The 2nd Generation SDGs Trains

Set 5075 of the EMU Tokyu 5050 series, the 2nd generation "SDGs train"

In April, 2023, Tokyu Railways launched the 2nd generation SDGs Trains on their five routes, namely Toyoko, Den-en-toshi, Meguro, Shin-Yokohama and Setagaya lines.

Let me quickly review the SDGs Trains to start. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. In accordance with SDGs, Tokyu launched the special poster trains named "(the 1st generation) SDGs Trains" on the Toyoko, Setagaya and Den-en-toshi lines from September, 2020. The purpose of the SDGs Trains is to provide a beautiful living environment. These trains were substantially powered by renewable energy.

Tokyu's initiative was not limited to the partial use of renewable energy. The company then started the use of 100% renewable energy for all trains on all lines in April, 2023. In commemoration of this goal achievement, Tokyu launched the 2nd generation SDGs Trains. I'm going to show you two of them today. The new SDGs train on the Toyoko line is set 5075 of the EMU Tokyu 5050 series. This train is directly operated onto the Tokyo Metro, Tobu, Seibu, Sotetsu and Minatomirai lines. On the other hand, set 310 of the EMU 300 series is the new SDGs Train on the Setagaya line. These trains are ornamented with the 17 goal colors of SDGs. The gradation represents co-creation of the goals. The 2nd generation SDGs Trains are also vivid and beautiful.

Set 310 of the EMU Tokyu 300 series, the 2nd generation "SDGs train"

Official information about the Tokyu SDGs trains (in Japanese):

https://tokyugroup.jp/sdgs/

Tama Riverside Walking, Part 9: Keio-Inadazutsumi

EMU Toei 10-300 series crosses Tama River on the Keio-Sagamihara line

The Japan Meteorological Agency made an announcement that this year's rainy season ended on July 22nd in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It means that the 2023 mid-summer has begun. It's very hot every day, but I visited Tama River again, and enjoyed strolling blown by the south wind. My destination this time was Keio-Inadazutsumi. Keio Electric Railway has two railway bridges over Tama River. One is on the Keio main line, and the other one is on the Keio-Sagamihara line. My destination this time was the latter.

As soon as I reached the embankment, what jumped into my eyes was a double-track railway bridge on the Keio-Sagamihara line. The other landmark was the bicycle racing track on the other side of the river. One more, I saw a man who was sitting on the bank under intense sunlight. It's surprising that he was concentrating on the fishing in that heat.

A stainless-steel train with a light-green-colored stripe was soon approaching the bridge. That was the EMU 10-300 series, directly operated from the Toei-Shinjuku line. The 10-300 series was launched in 2005 replacing the old 10-000 series. There are several types of the 10-300 series. The top photo is the fourth batch train. It has two separate frontal lights on the lower part of its "face". Thick green and dark blue colored stripes are seen on the face. After shooting several shots of trains, I found that I was drenched in sweat. I had no room to talk about the angler.

EMU Keio 9000 series crosses Tama River on the Keio-Sagamihara line

The 110th Anniversary of Seibu Railway

Set 2069 of the EMU Seibu 2000N series, the 110th anniversary train

Along with Keio Electric Railway, Seibu Railway Company recently celebrated its 110th anniversary. Seibu was established in 1912 under the name of Musashino Railway, and partially opened the present Ikebukuro line in 1915. Since then, Seibu has been growing to be one of the major railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It has currently a total of 176.6-kilometer-long labyrinthine railway network in the northwestern part of Tokyo Metropolis and Saitama Prefecture.

The history of Seibu has not been an uneventful one. This company had been known for being managed by members of a single family, but, after a scandal involving them breaking a Security and Exchange Law in the early 2000s, the company has been trying to dedicate themselves to modernization of the management style. Rebounded from their scandal, the newly-established Seibu Holdings, Inc. was successfully relisted in 2014. I think the former Seibu was NOT diligent in their railway business, just keen on the florid new business. As a rail-fan, I wish Seibu to value their core business.

