I imagine there are slang terms used by railfans in your country, too.
In Japan, we have some as well. For example, we use the term “yami-tetsu” to describe photographing trains and railway-related facilities in the dark, as well as the people who enjoy doing so. Today, I’d like to introduce another term: “tetsubun.”
・What Is “Tetsubun”?
In Japanese, the word for “railway” is tetsudō, which literally means “iron road.” Meanwhile, tetsubun means “iron content.”
I bet you’ve figured it out by now!
Among Japanese railfans, tetsubun refers to how much of a railway enthusiast someone is. When someone is particularly keen on railways, we jokingly say they have “tetsubun-koime” (a high iron content). On the other hand, when someone’s railway-related activities are relatively low-key, we call it “tetsubun-usume” (a low iron content).
・My Visit to Yokohama During a Holiday
Let’s move on to my recent outing. I visited Yokohama to meet an old friend. However, just before we were due to meet, I received a message from him saying that he would be two hours late because something urgent had come up.
What could I do to kill two hours?
・My “Tetsubun-usume” Activity, Part 1
I decided to keep my railway-related activities low-key and visited the preserved platform of the former Yokohama Minato Station (Yokohama Port Station).
Please take a look at the photo above. You can see a small platform and some preserved rails. This is the platform of the former Yokohama Minato Station, built in 1928. When international passenger ships were due to depart from Yokohama Port, special connecting trains ran from Tokyo to Yokohama Minato Station, bringing passengers to the port.
I sat down on a bench on the platform. It was just an ordinary bench, but sitting there, I could imagine how travelers must have felt just before leaving Japan. Was it just my imagination?
・My “Tetsubun-usume” Activity, Part 2
Next, please take a look at the photo below. You can see the gondolas of the Yokohama Air Cabin, which I photographed from a path along the canal.
The Yokohama Air Cabin is an urban gondola lift that opened in 2021. It connects Sakuragicho Station with Unga Park Station, covering 630 meters each way.
I found it rather strange to see gondolas moving against a backdrop of skyscrapers rather than natural mountains. I’ll take a ride and write a report on the experience in the near future.
・Final Thoughts
I had planned to keep my railway-related activities low-key. However, once I got started, I found myself getting carried away. In the end, my supposedly “tetsubun-usume” outing turned into a thoroughly enjoyable “tetsubun-koime” experience!
