Another cat mastering a station (Aizu RR, Asinomaki Onsen)

[Kabutoni]

After a search for movies on the Yagan, Aizu and Tobu railroad (Asakusa - Aizu-Wakamatu) I stumbled upon this short documentary (Tiisana Tetudou no Tabi) from Television Tokyo about the Aizu RR.

 

The presentator meets an old friend and stationmaster of Asinomaki Onsen, (who still looks damn fine for her age) that tells him a cat took over her position as a stationmaster. The name of the cat is BASU (Bus, Bath, whatever).

 

All in all, a nice documentary about a company running trains through one of the most beautiful landscapes of Japan.

 

 

They also run the Mountain Express, a former Meitetu 8500 Series that ran the North Alps Ltd. Express until 2001.

[Darren Jeffries]

Is this continuing the running theme/joke on cats running stations, or does Japanese culture hold cats in such high regard, much like the ancient egyptians?

[Kabutoni]

Is this continuing the running theme/joke on cats running stations, or does Japanese culture hold cats in such high regard, much like the ancient egyptians?

 

I think this was once imported from the Chinese, as there cats are seen as lucky charms. You can see cats everywhere in East Asia in front of shops, restaurants and other buildings where they welcome teh customer and bid for wealth and good fortune.

 

More information on this phenomenon can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_Neko

[to2leo]

Yes you are correct about cats in East Asian culture.  In terms of being a wealth and a luck charm, the Japanese Maneki Neko 招き猫 is the most famous.  You see battery operated ones in almost every family run store in HK!

[Mudkip Orange]

Yes you are correct about cats in East Asian culture.  In terms of being a wealth and a luck charm, the Japanese Maneki Neko 招き猫 is the most famous.  You see battery operated ones in almost every family run store in HK!

 

Makes a great tattoo as well.

[bikkuri bahn]

It just seems cats and railway stations go together naturally in Japan.  Just the other week, while visiting the Kominato Railway in Chiba, I happened upon a couple of felines lounging around the unstaffed Toyotaki Station.  Their indifference to me suddenly changed to attentive curiosity as soon I appeared with a bento lunch in hand   I have seen cats frequenting other stations on this line, though whether they are "official" station cats, strays, or from some nearby household, I don't know.

[to2leo]

I think the Japanese strays are some of the best fed cats in the world.  No worries about poison food, rude weirdos....just get to the station on time for bento box leftovers.

[Guest ___]

And yet most Japanese prefer dogs to cat. Anycase, I expect the reason behind this station is that they are trying to take advantage of all the press Kishi Station gets from Tama-chan. Frankly, I was extremely disappointed with my trip to Kishi to see Tama.

[scott]

I'm guessing the cats would be relieved if this trend fizzled out. This one really doesn't look pleased.

[Guest ___]

Yeah, I gotta agree and was going to make the same comment, but that cat does look pissed.

[bikkuri bahn]

I'd be in a bad mood too if people were constantly shoving zoom lenses in my face and taking flash pictures like common paparazzi...Tama chan was remarkably composed (or just lethargic) when I saw him (her?) a couple of years ago (pre-remodel).

[Guest ___]

her, and she slept through my visit.

[westfalen]

I didn't see any cats but here is my 'cab' ride video of the Aizu Tetsudo from a trip a friend and I made from Nikko to Aizu-Wakkamatsu in 1997.

 

 

[bikkuri bahn]

The Aizu Tetsudo Line is a good trip- I did it back in 2001, mainly for the novelty of getting from southern Tohoku to the center of Tokyo not using a JR main line, but rather on third-sector and private railway local trains.

[Guest ___]

How hard is it to get to from Aizuwakamatsu?

[bikkuri bahn]

How hard is it to get to from Aizuwakamatsu?

 

Not hard at all if you take the regular route most people take, which is the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama, and transfer to the Banetsusai Line to get to Aizuwakamatsu.  But the route I took, Tobu Rlwy/Aizu Tetsudo/JR, is much, much slower and involves multiple changes of train.  Of course, for some people that makes it more interesting It's more scenic too.

[Guest ___]

I don't mind taking the ass-0end way to get places. I've gotten on the wrong train, or just a random train just to see where I'd end up, and have always had the best photo-ops from those adventures.

[scott]

Not hard at all if you take the regular route most people take, which is the Tohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama, and transfer to the Banetsusai Line to get to Aizuwakamatsu.  But the route I took, Tobu Rlwy/Aizu Tetsudo/JR, is much, much slower and involves multiple changes of train.  Of course, for some people that makes it more interesting It's more scenic too.

 

And I guess it's no problem with a railpass. But was it more or less expensive to do that with individual tickets?

[Kabutoni]

And I guess it's no problem with a railpass. But was it more or less expensive to do that with individual tickets?

 

I don't know about tickets from JR, but I do know the JR East railpass is also valid on the Tobu line to Nikko, so a considerable amount of the trip is already covered by the railpass.

 

From Asakusa to Aizu it's 4680 Yen, with a JR East Pass it would be about 3180 Yen (I think) http://www.aizutetsudo.jp/tt_index.php Not so very much difference, but I guess it's cheaper then the Shinkansen.

[westfalen]

If I remember correctly the fare from Nikko to Aizu Wakkamatsu in 1997 was just over 3000 yen. We took the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya then the JR Nikko Line, either the JR pass was not valid on the Tobu at the time or we did not know about it. I've been on all four lines leading to Aizu Wakamatsu. The JR Tadami line, which can be reached from Tokyo by Joetsu shinkansen to Urasa or Nagaoka then local train to Koide, is another backwoods branchline with some very scenic segments and long tunnels where the line was relocated around dam construction. Then there is the option, which I did in 2006 and will be trying again later this year to see if I can get better weather, of getting an early Shinkansen to Niigata then the Bantetsu Monogatari SL over the western section of the Bantetsu line.