Spot the Difference: The Faces of Kotoden's 600 Series

Set 627 of the Kotoden 600 series EMU

Photo: Nicolai Okkels

I'm not a native English speaker, but I suppose that "spot the difference" is roughly equivalent to machigai-sagashi, a popular picture puzzle game in Japanese. Following my post on Tobu’s 50000 series EMUs three years ago, let's try another round of Spot the Difference with Kotoden’s 600 series EMUs.

Before we get started, my thanks go to Nicolai Okkels, who kindly shared the above photograph with me. He traveled around Shikoku last year and took many railway photographs, including those of Kotoden (Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad), a private railway in Kagawa Prefecture.

The above photo shows Set 627 of Kotoden’s 600 series EMUs. This trainset consists of two 15-meter-long motor cars. It was originally introduced on the Nagoya Municipal Subway in 1974. After 25 years in service, two former intermediate cars were converted into cab cars and transferred to Kotoden in 1999.

The photo below shows Set 623 of the same series. I took this photo in 2022. The history of Set 623 is similar to that of Set 627, but there is one important difference. The biggest difference is when the cars were converted into cab cars. Set 627 (top) was modified shortly before its transfer to Kotoden, whereas Set 623 (bottom) underwent the same modification during the mid-1980s while still operating on the Nagoya Municipal Subway.

This difference in modification timing resulted in several visible differences between the two trainsets.

Now, let's take a closer look at the faces of these two trains and see what differences we can find.

First, I noticed that the cross-sectional shapes of the car bodies are different. Set 627 (top) has a more angular roof profile than Set 623 (bottom).

Second, the shapes of the front ends are different. Set 627 has a narrower forehead above the cab windows than Set 623.

Third, the front window frames are made of different materials. Set 627 uses black H-rubber window gaskets, whereas Set 623 has metal window frames.

Fourth, I found that the positions of the windshield-wiper pivots are different. On Set 627, the pivots are mounted farther from the window frames than on Set 623.

Finally, Set 627 has a headmark mounting bracket on the gangway door, whereas Set 623 does not.

Did you spot all the differences?

I'm always happy to be a railway enthusiast who can find enjoyment in such small details. I hope you enjoyed this little exercise as much as I did.

Set 623 of the Kotoden 600 series EMU (December 2022)

Related links:

・Official information on Kotoden’s rolling stock (in Japanese)

Precious Shared Track around Asukayama

Toei 7700 series Unit 7705 climbing the shared track

It may sound sudden, but do you have a place that never fails to spark joy?

For me, Asukayama is that place as a rail fan. Today, I’d like to share a small story about this area.

■ What is Asukayama?

Asukayama—literally “Asuka Mountain”—is a small hill and public park in the northern part of Tokyo. It was opened in 1732 by Yoshimune Tokugawa as a cherry blossom viewing spot for the people of old Edo.

The closest station is Ōji Station, about 17 minutes from Tokyo Station via JR East’s Keihin–Tōhoku Line. You can also access it via the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and the Toei Arakawa Line.

■ Why is Asukayama special for rail fans?

First, two preserved vehicles stand inside the park: Toei tramcar Unit 6080 and former JNR steam locomotive D51 853 (I hope to introduce them properly in a future post).

Second, the well-known train-viewing spot Kitatopia is close by.

And third, a charming free monorail called Ascargot carries visitors up the hillside.

■ The precious shared track on the Arakawa Line

While these attractions are wonderful, there's another feature I’d love to highlight—the shared track section on the Toei Arakawa Line.

Most of the line runs on exclusive tracks, but there is one exception: the 0.5 km stretch between Ōji-ekimae and Asukayama stops.

In the photo above, Unit 7705 of the 7700 series is about to begin its climb up the shared track. Even with its 120 kW output, the incline becomes a challenge when the car is crowded. A small automobile easily passes it. Hang in there, Unit 7705!

In the photo below, after conquering the slope, Unit 9001 of the 9000 series is just about to return to the exclusive track. Bathed in the spring sunlight, it looks almost relieved. Nice work on the hill climb!

Asukayama’s charm truly never ends—including this rare shared track.

Toei 9000 series Unit 9001 running on the shared track

Kominato Railway: 2026 Update

A panoramic view of Kominato Railway’s Goi Railyard

Can you guess where and when the top photo was taken?

If you’re familiar with Japanese railways, you might think, “This must be a countryside railyard from many years ago, because the diesel railcars in the photo were mainly introduced in the 1960s and 1970s for local services.”

Or maybe you’d guess, “It was taken recently, but it looks like a diorama, since rolling stock from different companies are parked together in one place.”

Thank you for joining my small quiz and giving those reasonable guesses.

The answer is: the photo was recently taken at Kominato Railway’s Goi Railyard.

Before sharing the full story, let me briefly introduce Kominato Railway and the Goi Railyard.

Kominato Railway is a local private railway company based in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, about 50 km east of Tokyo. The company operates the Kominato Line, which runs between Goi and Kazusa-Nakano over a total distance of 39.1 km. The track is single and not electrified. Goi Railyard is the only railyard on the Kominato Line.

Now, thank you for waiting. Here is the story.

