Revisit to the City of the Strait

EMU JR Kyushu 415-1500 series stands at Moji station on the Sanyo main line

After visiting Kitakyushu, I continued traveling by train. My next destination was Shimonoseki, which is the major city of Yamaguchi Prefecture, about 1,100 kilometers west of Tokyo. The population is about 247,000. I visited there for the first time in six years. Shimonoseki is famous for its fishing industry, specifically, blowfish. It's a very luxury food in Japan.

To get to Shimonoseki, I took the JR Kyushu Sanyo main line from Moji station. My vehicle was an inter-island train between Kyushu and Honshu (the mainland of Japan) islands via Kanmon Undersea Tunnel. What was new with this undersea railway? I realized that the EMU JR Kyushu 415-0 series, which was an aged standard commuter train, had already disappeared from the track. Replacing the 415-0 series, the 415-1500 series was being commissioned as an inter-island train. Different from the 415-0 series, the 415-1500 series has stainless-steel bodies and bolster-less bogies. The same model had already been retired from the JR East lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, but it's still full of energy on the JR West lines. Long time no see, the 415-1500 series!

After arriving at Shimonoseki station, I visited an observation deck of Kaikyo Yume Tower, which is a landmark of Shimonoseki City. What jumped into my eyes there was Kanmon Strait on the border between Honshu and Kyushu islands. The maximum tidal speed in this strait is about 4.8 meters per second, making it one of the foremost straits for swift currents in Japan.

To be continued...

A view of Kanomon Strait from Kaikyo Yume Tower in Shimonoseki City

The Urban Monorail and the Castle in Kitakyushu City

EMU Kitakyushu Urban Monorail 1000 series arrives at Kokura station

My spring train journey continued. After visiting Kibitsu, the next destination was Kitakyushu City on Kyushu Island. Kitakyushu is located in the northeastern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, about 1,100 kilometers west of Tokyo. It's ranked 2nd in the prefecture in population number after Fukuoka City, and famous for its heavy industries. The current population is about 920,000.

One of the main modes of transport in the city is by monorail. Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Company, which is owned by Kitakyushu City, operates the Kokura line (Kitakyushu Monorail line) in the city. Connecting Kokura and Kikugaoka, the route length is 8.8 kilometers. The route was opened in 1985 as a straddle-beam system. The train is operated every 7 minutes during rush hours; meanwhile, 10 minutes during daytime. The track is double. The electric system is 1,500V direct current. The EMU 1000 series is the sole model on the line. It has been operated since the route was opened. One set is composed of four 15-meter-long cars, and a total of 10 sets are commissioned.

After enjoying the monorail, I visited Kokura Castle in the city center. It was originally built in 1608 by a samurai, Hosokawa Tadaoki. Although the present building is a replica, it's a palimpsest, where you will get a sense of Japan of long ago. The castle tower is quite unique in that the 5th floor (top floor) is wider than that of the 4th floor. It's called "Nanban-zukuri (exotic-style)".

I enjoyed the local train and the historical spot again.

Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu City

Official website, the Kokura Line (Kitakyushu Monorail Line):

https://www.kitakyushu-monorail.co.jp/english/

2023 Cherry Blossom Season: The JR West Kibi Line

DMU JR West KiHa 47 series arrives at Kibitsu station on the Kibi line

After visiting Kurashiki City, I continued travelling to enjoy trains and cherry blossoms. My next destination was Kibitsu on the JR West Kibi line.

Kibitsu is located in the northern suburb of Okayama City, about 740 kilometers west of Tokyo. It's the place of origin of a famous folklore, "Momotaro (peach boy)". Momotaro was said to be born from a large peach in the Kibitsu area. He defeated the ogres, who were causing troubles in the area, and became a local hero. To acknowledge his achievements, Kibitsu Shrine was said to be constructed later at the ex-frontline base of Momotaro. When I visited the shrine, cherry trees along the corridor were in full bloom. It must be the best season of the Kibitsu area.

