete for the day we shoot up to Morioka on the Shinkansen and then catch a bus to check out HARD OFF Morioka Kamido. 

 

Then walk to the IGR Aoyama station for the one stop trip back to Morioka. Where we have time before the next Shinkansen back to Kitakami to grab a meal at Matsuya. 

 

 

New track: 6.4km

[Tony Galiani]

I am learning a lot from your trip reports.  This will be super helpful if I can succeed in getting back to Tohoku next year.  I have been keeping an eye on the JR East web site since you posted that screen shot and saw that the Ou Line was closed but I know I would not have had a work around if we had found ourselves in that position last year.  All I could think of to do would to have been to hunker down at Brick and have more apple pastries!

 

Cheers,

Tony

[Gunzel]

Well the pastries at Brick were pretty good! It seemed that some people were organising shared taxis as the road was open, it looked like a taxi may come to Y15,000. Another alternative may have been to go all the way to Akita and catch the Akita Shinkansen, but that had had its own problems and didn’t start running until 9am so it was likely to be difficult to find a seat as they caught up, especially as around new year lots of people are travelling. 

[Gunzel]

Day 13 Part I

 

It’s an early start today, have to skip the free breakfast at the hotel. 

 

 

Our trusty KiHa is waiting. I’m the only passenger until just before we leave when two others appear. 

 

It’s an uneventful trip, a lot in the dark until we reach Yokote 61km later. 

 

 

Which seems fairly important. 

 

 

I felt sorry for these poor dogs. 

 

 

 

This big guy is pretty impressive. 

 

 

I’m not sure what the decoration on the post box is, a helmet?

 

 

Originally we planned to do a circuit, proceed from Yokote to Shinjo, and then back across to Furukawa, but the heavy rain in July 2024 has meant the line from Shinjo to Innai is being substituted with a bus at the moment (should be back by Golden Week), that makes our proposed timetable not work, so it’s back to platform 0 at Kitakami on the KiHa.

 

 

A quick trip on the Shinkansen to Furukawa and we pick up another KiHa for a trip on the Riku East line. Due to the same heavy rain event we can only go as far as Naruko-Onsen. 

 

 

But first this nice reminder not to litter. 

 

 

Down the track we find a snow fence constructed out of timber and rope. 

 

 

And a flock of birds that seem to be foraging in a field, I’m not sure what these are, maybe swans?

 

 

We reach Narukoonsen-Onsen and outside the station I like this fading billboard. 

 

 

Our KiHa is waiting to take us back. 

 

 

In Furukawa we head to a nearby HARD OFF, I’m never sure what to do with these buttons, I end up pressing the yellow one. 

 

 

We reach HARD OFF Furukawa Higashi. I find AIRMAIL a strange name for a typewriter. 

 

 

The Sony Jackal 300 looks pretty good. 

 

 

On the way back to the station we spot this kei tip truck. 

 

[Tony Galiani]

Phew!  Took me a while to get past:  "skip the free breakfast at the hotel" ....

 

Tony

[Gunzel]

Day 13 Part II

 

Back at Furukawa station we find this Plarail layout, along with a giant crab. 

 

 

And a station master hanging from a string. 

 

 

It’s off to Sendai on the Shinkansen, I always stop to look at the display of old headboards in the transfer hallway. 

 

 

First we catch a local train to Natori, where we can purchase a ticket and transfer to a train to Sendai Airport. 

 

 

This line is fairly new and the airport station is pretty bland. 

 

 

We catch a train back and this time we get off at Morisekinoshita, this line has stopping and express trains, and the platform here is set up for expresses, the train really is tilted due to the superelevation. 

 

And why did we get off here, to visit HARD OFF Natori Mori Sekinoshita of course.  Seems you can buy models of Godzilla. 

 

Afterwards it’s back to Sendai station for dinner, except it’s New Years Eve, so all the restaurants are closing at 5pm. Luckily we find a nearby Matsuya. 

 

 

And then a quick trip back on the Shinkansen to Kitakami. 

 

 

It seems Iwate Prefecture have an SL themed number plate. 

 

 

New track:  103.7km

[Gunzel]

Day 14

 

We are moving again today, a late change in plan because the announcement was made that the line Kururi Line beyond Kururi would definitely close. No date has been announced yet, but I don’t have a definite date to be back in Japan either. And when the date gets close my experience in the wilds of Hokkaido is things get super busy, so being s close to Tokyo I expect that will be even worse. Chiba has always been the bridesmaid in my trips to Japan, “it’s so close to the airport” has often been the thinking (most flights where I’m from are to Narita). So I haven’t really done much except some of the lines to the airport. Because of the paucity of services past Kururi we wouldn’t be able to get to Kazusa-Kameyama until very late in the day. So we’ll use this day to circumnavigate the Boso peninsula, but first up a Shinkansen to Tokyo. Lucky we are doing this early, it’s looking pretty full over the next few days. 

