Railfan photo hot spots Japan

[bikkuri bahn]

Thought I would start a thread on "hot spots" for railfan photography and/or train watching.  Not just the well-known places, but some you may have discovered on your own, or by word of mouth.  Here is my contribution: Yamazaki Curve (Osaka/Kyoto Pref.)

 

Location: JR Yamazaki Station and environs.  On the Tokaido/Kyoto Line, this spot is located on a big curve in a geographically constricted location on the border between Osaka and Kyoto.  Four track mainline with good variety, you will see local/rapid passenger trains, ltd. expresses, and freight.  The spot I scouted is on a road just in front of the Suntory Yamazaki distillery.  Chain link fence restricts views, best to bring a short step ladder, or stand on a kerb block as I did, though this was only usable for trains going in the Osaka direction.

 

How to get there: upon exiting Yamazaki Station, turn right and go up the small road past the convenience store and on to a public bicycle garage.  There is a paved path that will lead you to a road.  Walk down this road, which parallels the railway, until reach the railway crossing.  Cross the railway line, which leads to the distillery entrance.  Turn left before that and walk down the road.  Just past the large distillery building and before some high rise flats, you will see a downward slope that leads to a bicycle/pedestrian tunnel.  At the top of this slope is the spot.  I was here in the late afternoon (late March)- the light was good for Osaka bound trains, but backlit for Kyoto bound trains, and the fence and a catenary support partially blocks views.  Perhaps shooting from Yamazaki Station platforms is better for Kyoto-bound trains.

You probably should use at least a 180mm or 200mm lens to get the most out of this location photo-wise.

 

This video shows a spot closer to the Yamazaki Distillery railway crossing.  I suspect the camera operator was using a step ladder.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ONZK2W9nkqw

 

map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=osaka&sll=34.889636,135.675246&sspn=0.002042,0.005246&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Osaka,+Osaka+Prefecture,+Japan&layer=c&cbll=34.890823,135.672797&panoid=3ahtR6lYRFzQbB5ysRpsYA&cbp=11,74.27,,0,4.93&ll=34.890824,135.672795&spn=0.001848,0.01458&z=17

 

Sorry if above links are faulty, using a shared computer w/ strange browser software, very balky.

[Guest ___]

 

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kyoto+station&aq=&sll=34.890823,135.672797&sspn=0.007401,0.016512&g=Osaka,+Osaka+Prefecture,+Japan&ie=UTF8&hq=station&hnear=Kyoto,+Kyoto+Prefecture,+Japan&ll=34.985605,135.750064&spn=0.001661,0.008256&z=18&layer=c&cbll=34.985607,135.750062&panoid=vM5A5zZrrqv9ujOjWiqVmw&cbp=11,269.13,,0,5.41

Here's a good spot to watch JR East. The far left circle there was a nice gap and you can shoot nothing but 485's all day.

[Guest ___]

Here's my Gmap of railfan hotspots so far, I havent added Tokyo in yet.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&aq=&g=Osaka,+Osaka+Prefecture,+Japan&ie=UTF8&hq=station&hnear=Kyoto,+Kyoto+Prefecture,+Japan&msa=0&msid=202781341179780321774.00049f276985a960befb4&ll=35.689488,139.691706&spn=0.933555,2.113495&z=10

[westfalen]

Here's a good spot to watch JR East. The far left circle there was a nice gap and you can shoot nothing but 485's all day.

The New Miyako Hotel across the street from Kyoto station is a good place to watch Shinkansen and Kintetsu trains from your window, or maybe was a good place, on the map it now appears to be labeled 'Secret Love Hotel'.

[pudgym29]

One vista where I did very well is the vicinity of Keikyu's Kanagawa station (KK36). It is 4½ blocks upward from the main Yokohama station. From the overpass, aim south towards Yokohama station. You can get spectacular views of both Keikyu and JR trains headed to | from there. :director:

[bikkuri bahn]

One vista where I did very well is the vicinity of Keikyu's Kanagawa station (KK36). It is 4½ blocks upward from the main Yokohama station. From the overpass, aim south towards Yokohama station. You can get spectacular views of both Keikyu and JR trains headed to | from there. :director:

 

I know the area very well.  I believe the overpass is Aoki Bridge.  Streetcars used to cross this bridge (back in the sixties), and I think it even once had a control/switch tower.  Kanagawa Station used to have very nice old Seiko clocks hanging from its platform roofs.  Unfortunately on a recent visit, I discovered they had been replaced by standardized modern versions you find at all Keikyu stations (the ones in the square housings).  Not quite as disappointing as seeing the 1000 series retired, but sad nonetheless.