To get to this legendary place, the nearest station is Kibitsu on the JR West Kibi line. This local line was opened in 1904. Connecting Okayama and Soja, the route length is 20.4 kilometers. The track is unelectrified and single. Diesel railcars were operated every half an hour to one hour. My vehicle was the DMU JR West KiHa 47 series. The KiHa 47 series was commissioned by the Japanese National Railways in 1977. 370 units in total were built by Niigata Tekko and Fuji Heavy Industries. A 162kW diesel engine is carried on the unit. Different from their brothers, namely KiHa 40 and 48 series, it takes the appearance of a single cab car with double doors.

The train journey continues.

The corridor of Kibitsu Shrine and cherry trees in full bloom

2023 Cherry Blossom Season in Kurashiki City

Set C09 of the EMU JR West 213 series stands at Kurashiki station

Let me continue from where I left off my last post. When I visited Kurashiki City, it was the best season for cherry blossom viewing. There were many cherry trees in full bloom along the stream of the historical quarter. They were very gorgeous against the old white walls and the blue sky. Spring was in full swing.

Taking this opportunity, I'm going to introduce a train, which comes to Kurashiki station. The EMU 213 series is the last model, which the Japanese National Railways (JNR) developed in 1987. It's a stainless-steel train for 1,500V direct current tracks. A total of 65 units were built by Nippon-sharyo, Hitachi and others. After the breakup and privatization of JNR, these trains were transferred to JR West and JR Central. The trains belonging to JR West have blue-colored stripes; meanwhile, the JR Central's ones have orange and green-colored stripes.

The 213 series on the JR West lines was originally commissioned as an inter-island train between Honshu (the mainland of Japan) and Shikoku islands. After operating for 16 years, it was replaced by the JR Shikoku 5000 and the JR West 223-5000 series in 2003. The 213 series was then moved to the local lines. The top photo is a train, set C09 of the EMU 213 series, bound for Bicchu-Takahashi on the Hakubi line. This trainset is composed of one motorcar (KuMoHa 213-9) car and one trailer (KuHa 212-103).

Enjoying the cherry blossoms and the local trains, I continued travelling. I really enjoyed myself.

Cherry trees in full bloom, Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter

The Historical Quarter and Train in Kurashiki City

EMU JR West 115 series arrives at Kurashiki station on the Sanyo main line

After visiting Okayama, I continued traveling to feel the spring. My next destination was Kurashiki City. It's the second largest city in Okayama Prefecture, about 750 kilometers west of Tokyo. The population is about 470,000. Kurashiki is famous for its heavy industries, but that isn't everything. There's a famous sightseeing area, "Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter". This area stands out for its townscape of white walls and has been recognized as an Important Preservation District of Historical Buildings, which can be enjoyed for its Edo Era (1603 - 1867) scenery. A small river flows in the center, and its scenery is also very popular among tourists. When I walked along the river, newly-weds were enjoying a boat tour wearing a kimono (traditional Japanese cloth). Congratulations on your wedding! Best wishes for a happy marriage.

Now, let's get down to the main topic. When I arrived at Kurashiki station on the JR West Sanyo main line, I came across a nostalgic yellow train, the EMU 115 series. It's a direct current standard commuter train, commissioned in 1963 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), so, it's a train that has had a very long life. Nearly 2,000 units were built by Kisha seizo, Nippon sharyo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and others. After the breakup and privatization of JNR, the 115 series was transferred to five companies, but they have been retired one after another due to deterioration. For example, they eventually disappeared from the JR East lines in 2022.

I could enjoy the historical quarter and the train on that day.

Wedding boat in the Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter

Tramcars with Unique Pantographs

Electric car Unit 7102 of the Okayama Electric Tramway 7100 series

Let me continue from where I left off my last post. After the departure of the low-floored modern tramcar named set 9202, two classic vehicles arrived at Okayama terminal one after another. They were unit 7102 and 8101 of Okayama Electric Tramway.

Unit 7102 was commissioned in 1981 as the second car of the 7100 series. It's a 12.2-meter-long car built by Alna Koki. The electric control system is classic direct rheostatic. On the other hand, unit 8101 was commissioned in 1991 as the second car of the 7900 series. The technical specifications of unit 8101 and 7102 are similar, but the outputs of their traction motors are different (37.5 kW and 45 kW). The front shape of unit 8101 is inclined; meanwhile, unit 7102 has a vertical front face.