 

 

The snow gradually disappeared as we got closer to Tokyo, then some effort to get through the bustling crowds at Tokyo station to the Sobu line platforms for the Narita Express. Only to find it is delayed by twelve minutes. At least there is no issue with finding space for suitcases. We are about fifteen minutes late by the time we leave and don’t recover any of that time by the time we disembark at Chiba. Somehow we make our connection onward to Kisarazu. There’s time to drop the bags, and for lunch at Yoshinoya, the second of the big gyudon chains for this trip. 

 

 

While waiting for the train to Kimitsu I take a photo of this one which leaves before, turns out it will wait at Kimitsu for us. 

 

There’s also a nice old style housing for the vending machines. 

 

 

On the train some remnant pandemic notices regarding ventilation. 

 

 

We are on the same train for almost three hours, all the way to Kazusa-Ichinomiya. Some great scenery, but the train was pretty busy so no good photos. 

 

 

Here we transferred to another service running through to the Keiyo line, and went through to Ichikawa-Shiohama where I stayed a few years ago, completing this line. 

 

 

Then turn around for the next train to Soga, and change to get back to Kisarazu. 

 

New track: 276.7km

[Gunzel]

Day 15

 

Uh oh! I thought we’d left the service disruptions behind with the snow, but it seems not. Over to the station to check in person anyway and there is a JR livery bus in the forecourt, perhaps this is promising. The signage says trains are cancelled and initial inquiries reflect the same, but after a little bit of time it seem a that yes, there is a replacement bus, and we get a personal escort to it. 

 

 

Due to my lack of language it’s not clear to me how far it will go, or whether I will be able to get back in time to make my connections onward to eventually Shizuoka, but I decide to take the punt. First stop is outside this old video store near Giordano station. It’s hard to see in this photo but the shelves are still full of faded VHS, and based on the fact they have posted new years hours they are still open. 

 

 

We get to the scene of the faulty level crossing. Turns out it was a road vehicle that went off the road and knocked out some of the crossing infrastructure. 

 

 

We visit each station in turn, and a staff member travelling with us goes to check the platform for waiting customers. Some of the crossings have these poles with something mounted on them, I’m not sure if it’s just a camera or something else. 

 

At Kururi we are bundled out of the bus to transfer to a waiting train. Then we make our way to our ultimate destination, Kazusa-Kameyama. Someone on this line likes getting old boats and turning them into flowerbeds. There are three examples lined up here at the terminal. 

 

 

End of the line. 

 

 

We only had a few minutes at the terminal because the bus had taken longer than the train to get to Kururi, where the train had been held for us. Then it was back on for a couple of stations to Hirayama which will also be closed. Not too long here and we catch a train the other way to the third and last station to be closed, Kazusa-Matsuoka. Some railfan photography tips on a poster inside. 

 

 

Some interesting nails in the sleeper, does anyone know what these are? Dates or something like that?

 

 

Our chariot arrives for the return journey. 

 

 

Then it’s on to Kisarazu, Chiba, Tokyo and finally Shizuoka. After dropping the suitcase I search out this postbox. 

 

 

Then do a quick trip on the Shizuoka Railway to the terminal at Shin-Shimizu. 

 

 

It’s not too far to walk from here to the JR Shimizu station, where we jump on a train heading west and get off at Yoshiwara, to transfer to the Gakunan Railway, our second purveyor of single car electrics on this trip. 

 

We will spend some time tootling back and forth on this line. Every station has a Fuji viewing spot, of the ones I went to this was my favourite, due to the foreground subject matter, a small museum they have set up at Gakunan Fujioka. 

 

 

 

Yoshiwarahoncho and Honyoshiwara are pretty close, so to visit both we walked between them. I liked this view along the drain. There is some good industrial scenery along this line, sadly freight trains ceased some time ago. 

 

 

Next to Honyoshiwara station is BOOK OFF Fuji Honyoshiwara, even some model trains at this one. We get to the terminal Gakunan’enoo just on sunset. 

 

 

From here it’s back to Yoshiwara, then Shizuoka, and a visit to HARD OFF Shizuoka Mabuchi after dinner. 

