Saturday 28 July 2018

Winter Fuji from the Odakyu Line

EMU Odakyu 60000 series (cab with a gangway in the front) crosses the Sagami River

It is mid-summer in the Tokyo metropolitan area. On July 23rd, the highest temperature in Kumagaya City was 41.1 degrees Celsius, which is an all-time record high in Japan. The only thing I can do is escape the city and go to the highlands, but the trains to resort areas are crowded with passengers because it is the summer holiday season. People also get stuck in traffic on the express roads. What can I do instead?

Let's start by looking at photos of the cold scenes from last winter to cool off, specifically the snow-capped Mt. Fuji. One of the best points to see winter Fuji is near Kaisei station on the Odakyu-Odawara line. We can see winter Mt. Fuji (3,776 meters above sea level) peeking over the Ashigara Mountains, which is as much as 1,000 meters high. The contrast between the blue sky, the white-colored Mt. Fuji, and the green-colored Ashigara Mountains is vivid.

The railway bridge spanning the Sagami River is also a good place to see a partial view of the snow-capped Mt. Fuji through a small opening in the Tanzawa Mountains. I was able to shoot the blue colored EMU, Odakyu Romance Car 60000 series, backed by downtown Atsugi City, the Tanzawa Mountains, and the white colored Mt. Fuji. The first carriage of the 60000 series had a cab with a gangway in the front. That was my favorite subject.

I am not getting cooler at all, even though I looked back on the cold winter scenes. Well really!

Winter Fuji from the Odakyu train