To commemorate its 110th anniversary, Seibu launched a special-colored train set 2069 of the EMU 2000N series. Its brown-colored body design was taken from Seibu's historical masterpiece train, EMU DeHa 5560 series. The 5560 series debuted in 1928 as both a commuter and a sightseeing train, and was retired from the track in 1958. Celebrating the 110th anniversary of the company was a good opportunity for Seibu to return to the basics of their vision and mission.

The 110th anniversary train stands at Higashi-Nagasaki station

Official information about the 110th anniversary of Seibu Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.seiburailway.jp/newsroom/news/20230119_110train/

The 110th Anniversary of Keio Electric Railway

The 110th anniversary plate, Keio Electric Railway

On April 13th this year, Keio Electric Railway Company celebrated the 110th anniversary of their rail and bus businesses. The Keio line was initially opened between Sasazuka and Chofu stations (12.2 kilometers) on April 13th, 1913. At the same time, the bus routes between Shinjuku and Sasazuka and the others were also inaugurated. To commemorate the 110th anniversary, Keio is displaying a special plate on the front of train set 9702 of the EMU 9000 series. This low-key design is so Keio!

Keio is one of the major private railways in the metropolitan area. The railway route consists of the Keio and the Inokashira lines, extending to the western part of Tokyo and the northern Kanagawa Prefecture. Its total operating length is 84.7 kilometers. Keio carries an average of 1.5 million passengers per day. The transportation density is about 36,000 passengers per day per kilometer. It' so high because the routes are concentrated in high-density residential areas.

My grandfather, who passed away twenty years ago, was an engineer of Keio Electric Railway. He introduced many trains during his assignment. The classic electric car, type 500, which debuted in 1931, is still seen in his photo album as his first job. My father, who passed away several years ago, also worked for Keio as an architect. I've chosen the other industry, but became an enthusiastic railfan instead. It may come from my family. I hope that my grandfather and father are also celebrating the 110th anniversary from heaven.

Train set 9702 of the EMU Keio 9000 series arrives at Bubaigawara station

Official website, the 110th anniversary of Keio Electric Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.keio.co.jp/110th/

Le Ciel: The 2022 Blue Ribbon Winner

EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series, "Le Ciel", passes through Byobugaura station

It's a bit old news, but on May 26th, 2022, Japan Railfan Club announced that the EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series, nickname "Le Ciel", was elected as the Blue Ribbon Prize. What's the Blue Ribbon Prize? It's an annual award presented by Japan Railfan Club since 1958, awarded to the best train that debuted in the previous year. Actually, almost all awarded trains to date are representative carriages in each railway company. Because of the COVID-19 calamity, there were fewer new models, which debuted in 2021, than usual, but I applaud Keikyu Corporation that won the tough election.

Le Ciel is a multi-purpose train. It's used not only for commuters but also for holiday makers. For that purpose, Le Ciel has multi-purpose seats, which the conductor can change from long seats to cross seats using a remote control system. The cross seat mode is applied when it's operated as a reserved seat train or a chartered train. One of my surprises is that Le Ciel is equipped with toilets. Keikyu has only short routes, so the company has been hesitating to equip toilets on their trains for many years. Of course, it will cost a lot for wastewater treatment from now, but the company made the great decision to invest for trains with toilets. Well done!

Incidentally, the nickname, "Le Ciel", was sought from the general public. I don't know why French, but I also like it. I'm very much fond of "the blue sky" on the Keikyu lines.

Interior of the EMU Keikyu 1000-1890 series (the long seat mode) with a toilet

Official information about the 2022 Blue Ribbon Prize by Japan Railfan Club:

http://www.jrc.gr.jp/e/award/bl/bl2022

Official information about "Le Ciel" by Keikyu Corporation (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/company/news/2022/20220526HP_22034TE.html

Official information about the Keikyu trains by Keikyu Corporation (in Japanese):

https://www.keikyu.co.jp/ride/train/

The Shortest Railway in Japan

Set 3540 of the EMU Shibayama 3500 series arrives at Keisei-Narita station

In Japan, there are nearly 200 railway companies, large and small. Here is a quiz for you. Which company has the largest railway network? The answer is East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It has a total of 7,350 kilometers of railway lines. Was it too easy? Now then, do you know which company operates the shortest railway line? It's probably a difficult question. The answer is Shibayama Railway in Chiba Prefecture. This company operates only a 2.2 kilometers-long railway line.

