Set W10 of the EMU JR West W7 series stands at Kanazawa station
It was hot again this summer in Japan. I was very busy at work, but could manage to take a 2-day holiday in the middle of August. I visited Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku area with my family. The main city in Ishikawa Prefecture is Kanazawa, which is located about 450 kilometers northwest of Tokyo.
The gateway station to Kanazawa City is also Kanazawa. JR West Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Hokuriku main line, IR Ishikawa Railway and Hokuriku Railway trains stop at the station. It took just two and a half hours by Kagayaki (brilliance) super-express on Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo. The trains are the EMU W7 and E7 series. They have same technical specifications, but the W7 series belongs to JR West; meanwhile, the E7 series belongs to JR East. The E7 series was launched in 2014 as a Nagano Shinkansen train; meanwhile, the W7 series newly debuted at the timing of inauguration of Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015. The maximum speed is only 260 kilometers per hour, but they can climb up the Usui Pass (a steep incline of 30 per mil) at a speed of 210 kilometers per hour. A total of 33 sets, 396 units were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the others.
After getting off the super-express train, we firstly saw Tsuzumi-mon (Hand drum gate), which is a symbol of Kanazawa station. It is said that the gate represents local people's hospitality and art-loving personality.
To be continued...
The gateway station to Kanazawa City is also Kanazawa. JR West Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Hokuriku main line, IR Ishikawa Railway and Hokuriku Railway trains stop at the station. It took just two and a half hours by Kagayaki (brilliance) super-express on Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo. The trains are the EMU W7 and E7 series. They have same technical specifications, but the W7 series belongs to JR West; meanwhile, the E7 series belongs to JR East. The E7 series was launched in 2014 as a Nagano Shinkansen train; meanwhile, the W7 series newly debuted at the timing of inauguration of Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015. The maximum speed is only 260 kilometers per hour, but they can climb up the Usui Pass (a steep incline of 30 per mil) at a speed of 210 kilometers per hour. A total of 33 sets, 396 units were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the others.
After getting off the super-express train, we firstly saw Tsuzumi-mon (Hand drum gate), which is a symbol of Kanazawa station. It is said that the gate represents local people's hospitality and art-loving personality.
To be continued...
Tsuzumi-mon (hand drum gate) in front of Kanazawa station
Official information about Hokuriku Shinkansen:
Official information about the EMU JR West W7 series (in Japanese):