Friday 29 March 2013

Ryutetsu, Railway of the Showa Look


EMU Ryutetsu "Ryusei", KuMoHa 5002 and 5102 of the 5000 series approarches Koganejoshi Sta.

"Showa", this word has a special resonance for Japanese. Showa is a period when Emperor Showa (Hirohito) ascended to the throne. It began in 1926 and continued till 1989. So it's been over 24 years, since Emperor Showa died and Emperor Heisei (Akihito) ascended the throne. Japanese people, underwent World War II, and then achieved rapid economic growth during the Showa Era. So, we have mixed emotions toward the Showa Era. Anyhow, there is no doubt that Showa is a nostalgic era for us now.

If you are interested in more about the Showa era, you should visit the Nagareyama Line of the Ryutetsu Company. Connecting Mabashi and Nagareyama, the total operating length of this railway is only 5.7 kilometers. The entire route is an electrified single track. There is a nostalgic Showa-like atmosphere on the Nagareyama Line. The old-fashioned trains also make you feel like you have slipped back into the Showa Era.

Look at the top photo. It is the EMU "Ryusei", KuMoHa 5002 and 5102 of the 5000 series. This train was manufactured in 1982 in Showa Era under name of the EMU Seibu 101 series. It then moved to Ryutetsu in 2011. The two large front glasses and the two large rounded front lights have a Showa look, very nostalgic. The scenery on the route also has a Showa look (see the following picture). It is only 20 kilometers north east from the modern downtown Tokyo, but nostalgic crofts and groves still remain.

Ryutetsu, it is a railway of the Showa look.

EMU Ryutetsu "Wakaba", KuMoHa 5004 and 5104 of the 5000 series approaches Koganejoshi Sta.
 
More information aboout trains of Ryutetsu (in Japanese): http://ryutetsu.jp/traingallery.html