Freight car restaurant near Kamogata Station, Okayama

[stevenh]

To all,

 

I was travelling on the San'in Honsen on my recent trip to Japan, heading back to Osaka, and saw what looked like a restaurant just east of Kamogata Station, Okayama.

The reason I'm caring about this restaurant is that it seems to have, what looked like, a caboose in the front carpark, if not incorporated into the main building.

We were travelling at speed, so it could have actually been a WAMU. There could have also been multiple.

 

Searches on Google Maps have been fruitless as there is little street-view data and the satellite imagery is useless.

 

Has anyone been around this area and seen this building?

 

Steven.

[miyakoji]

Tough one, you're right the aerial imagery is not good. Do you know which building it might be: http://www.mapion.co.jp/m/34.5240027_133.5902666_8/v=m3:%E9%B4%A8%E6%96%B9%E9%A7%85/

[stevenh]

I was thinking it was somewhere near "Tyre Garden"... but streetview indicates that it is not.

 

Ok, found it... was on the other side of the main highway... seems very derelict, and has a random assortment of freight cars and containers on the block.

 

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=34.521563,133.5776&num=1&vpsrc=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=19&iwloc=A

[bikkuri bahn]

Well, the corner site has a run-down karaoke business ("karaoke box"- an industry that experienced a boom in the 90's), while the adjacent parcel seems to have been a "hotel" and "ladies sauna".  Probably all the same owner.  だらしないな～

[stevenh]

But you see the WAMUs, right?  :)

[bikkuri bahn]

Surplus rolling stock sold by JNR when they got out of the carload freight business.  Many individuals and small businesses bought them, mainly to use as storage sheds, too much trouble to open windows and install aircon to use as human shelter. Judging from the lack of maintenance to the property and clutter, the economy of buying old freight cars appealed to the mores of the owner.

Edited May 28, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[cteno4]

here is the street view link

 

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=34.521563,133.5776&ll=34.521605,133.577246&spn=0.002539,0.002103&num=1&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=34.521503,133.577043&panoid=n5UAprTvM76X8_I7qiaH3w&cbp=12,154.62,,0,-9.02

Edited May 28, 2013 by cteno4