Mt. Takao: A Mountain Where Tengu Live

Funicular Aoba climbing the Takao Tozan Railway Line

Mt. Takao is a popular sightseeing spot near downtown Tokyo. It takes less than two hours to reach the 599-meter summit from Shinjuku, one of the sub-centers of the city. In this season, visitors can admire beautiful autumn foliage—maples, beeches, ginkgo trees, and more.

But there is more to the highlights of Mt. Takao. This mountain is also known as a sacred place for Shugendō, a form of Japanese mountain asceticism. Practitioners of Shugendō belong to Yakuoin Temple, which was established in 704, and they undergo rigorous training in the mountains. It is said that Tengu, legendary long-nosed creatures, protect these practitioners on Mt. Takao.

If you would like to know what Tengu look like, please take a look at the photo below. Here they are—statues of winged, long-nosed figures standing within the Yakuoin Temple grounds. Don’t you find them a bit mysterious, perhaps even slightly creepy?

To visit Yakuoin Temple, the Takao Tozan Railway is very convenient. As I wrote before, this funicular line was constructed in 1927. Connecting Kiyotaki Station and Takaozan Station, its route length is 1,020 meters with a height difference of 271 meters. The track gauge is 1,067 millimeters, and trains operate every 15 minutes. The ride from Kiyotaki to Takaozan takes about six minutes.

Although the line is short, it is famous as the steepest railway in Japan, with a maximum gradient of 31 degrees 18 minutes. In the photo below, you can see the funicular Aoba climbing the track, backed by the early autumn colors.

I truly enjoyed both the beautiful autumn scenery and the mysterious Tengu legends on Mt. Takao.

Statues of Tengu in the Yakuoin Temple grounds

Official information by Takao Tozan Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.takaotozan.co.jp/

Ooyama Cable Line: Access to the Holy Mountain

Funicular Unit 2 of Ooyama Sightseeing Electric Railway

It’s very hot this summer in Japan. The maximum daytime temperature is still over 30 degrees Celsius every day in Tokyo. I evacuated from the city center, and visited Ooyama Mountain in Kanagawa Prefecture, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

When I visited there in the middle of August, the Ooyama Lantern Festival was being held. It was one of the events during the “obon” period. “Obon” is a Buddhist festival to recognize ancestral spirits. The souls of the dead are believed to return to their families during the obon period in the middle of August. It’s an occasion for people to visit their ancestors’ graves, temples or shrines to pray. After sunset, Ooyama was decorated with many lanterns and illuminations to response the souls of the dead. The lanterns were very beautiful and mysterious, and reminded visitors of their ancestors.

To get to this holy mountain, a funicular line, Ooyama Sightseeing Electric Railway, is convenient. Connecting Ooyama Cable and Afuri Shrine stations, the route length is 800 meters. The height difference between the highest and lowest points of the route is 278 m. The maximum inclination of the route is 25.5 degrees. The track gauge size is 1,067 millimeters. There is one intermediate station, Ooyamadera, at the mid-point of the line. The present vehicles, named Unit 1 and Unit 2, were commissioned in 2015 to replace the old vehicles, named Tanzawa and Ooyama.

I enjoyed both the unique lantern festival and the funicular on that day on the holy Ooyama Mountain.

Ooyama Lantern Festival and the night view from Afuri Shrine

Official information about Ooyama Moountain and Ooyama Cable line:

https://www.odakyu.jp/english/feature/25891/

Jukkoku-touge Cable Line: Update

Gondola "Jukkoku (number 1)" travels on the Jukkoku-touge Cable line

There are more topics to post on my mid-summer trip to Atami City. After enjoying photography of the aerial tramway at Atami Port, I visited Jukkoku Pass for the first time in eight years.

Let me quickly review Jukkoku Pass. It's a viewing spot in the northern part of Atami City. The elevation is 770 meters above sea level. It has the best view of the mountains and the ocean. "Jukkoku" is the Japanese word for "ten domains". It means that people could view ten feudal domains from this pass in ancient times.