The major shareholder of Shibayama Railway is Narita International Airport Corporation. The route was opened in 2002 to improve the convenience of people who live on the eastern side of the New Tokyo International Airport (Narita). Connecting Higashi-Narita and Shibayama-Chiyoda stations, the track is single. Most of the route was constructed under the airport. The train operating interval is about 40 minutes during the daytime. Every train is directly operated onto the Keisei lines.

Train set 3540 of the EMU 3500 series is Shibayama Railway's only train. It was built by Nippon Sharyo in 1973 as Keisei Electric Railway's commuter train. After operating for 40 years, train set 3540 was leased to Shibayama Railway in 2013, and has been operating on the Shibayama Railway line up to now. Its technical specification is of course the same as the Keisei 3500 series, but the colors of body stripes were changed from "blue and red" to "green and red" last year. It became easier to distinguish between the Shibayama and the Keisei trains.

Shibayama-Chiyoda terminal on the Shibayama Railway line

Official website, Shibayama Railway (in Japanese): https://www.sibatetu.co.jp/

Early Summer Trip to Sendai City: Part 2

EMU Sendai Municipal Subway 2000 series leaves International Center station

Let me resume the topic of my early summer trip to Sendai City. Sorry for jumping from one topic to another so often.

After visiting a whisky distiller near Sakunami station on the Senzan line, I moved back to the downtown area. My next destination was the International Center station on the subway Tozai line. There's a superb observatory just above the station. It's a unique spot, where visitors can see subway trains traveling on the surface track. There's a comfortable open cafe as well. While enjoying coffee, I shot a train, EMU Sendai Municipal Subway 2000 series, which is the sole model operated on the line. One train is 66.5 meters long, and consists of four cars. One of the features of the Tozai line is that linear motor technology is adopted for the train driving system. A linear motor is an electric motor that doesn't have a shaft. It moves in a straight line, while a conventional motor has a rotary movement. We can see a special box, named a reaction plate, between the rails. This technology allowed downsizing of the tunnel cross section.

Finally, I'm going to show you a beautiful avenue just above the underground section of the Tozai line. Sendai is called the "City of Trees" owing to its verdant cityscape represented by the zelkova tree-lined Aoba-dori Avenue. The trees lining here are tall, and it's dazzlingly beautiful as green shoots burst out all together in this season.

I fully enjoyed my early summer trip to Sendai City.

Zelkova tree-lined Aoba-dori Avenue just above the subway Tozai line

New Poster Trains on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line

Do you know who are in the photo?

This is quite sudden, but do you know who are in the top photo? They look like a girl and two boys. It will be a piece of cake for you. The answer is Harry, Hermione and Ron from right to left. They are printed on the train bodies. What for? The gimmick is as follows. On June 16th, 2023, a brand-new attraction, named Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter, was opened on the site of the former Toshimaen Amusement Park near Toshimaen station of Seibu Railway. This new attraction offers visitors the chance to step behind the scenes of the films and discover the secrets of the Wizarding World.

To promote tourism to The Making of Harry Potter, Seibu Railway launched three sets of special poster trains, named "Studio Tour Tokyo Express", on the Ikebukuro line. They are train set 20152, 20153 and 20158 of the EMU 20000 series. Each poster train is composed of 8 cars. The design is just simple and bold. The three main cast members are portrayed on the side bodies of each train. They stand out against the Forbidden Forest. "Studio Tour Tokyo Express" is the train that you can't forget after seeing it once.

Incidentally, the EMU Seibu 20000 series debuted in 2000 as a new-generation commuter train following the 6000 series. The standard cars have light blue colored stripes on the aluminum bodies. 135kW induction motors with a variable frequency drive electric control system are equipped. 144 cars in total were built by Hitachi.