Incidentally, did you find that both two tramcars have very unique pantographs? Their attaching tables are very tall. They are so-called Ishizu-type pantographs. As you know, commonly used pantographs are pushed up by air pressure or the power of springs. On the other hand, Ishizu-type pantographs are pushed up by the weights. It means that the Ishizu-type pantographs are very simply designed, and easily maintained; however, this type of pantograph easily gets pantograph bounce. The Ishizu-type pantograph was invented by the former president of Okayama Electric Tramway, Ishizu Ryusuke, in 1951. He was an uncle of Ishizu Kensuke, who was a founder of the famous Japanese fashion brand, "VAN", in the 1970s.

It's fun to learn the history of railways.

Electric car Unit 8101 of the Okayama Electric Tramway 7900 series

Revisit to Okayama Electric Tramway

Set 1011 of the electric car 9200 series, Okayama Electric Tramway

Okayama is the main city in Okayama Prefecture, about 730 kilometers west of Tokyo. It's one of the business centers of the Chugoku District in the western part of Japan. The population is about 718,000. Okayama is famous as a city of fruits producing peaches, grapes and pears. I recently visited this fruitful city for the first time in eleven years.

One of the main modes of transport in the city is by tram. Okayama Electric Tramway, which is a local private company, operates two routes in the city. The operating length is 4.7 kilometers. The track is 1,067 millimeter-wide and double. The electric system is 600 V DC with overhead lines.

The most eye-catching vehicle is a gold and black-colored electric car, set 1011 of the 9200 series. It's a poster train to promote tourism to Okayama Castle on the line. The castle was renovated a few years ago, and is gaining in popularity. Gold and black are the symbol colors of the castle. The gold color is taken from the ornaments on the roof; meanwhile, the black color is from the outer wall. The 1011 is the second set of the 9200 series. It's a low-floor tram commissioned in 2011. One set is composed of two cars. Its overall length is 18 meters. Each car has one independent wheel-type bolster-less bogie, which was designed by Bombardier Transportation in Germany. The electric control system is an IGBT-VVVF inverter (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor - variable frequency drive) with induction motors.

Side view of set 1011,  

Railway Bridge on the Tokyu-Toyoko and Meguro Lines

The EMU Toei 6500 (left) and the Tokyo Metro 17000 series (right)

I still enjoy strolling along Tama River. After observing the preserved streetcar on the ex-Kawasaki City tramline, I went upstream another day. My destination was Tamagawa station on the Tokyu-Toyoko and Meguro lines. I walked along the river, and stopped by a shrine named Sengen-jinja, which is located on a hill adjacent to the riverbank.

There was a reason for visiting this shrine. That's because a railway bridge across Tama River can be viewed from the shrine. I could see a bridge of a double-double track. Many kinds of trains constantly crossed the bridge. For example, I saw two kinds of subway trains at one time. They were the EMU Toei 6500 series and the Tokyo Metro 17000 series. The former was directly operated from the Toei-Mita line; meanwhile, the latter was from the Tokyo Metro-Fukutoshin line. The subway trains of two different operators meet each other on the bridge... it's rarely do you ever get to see. I felt this superb view like a reward given by the God of railways. Is that a bit of an exaggeration?

For your information, both the Toei 6500 and Tokyo Metro 17000 series trains debuted in 2021. The former has free Wi-Fi service on the train. That would really help passengers take specifically subway lines. On the other hand, the latter was elected as a winner of the Laurel Prize by the Japan Rail Fan Club last year. It's implemented an advanced train information monitoring and analysis system.

Sengen-jinja near Tamagawa station on the Tokyu-Toyoko and Meguro lines

2023 Cherry Blossom Season: The Keio-Inokashira Line

1751F of the EMU Keio 1000 series travels on the Inokashira line

After visiting the Toei-Arakawa line, I moved to the Keio-Inokashira line to continue enjoying the 2023 cherry blossom season. My destination was Takaido, where I visited for the first time in four years.

