On March 25th, Atami City celebrated the 100th anniversary of Atami Station. To mark the occasion, the city and railway operators held several events.
Let’s start with a quick look at Atami City and Atami Station. Atami is located about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo and is well known as a seaside resort city. I often visit there with my family to enjoy hot springs, fresh seafood, and fireworks festivals. Furthermore, Atami serves as a gateway to the Izu Peninsula, which is famous for its beautiful national park. Atami Station was opened in 1925 by the Japanese Government Railways. Today, the station is jointly managed by JR East and JR Central.
Now, let’s get down to the main topic. Please take a look at the photos. You can see anniversary plates on the front of trains standing at Atami Station. They are trainset R-4 ("Kurofune Train") of the EMU Izukyu 2100 series and trainset TB5 of the EMU Izukyu 8000 series. The arrival of these trains with the 100th-anniversary plates instantly livened up Atami Station… but wait a moment. Atami is not an Izukyu Railway station. Why does Izukyu celebrate the 100th anniversary of Atami Station? The reason is that Izukyu trains run directly onto the JR East Itō Line and terminate at Atami Station. Showing thoughtfulness toward a partner company is important, isn’t it?
By contrast, I didn’t see any anniversary plates on JR East or JR Central trains. Has their attitude been a bit chilly? Or do they simply see it as none of their business?