"Studio Tour Tokyo Express" travels on the Seibu-Ikebukuro line

Official information about Seibu "Studio Tour Tokyo Express" (in Japanese):

https://www.seiburailway.jp/railways/magicrailway/

Seaside Walking on the Seaside Line

EMU 2000 series travels on the Kanazawa Seaside line in Yokohama City 

Here we are still in the gloomy rainy season in Tokyo. We have been having hot and humid days, but, once the sun's rays peep through the clouds, I never fail to go out to enjoy a stroll on weekends. My destination this time was Umino-Koen (Marine Park) in Yokohama City, about 50 kilometers south of Tokyo. There are a designated swimming beach and marine sports facilities such as beach volleyball courts and a windsurfing boathouse. You can also enjoy clam digging on the beach in spring. An outdoor BBQ facility, which was temporarily closed for the COVID-19 calamity, has been just reopened.

To visit this urban resort, the nearest railway station is Uminokoen-Shibaguchi on the Kanazawa Seaside line. Taking this opportunity, please let me review this public transportation system again. The Kanazawa Seaside line is so-called AGT (a rubber-tired automated guideway transit). There is no driver and conductor on the train. As a result, the driver's seat on the train is vacant except in an emergency case. A passenger can freely sit on it and can enjoy scenic views through the frontal window of the train. The route was opened in 1989 by Yokohama Seaside Line Company. Connecting Shin-Sugita on the JR East Negishi line and Kanazawa-hakkei on the Keikyu main line, its operating length is 10.8 kilometers. The track is double, and the electric system is a 750 V DC with the third rail.

I fully enjoyed the seaside walking on the Kanazawa Seaside line.

A beach in front of Uminokoen-Shibaguchi station on the Kanazawa Seaside line

Inauguration of Two Shin-Yokohama Lines

EMU Sotetsu 21000 series arrives at Shin-Yokohama station

On the 18th of March, 2023, two new railway lines were inaugurated in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. One is the Shin-Yokohama line of Sagami Railway (hereafter Sotetsu). The other one is the Shin-Yokohama line of Tokyu Railways. These two lines are connected at Shin-Yokohama station. A direct operation of Sotetsu and Tokyu trains through Shin-Yokohama station was also started on that day. What is the significance of the opening of these lines?

Firstly, Sotetsu got the second access route to Tokyo. Sotetsu is a major private railway company, but its weakness was its inconvenient line network. Sotetsu trains couldn't run into Tokyo until four years ago. Sotetsu's weakness was once mitigated in 2019, when the Sotetsu-JR East connecting line was completed. Since then, Sotetsu trains are directly operated onto the JR East lines to downtown Tokyo, but the story didn't end there. Sotetsu got another access route to Tokyo this time. That's the Shin-Yokohama line. Sotetsu trains are now directly operated onto the Tokyu and the other lines, and bound for the city center of Tokyo.

Secondly, transfer to the Tokaido Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama station is much easier now. JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen is an intercity high-speed railway bound for Osaka and other major cities, but the problem was the access to the transfer station in Yokohama City, namely Shin-Yokohama, because it's far from the downtown area. The completion of the new lines has made passengers easier to transfer to the Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama station. Yokohama City is significantly changing.

Platform of Shin-Yokohama station

Official movie, the Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (in Japanese):

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gjvrLOFv_v0?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=gjvrLOFv_v0&rel=0

Tama Riverside Walking, Part 8: Futakoshinchi

Set 2131 of the EMU Tokyu 2020 series crosses Tama River

Here we are in the middle of the gloomy rainy season. We have been having hot and humid days, but, once the sun's rays peep through the clouds, I never fail to go out to enjoy a stroll. Following Noborito on the Odakyu line, my next destination was Futako-shinchi on the Tokyu-Denentoshi line in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

After getting off the train at Futako-shinchi station, I headed to Tama River. I could see a railway bridge of a double-double track spanning between Futako-shinchi and Futako-tamagawa. There are baseball grounds, jogging paths and cycling roads on the riverbank of Futako-shinchi side. I saw many athletes there. On the other hand, I could see office buildings, shopping malls and high-rise apartments of the Futako-tamagawa area on the other side of the river. Futako-shinchi and Futako-tamagawa are in contrast to each other.

