Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the New Year. In Japan, sunrise on New Year's Day is believed to bring luck. Lots of people travel to see hatsuhinode, and pray for a wish or a decision of that year. One of the famous hatsuhinode spots in Tokyo is Mt. Takao, which is located about 45 km west of Shinjuku, a sub-center of the metropolis.
After midnight of New Year's Day, Keio Electric Railway operates a special express train, Geiko (Greeting the Sunlight), to transport people to Mt. Takao. Geiko express has a special display on the face of the train. This year, a total of three Geiko express trains were operated. I visited Fuchu Station to shoot these express trains. Surprisingly, I saw more than 30 rail-fans waiting for Geiko express trains there, in spite of it being three o'clock in the cold morning. As it turned out, many rail-fans flocked to the other major stations on the Keio Line, such as Shinjuku, Meidaimae, Bubaigawara and Takahata-fudo. The trains, commissioned as Geiko express, were the EMU Keio 7000, 8000, 9000 series and the Toei 10-000 series. I am going to show you the photos of the 8000 series (8013F) and the 9000 series (9735F) in this blog.
In the meantime, did I go to Mt. Takao? No, I returned home directly after taking pictures of Geiko express trains, because I was extremely sleepy. I saw "the rising sun" on the display of Geiko express trains instead. Am I a lazy person?
