Toyama Railways-2 movie locations

[shiawase raichou]

 

Visitors to Toyama might like to know where the 2011 movie Railways-2 was filmed. It is set on the local Chitetsu lines, which run at the foot of Toyama's splendid mountains.

 

The film offers some particularly beautiful shots, including this one of Tsukioka station and the Tateyama range behind.

 

 

It shows the Tateyama Line and Kamidaki Line climbing some way into the hills.

 

 

Several scenes take place at Dentetsu Kurobe:

 

 

 

And at Inarimachi station and yard:

 

 

 

(There seems to be a limit on the number of photos I can include, so I'll continue in the next post.)

Edited January 20, 2014 by shiawase raichou

[shiawase raichou]

Actor Tomokazu Miura is seen bringing trains to a halt at the Dentetsu Toyama terminus:





Chitetsu staff offices are shown at Minami Toyama station...



...however, the office interiors were shot at Inarimachi.

 

Toyama's Portram makes an appearance:
 

One of the most spectacular settings is that of the Unazuki Onsen station, where the characters mark Takishima's upcoming retirement with a boozy dinner at a hot spring at the Entaijiso hotel.





This is the Joganji river crossing at Iwakuraji:


 

 

[shiawase raichou]

Takishima's final journey passes Urayama station...

 

 

...and Nakakasai station...



...while children race the train near Etchusango station.





Other locations include the Toyama Chitetsu Hotel, the Toyama Red Cross Hospital and the Do-u-zo cafe in Toyama city's Hojozumachi district, which appears as the home of cancer patient Nobuko. The son-in-law is first encountered receiving fish at Yokata port, and the actors take in fine views of Toyama city at the Kurehayama Observatory promontory.

 

Details taken from the movie's promotional site, www.railways2.jp

The film's formal title is "Railways: Ai o tsutaerare nai otona-tachi e". It stars Tomokazu Miura and a cast of locals speaking in fine Toyama accents, soo dachya. Nara ne!
 

Edited January 15, 2014 by shiawase raichou

[miyakoji]

Did they really let the actor drive the train?  I saw Miura Tomokazu in Adrift in Tokyo (called Ten Ten in Japanese), I always imagine him as that character.

[shiawase raichou]

In sequences where the train came to a halt, Miura was clearly at the helm.

 

The film is worth viewing for its views of Toyama in early spring -- a lovely time of year.

For me, one of the charms of the Chitetsu is that it seems frozen in time. Inevitable, really, given that Toyama has one of Japan's most ageing populations and even the arrival of the shinkansen may not lift the economy -- despite everyone's best hopes.

There's potential for greater tourism.