As soon as I started walking on the embankment, a 10-car train crossed the railway bridge. It was a westbound train, set number 2131 of the EMU Tokyu 2020 series. The 2020 series is composed of five motorcars and five trailers. Each motorcar has its own electric control unit. A total of 30 sets, 300 units, were built by J-TREC Yokohama factory from 2018 to 2022. The 2020 series is characterized by its unique "face". It's white and round. The crescent-shaped accent strikes my eyes. The large cowcatcher integrated with the face also stands out conspicuously.

While observing trains, I enjoyed Tama riverside walking as usual.

Baseball grounds, jogging paths and cycling roads on the riverbank

Cat Trains on the Setagaya Line

Set 302 (302F) of the EMU Tokyu 300 series, "Tama and Friends" train

In 1983, having a variety of stationeries with the drawing of cute characters on them became a fad among Japanese girls. "Tama and Friends" became very popular characters at that time. Tama is a male cat taken care of by a boy, Takeshi. "Tama and Friends" is a story of the daily lives of Tama and his cat and dog friends. This year, Tama marked the 40th year of its debut. In commemoration, Tokyu Railways tied up with Sony Creative Products Inc., the creator of "Tama and Friends", and launched a special poster train on the Setagaya line. That is set 302 (302F) of the EMU 300 series. 302F is the second set of the 300 series consisting of two electric cars. It originally had light-blue-colored monotone bodies, but is currently decollated with cute Tama and his cat and dog friends.

Speaking of the "cat train", we mustn't forget "Happy Maneki-neko" as well. That's also a special poster train, 308F of the EMU 300 series, on the Setagaya line. The design of this poster train came from Maneki-neko, whose birthplace is Gotoku-ji Buddhist temple on the Setagaya line. Maneki-neko is an ornament in the shape of a cat beckoning with a forepaw. It's said that Maneki-neko brings good luck. Happy Maneki-neko was the 110th anniversary train of the opening of the tram route. Although six years have already passed since it debuted, Happy Maneki-neko train is still very popular among local children.

The Tokyu-Setagaya line is currently "the route of the cat trains".

Local nursery school children welcome Happy Maneki-neko train (308F)

Official information about "Tama and Friends" train by Tokyu (in Japanese):

https://www.tokyu.co.jp/image/information/pdf/230222_tama.pdf

Official information about "Tama and Friends" train by Sony (in Japanese):

https://blog.tamaandfriends.jp/3569

Green Garden in the City Center

New Shibuya terminal on the subway (Tokyo Metro) Ginza line 

The rainy season continues in Tokyo. From early June to mid-July, Tokyo has a hot and humid rainy season, called Tsuyu. It's a gloomy period before midsummer, but Tokyoites can enjoy that the trees have gotten greener and greener each day.

I recently visited Nezu Museum in the city center of Tokyo. This museum is famous for exhibiting antiques of Japan and Asia, but it's not only that. Another pleasure of visiting Nezu Museum is to stroll through the garden, which is said to be an urban oasis. After viewing the museum, visitors can enjoy the changing seasons in the lush garden. The garden is filled with so many greens in this season. It was incredible for me that I was in the city center of Tokyo.

To get to Nezu Museum, the nearest station is Omotesando on the subway Ginza line. Taking this opportunity, I'm going to show you the new Shibuya terminal on the Ginza line. In January, 2021, the subway operator, namely Tokyo Metro, moved their Shibuya terminal 130 meters eastward as part of the urban infrastructure project in the Shibuya area. The new terminal has an island platform with M-shaped arches. It's cleaner and brighter than before. The appearance of the new Shibuya terminal is of course my favorite, but the problem is its location. It became far from Shibuya terminal of the Keio-Inokashira line. It became inconvenient to transfer to the Ginza line for the Inokashira line users like me. You can't make everybody happy.

The garden of Nezu Museum near Omotesando station on the subway Ginza line