 |
| Electric car Hakodate Transportation Bureau 2000 series (August, 2012) |
Following the electric car 9600 series, I'm going to continue to show you the other tramcar and a beautiful must-see spot in Hakodate City.
The 2000 series is an electric car operated by Hakodate Transportation Bureau. Only two units in total were built by Alna-koki in 1993 and 1994. It's a 12.32 meters-long tramcar with a VVVF inverter (variable frequency drive) electric control system. It has two 60 kW induction motors per unit. One unit can accommodate up to 58 passengers. I like this tramcar, but the only problem is the defense against the summer heat. Even in the cool northern city, it becomes hot in summer probably because of recent global warming. Passengers need the air conditioner.
Taking the tram line, I visited the Trappistine Convent, which is located in the eastern part of Hakodate City, with my family in 2012. The Trappistine Convent was established by eight nuns from France in 1898. It's Japan's first women's monastery. The existing church building was built in 1927, featuring the mix of the Gothic and Romanesque styles, such as the brick exterior and the semicircular-arched windows.
Visitors are allowed to tour only the forecourt and the museum, as there are currently about 60 nuns in the convent. Of course, we should walk around the convent quietly. The statue of Virgin Mary was especially beautiful and impressive for us. At the shop for visitors, we could get the tasty cookies "Madalena (Madeleine)", butter candies and rosaries made by the nuns.