Let me review the Keio-Inokashira line and Takaido station. The Inokashira line is Keio Electric Railway's short commuter route connecting Shibuya and Kichijoji terminals. The line length is 12.7 kilometers. The track is 1,067 mm-wide and double. The electric system is 1,500 V DC with overhead catenaries. Takaido is the twelfth station from Shibuya terminal. It's located within a residential area of Tokyo Metropolis, and close to my kindergarten. Although I went to kindergarten by school bus at that time, I sometimes used a train, if the school bus didn't run. It's already a long time ago.

There're cherry trees along the track of the Inokashira line. I admired the blossoms in full bloom from the platform of the station and a railway crossing near the station. They were shining under the morning sun light. Spring was in full swing. I was also able to take many train photos against the cherry blossoms. I'm posting two images on behalf of the EMU 1000 series trains. The top photo is bluish-green-colored 1751F (set 1751) from the 1st batch trains; meanwhile, the bottom photo is light-green-colored 1782F (set 1782) from the 6th batch trains. Please confirm that the shapes of the LED destination display on the front are different. Did you enjoy the cherry blossoms and trainspotting in the two photos?

1782F of the EMU Keio 1000 series arrives at Takaido station

The 12th Anniversary of Tokyo Railway Labyrinth

Electric car unit KuMoHa 12041 of the Class KuMoHa 12

Tokyo Railway Labyrinth had its twelfth anniversary. Time moved quickly. I thank all my blog readers for visiting this website over the last twelve years. According to the oriental zodiac, one cycle is completed every twelfth year, so, today is the start of the new cycle of my blog.

In commemoration of the twelfth anniversary, I'm going to show you a train with number "12" in the name. The Class KuMoHa 12 is an electric car commissioned in 1953 by the Japanese National Railways. The definition of the Class KuMoHa 12 effective since 1953 was a 17-meter-long, 6 doors and double-cab motorcar. The Class KuMoHa 12 was originally developed by the Japanese Government Railways in the 1920s and 1930s under the names of the Class MoHa 30, 31, 34 and others. 33 units in total were operated on the track, but most of them had already been scrapped. Only two units are currently preserved.

Unit KuMoHa 12041 is one of the above preserved cars exhibited in "SCMAGLEV and Railway Park" in Nagoya City. It was originally built in 1927 as a single-cab motorcar of the Class MoHa 30. After being remodeled several times, it was converted to a double-cab car unit KuMoHa 12041 in 1987. It was retired from the JR Central Iida line in 2002, and has been exhibited at SCMAGLEV and Railway Park since 2011. Its gable-shaped face was caused because the cab was added later. I like very much this electric car with a rustic steel body.

Side view of unit KuMoHa 12041

Official website, SCMAGLEV and Railway Park:

https://museum.jr-central.co.jp/en/

60 Doors on One Side: The Joban Monster Train

EMU JR East E231 series travels on the Joban line

This might be sudden, but what is the longest passenger train in Japan? The answer is the super-express train on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansens. It consists of 16 units of 25-meter-long cars, so that it attains a total length of 400 meters. Was it a piece of cake for you? Now, we go to the next question. What's the longest commuter train in Japan? The answer is the JR East commuter train operated on several commuter lines. For example, the E233-3000 series on the Tokaido main line is composed of 15 units of 20-meter-long cars, so that it attains a total length of 300 meters. Was it also easy? Well then, here is a formidable question. What's the train with the maximum number of passenger doors in Japan?

Please look at the photos. It's the EMU JR East E231 series on the Joban line. It's composed of 15 cars. Each car has four passenger doors on one side; therefore, one train has 60 passenger doors on one side. This is the train with the maximum number of passenger doors in Japan. A conductor, who works on board this train, has to close the passenger doors after confirming the safety of all 60 doors all at once. It's a tough job, isn't it?

For your information, there are some other 15-car-commuter-trains in Japan such as the above mentioned E233-3000 series on the Tokaido main line; however, they have Green Cars (the 1st-class car), which has only two passenger doors each on one side.

One set of the E231 train on the Joban line has 60 passenger doors on one side