 

New track: 52.4km

[cteno4]

39 minutes ago, Gunzel said:

Then it’s on to Kisarazu, Chiba, Tokyo and finally Shizuoka. After dropping the suitcase I search out this postbox. 

 

 

this is hilarious! Too bad too small to probably do recognizably at 1/150!
 

thanks,

 

jeff

[Madsing]

3 hours ago, Gunzel said:

Then it’s on to Kisarazu, Chiba, Tokyo and finally Shizuoka. After dropping the suitcase I search out this postbox. 

 

Oh, I love that postbox! Now I have to go to Shizuoka.

Thanks for posting!
Marc

[Gunzel]

It’s great isn’t it, in my top ten I think. There is a phone as well, but I skipped that this trip. 

[RS18U]

I think those nails in the ties are indeed dates, or codes for dates.  At least we have something like that here but not in every tie, and generally only 1.

 

Lovely photos, and great ideas for places to visit.

[Gunzel]

Day 16

 

A leisurely start to today, because our first train is Fujikawa No. 1, to Kofu. 

 

 

We start off facing backwards, because we reverse at Fuji. This line is pretty spectacular, and I will have to come back one day and travel it on a local train. At Kofu there is a small historical display of the old station bell and some old rail. 

 

 

Out the front of the station is a small gathering of old cars, in Australia we would call it a “show and shine” but I’m not sure how widespread that term is. It’s an eclectic mix of Japanese and foreign cars, many sports cars but some Toyopets and Beetles as well. 

 

From here we travelled on an Azusa to Hachioji, then local trains to Hashimoto and then Chigasaki. Stations with local shrines were very busy today and had extra staff as people visited to out in their prayers for the coming year. Here’s our train after arriving at Chigasaki. 

 

 

The Tokaido mainline is experiencing issues, and our next train is about ten minutes late, and held up even longer by a sick passenger a few stops along the line. At Hiratsuka the platform attendant is set up with a little platform in order to be able to see over the crowds. 

 

 

At Kozu we change for a train doing a loop around the Gotemba line, our connection was held but we did have to do a quick scoot over to platform 3. 

 

Our train runs all the way around the Gotemba line to Numazu. The roads in the Gotemba area were super packed, looked like big traffic jams, I’m glad I’m on a train. At Numazu we change back to the Tokaido mainline line. It’s a terrible photo, but I’m intrigued by that spire, and Fuji-san and JR containers, so. 

 

We are back to Shizuoka, and try some Hamamatsu style gyoza to make up for missing out on Utsunomiya. 

 

 

Choose a different way back to the hotel and come across this rectangular manhole cover with a painted design, these are rarer than the circular ones. 

 

 

Then it’s on to Toyohashi on the Shinkansen, where they have some illuminations at the front of the station with the illuminated name of our hotel in the background (Toyoko Inn). 

 

 

New track: 277.4km

[cteno4]

53 minutes ago, Gunzel said:

We are back to Shizuoka, and try some Hamamatsu style gyoza to make up for missing out on Utsunomiya. 

 

 

Ha! I never realized I cook my gyoza Hamamatsu style as I always cook them in a spiral like this and they sort of all end up crisping/connection g them all as one.

 

jeff

[tridentalx]

It's an amazing collection of train trips and photos you've posted. Thanks for sharing. My trip in June will be pedestrian by comparison I fear. 

 

One question - what are the train prices in HARD OFF like. Bargains or rarities at a premium price?

[Gunzel]

Any trip is good, there’s just such a spread of different experiences available on Japanese railways. I’ve been lucky I’ve been able to try so many different ones. 
 

I’m not really across what secondhand prices are like for model railways in general so I couldn’t comment on what the prices are like. I haven’t decided what if anything to build yet so I have held off buying anything. In the things where I do have an understanding of the market it is surprising to me how much pricing for the same thing can vary between different shops. So I think there is likely to be a range from real bargains to stuff that is overpriced. I reckon watching Yahoo Japan Auctions and Mercari for the things you want is probably best to get a sense of the Japanese market and then having those prices in mind when you get to HARD OFF. 

 

Also a clarification, often HARD OFF is colocated with HOBBY OFF, and generally those are the ones where you will find more trains, in my photo collections I’ve just been calling the whole lot HARD OFF. 

[Gunzel]

Day 17 Part I

 

I’ve been looking forward to this day, we start to do the Iida line. But first we get an early start so we can also cover off the Toyotetsu. It’s 6.25 and breakfast hasn’t started yet at the hotel when we start from Ekimae towards the terminal at Akaiwaguchi. 

 

 

They have their own manhole cover here. 

 

Akaiwaguchi is also the depot. 