I visited the Kominato Line recently for the first time in four years, and I found two diesel railcars that I had not seen during my previous visits in 2018, 2021, and 2022.

First, you can see a maroon-colored diesel railcar in the center of the top photo. This is Unit KiHa 212 of the KiHa 200 series. It entered service in 1975 with the two-tone “fire orange” and “morn ivory” body, just like the other railcars of the same series. However, in April this year, its body color was changed to maroon to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Kominato Line. Congratulations, KiHa 212! You were specially chosen.

Second, another unfamiliar diesel railcar appears to the left of Unit KiHa 212. If you have been visiting this blog for a long time, you may recognize its coloring — it’s the “Oga Line color” used by JR East in Akita Prefecture. This car, Unit KiHa 40-4 of the KiHa 40 series, was transferred from JR East’s Oga Line in 2022. It still keeps its original Oga Line colors: dark green and ivory. It looks beautiful.

Finally, I would like to introduce my favorite spot along the line: the Kominato Waiting Room and Café (please see the related link below). As its name suggests, it is both a train waiting room and a café next to Goi Station, directly operated by Kominato Railway. Visitors can enjoy food and drinks indoors or outdoors while watching trains come and go (see the photo below).

I enjoyed a delicious curry and iced coffee there. I couldn’t have been happier.

Units 40-4 (left) and 212 (right) viewed from the Kominato Waiting Room and Cafe

Related links:

・Official information on Kominato Railway’s rolling stock (in Japanese)

・Official information on the Kominato Waiting Room and Café (in Japanese)

Series 2000 EMU for My 2000th Post

Keio Series 2000 EMU with its commemorative introduction plate

Thanks for stopping by Tokyo Railway Labyrinth! Hard to believe this is already the 2000th post. I’m truly grateful for all the international rail fans who keep visiting this blog.

To celebrate this “2000” milestone, I’m revisiting trains with “2000” in their name. You might remember the post I wrote back in January about Keio’s new Series 2000 EMU. Today, I’m diving a bit deeper into the technical side—so let’s jump right in.

The Series 2000 is a commuter EMU built for 1,500 V DC and runs on 1,372 mm gauge track. Each trainset is 200 meters long with a 5M5T formation—five motor cars and five trailers. The stainless-steel bodies feature a repeating circular motif, giving the train a clean, modern look. Its traction system uses a full-SiC VFD paired with 150 kW induction motors. Keio plans to introduce four sets in total by March 2027.

One interesting technical highlight is its deceleration-feedback braking system. Even if Car 1 experiences wheel slip, Cars 2 and 3 automatically boost their braking force to maintain a safe stopping distance. The system adapts well to rain, snow, and different loading conditions, making it reliable in everyday operations.

Okay—enough heavy talk. Let’s switch gears and take a look at the photo above.

You’ll notice a special commemorative plate on the front of the train, celebrating the Series 2000’s introduction. It was displayed for only one month after its debut on January 31, so I’m glad I managed to catch it early.

Now, check out the photo below. The interior is bright and colorful—regular seats, priority seats, and even the flooring all have their own distinct tones. I can’t wait to ride this train myself again!

Interior of the Series 2000 EMU

（taken during a test run hosted by the Japan Railfan Club)

Related Links:

・Official video on the design of the 2000 series EMU from Keio

・Official video on the test run of the 2000 series EMU from Keio (in Japanese)

Chiba Urban Monorail: 2026 Update

Set 21 of the Chiba Urban Monorail 0-series EMU

I recently visited the Chiba Urban Monorail for the first time in two years. I was curious to see what had changed on this unique suspended monorail line, so today I would like to share a short report about my visit.

First, let me briefly introduce Chiba City and the monorail.

Chiba City is the capital of Chiba Prefecture, located about 40 kilometers east of Tokyo. The city is known for its heavy industries, large port facilities, and agricultural areas. Its population is close to one million.

The monorail is an important means of transportation in the city. It opened in 1988 and is operated by the Chiba Urban Monorail Company, a joint public–private organization. The system is famous for being the world’s longest suspended monorail, with a total length of 15.2 kilometers. It consists of two double-tracked lines, Line 1 and Line 2, and is electrified at 1,500 V DC.

Now, let me move on to what I found during my visit.

First, I noticed that the number of the newer 0-series EMUs has increased to 11 trainsets, while the older 1000-series fleet has decreased to 8 sets.

Second, there are now 14 trains with colorful advertising wraps. These wrapped trains belong to both the 0-series and the 1000-series.

Among all of them, one train caught my attention—a “standard-colored train,” which is now relatively rare. This was Set 21 of the 0-series EMU (see the photo above). On the front of the train, there is a special round sticker promoting the Chiba Zoological Park on Line 2.

The animal shown on the sticker (see the photo below) is a male western gorilla named Monta. He was born in Spain in 1984 and came to Chiba City in 1990. He is a silverback, the leader of a gorilla group, but according to several websites, he is very gentle and kind. He even plucks the hair on his cheeks by himself, which gives him a neat and handsome look. Monta really seems like the perfect character to promote the zoo!

I would definitely like to visit the zoo next time.

Promotional sticker for Chiba Zoological Park on Set 21

Related Link:

・Official information from Chiba Urban Monorail