On February 1st this year, Yokohama Minatomirai Company celebrated the 20th anniversary of their Minatomirai line. In commemoration, many events were held by the company.
Let me review the Minatomirai line. It's a subway route in Yokohama City, about 20 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Connecting Yokohama and Motomachi-Chukagai (Motomachi-Chinatown), the total length is 4.1 kilometers. It was opened in 2004 as an access route to the urban development area, Minatomirai 21. The track is double and electrified. The electric system is 1,500 V DC with overhead catenaries. All the trains are directly operated onto the Tokyu-Toyoko line.
The 20th anniversary poster train, Set 11 of the EMU Y500 series, is a fun event for rail-fans. We can see the rounded celebratory plate on the front. Moreover, there are stickers of the Minatomirai line's mascot character named "Em-em-san" on the side bodies. According to the company's website, Em-em-san is a seabird that attracts happiness. He (or she) was born in the port of Yokohama. He (or she) is very kind, and fond of walking and eating around. Do you want to be his (or her) friend? I accept this approachable profile, as I'm also fond of walking and eating around.
Joking aside, taking pictures of trains on the Minatomirai line is not easy, but Shin-Takashima station is the only suitable spot. There are no pillars between our position and the subway train, so, we can shoot the whole train from the opposite platform. Congratulations on the 20th anniversary, Minatomirai Railway!