 

 

Back to the junction and we go to the other terminal, Undoukoen-mae. 

 

 

And then it’s back to Ekimae, and to the hotel where breakfast is now available. We can’t tarry too long over our meal though as we have to travel the other Toyotetsu line, the Atsumi line, running from Shintoyohashi. 

 

 

To the terminal at Mikawatahara. 

 

 

On returning to Toyohashi we can now join the Inaji No. 1 to Iida, which we will travel on as far as Tenryukyo. 

[Gunzel]

Day 17 Part II

 

The scenery along the Iida line, especially as we get close to Tenryukyo is spectacular, and I have a good list of stations that I would like to visit. I believe JR Central sometimes run a special train that visits many of these hikyō (secluded/hidden) stations and spends a bit of time at each, but I think for me I’d rather put in the time and have a few less people around. Anyway, not many photos along here, it was too enjoyable just looking, but I was impressed with this new year’s display at a sawmill. 

 

 

At Tenryukyo we have a brief interlude until the departure of the local train. 

 

 

Where we go as far as Kanae, which has stabling for a small works train. 

 

 

Now we’re going to climb up out of the valley to one of the most remote HARD OFFs in Japan (as measured by the distance to another HARD OFF), HARD OFF Kanae Iida. A reasonable amount of model trains here. 

 

 

We can appreciate the view on the way back now we are going down the hill. 

 

We have time now to go one more station towards Iida to Kiriishi, and her me we see our train back the other way arriving there. 

 

 

This train takes us to Tenryukyo, where we quickly have to change platforms to an onward train. Somewhere near Kinno we spot this sign, and just manage to grab a shot. 

 

 

And we disembark at Kowada, chosen because it is hidden in the mountains, and it is at the meeting point of three prefectures, Shizuoka, Aichi and Nagano. 

 

The motorcycle is waiting patiently for its owner to return. 

 

 

The local train arrives to take us back to Hiraoka. 

 

 

Where there is a nice layout in the station building. 

 

 

And we can pick up Inaji No. 4 all the way back to Toyohashi. And then use our Toyotetsu one day pass to pop out to Minamisakae and visit HARD OFF Toyohashi. 

 

New track: 148.9km

[Kingmeow]

2 hours ago, Gunzel said:

Now we’re going to climb up out of the valley to one of the most remote HARD OFFs in Japan (as measured by the distance to another HARD OFF), HARD OFF Kanae Iida. A reasonable amount of model trains here. 

 

 

Oooo!  That's a fantastic price for that Futaba transmitter on the upper right!  I would have picked it up if I was there.  Looks like brand new condition too!  Would have worked nice with my fleet of R/C airplanes.  🙂

[Gunzel]

Day 18

 

A quick transit on the Shinkansen sees us in Nagoya to catch the Shinano No. 3 to Matsumoto. We’ve got the prime seat behind the driver in the “Wide View” for some great views of the scenery. 

 

 

And other trains. 

 

 

On reaching Matsumoto we drop the bags at the hotel and the return to the station to catch a local train to Kamisuwa, they have a small onsen on the platform here. 

 

 

We catch a following Azusa service. The views of Fuji-san are pretty good today. 

 

 

And alight at Kofu, where we try a hearty local Yamanashi stew called Hoto for lunch. I think traditionally it’s all about the pumpkin, but I couldn’t resist some pork. 

 

 

Back on another Azusa to Matsumoto we eventually work out how to buy the Matsumoto Dentetsu one day pass from the ticket machine and then catch a wrapped train with the railways own anime character out to the terminal. They’ve gone all in on this character and she appears everywhere. 

 

 

 

One of the side effects of the wrapping, well thinking about it probably a deliberate thought is that when backlit it looks great inside the carriage. 

 

 

It’s a short walk back from the terminal station at Shinshimashima to where the railway crosses the tail race of this small hydroelectric power station, and we can see the train we arrived on returning to Matsumoto. 

 

At the bus stop adjacent to the station we find these nice benches. 
 

 

We return to Niimura, where the depot is located.

 

 

They have a nice electric loco here. 

 

As well as a couple of very old weathered wooden vans used for storage. 

 

 

On returning to Matsumoto we were planning to travel on JR to the local HARD OFF, but it seems a lineside fire is causing some delays, so we console ourselves with a visit to BOOK OFF Super Bazaar Matsumoto Ekimae and Surugaya Matsumoto. Where we find a pretty cheap X68000. 
 

 

New track: 300.5km

 

Edited Sunday at 10:29 PM by Gunzel
Add missing photos and then fix dupes