To get to this viewing spot, Jukkoku-touge Cable line is convenient. This route was inaugurated by Sunzu Railway Company in 1956. Connecting Jukkoku-touge Noboriguchi and Jukkoku-touge stations, the route length is 317 meters. The height difference between the two stations is 101 meters. The maximum inclination is 22 degrees and the track gauge is 1,435 millimeters. It takes about three minutes to go one way. Two Hitachi-made funiculars, namely "Hikane (number 1)" and "Jukkoku (number 2)" debuted in 1956, when the route was opened. They are operated every 15 minutes on average.

What's new with this short funicular line? The owner of the line was changed from Izu-Hakone Railway (Seibu Group) to Fujikyu last year. In line with this business transfer, the color design of the gondola bodies has been changed. The former white-based "Seibu Group corporate color" has been changed to two-toned of beige and light blue. I hope that Fujikyu will value this historical funicular business.

Scenery of Jukkoku Pass

Official website, Jukkoku-touge Cable line (in Japanese):

https://www.jukkoku-cable.jp/

Japanese Badger on Mt. Takao

Funicular "Aoba (green leaves)" of the Takao Tozan Railway

I recently visited Mt. Takao for the first time in three years. It's a popular sightseeing spot in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In the Michelin Voyager Pratique issued in 2007, Mt. Takao was granted the highest rank of three stars. Since then, not only Japanese, but also foreign hikers have been flocking to this sightseeing spot.

To climb up Mt. Takao, Takao Tozan Railway is convenient. It's a cable railway opened in 1927. Connecting Kiyotaki (201 meters above sea level) and Takao-san (472 meters above sea level) stations, its route length is 1,020 meters. The track gauge size is 1,067 millimeters. There're two tunnels on the route. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points on the route is 271 meters. The maximum inclination of the route is 31.3 degrees, which is the steepest railway in Japan. The operation interval is 15 minutes. It takes 6 minutes to go one way. A funicular can accommodate 135 passengers.

When I reached the summit (599 meters above sea level), I luckily encountered a Japanese badger walking about the bush. Japanese badger, also known as "mujina", is a canid animal inhabiting only in the Far East. Japanese people have a strong affinity for this animal, as we often see them in folk tales, in which they often shape-change as a messenger of God. In Japan, the Japanese badger is a sacred animal along with fox.

I enjoyed the precious funicular and the animal on Mt. Takao.

A Japanese badger walks about the bush on Mt. Takao

Official explanation about the Takao Tozan Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.takaotozan.co.jp/timeprice/cable.html

New Model on the Hakone Tozan Cable Car Line

Funicular set 01 (Ke11 and 21) travels on the Hakone Cable Car line

The state of emergency caused by the new corona virus has been lifted. I tasted a sense of freedom, and visited Hakone Cable Car line for the first time in nine years. What's new with this famous funicular railway?

I found the 5th generation new cable cars named set 01 and 02 on the track. They were launched in March last year to replace the 4th generation ones namely set HT1 and HT2. Just like the 4th generation model, the new model is also a 2-car train to transport flocking sightseers. Thanks to the mass transit vehicles, one train can accommodate 250 passengers. These new cars were built by Keio Juki and Von Roll Holding AG in Switzerland. The motor output for the operation is 230 kW. What's the major difference between the 4th generation retired model and the 5th generation new one? The answer is the layout of passenger seats. The retired model has cross seats; meanwhile, the new model has long seats. It's probably to reduce in-vehicle overcrowding.

For your information, the Hakone Cable Car line was opened in 1921, so, this is the 100th anniversary. Connecting Gora and Sounzan, the route length is 1,273 meters. The track gauge size is 983 mm. The height difference is 209 meters and the maximum inclination is 18.3 degrees. It takes 10 minutes from Gora to Sounzan station. One of the features of this funicular is 4 intermediate stations, which are not only for sightseers but also for local residents.

Funicular set 02 (Ke12 and 22) travels on the Hakone Cable Car line

Official website, Features of Hakone Tozan Cable Car:

https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/fun/cablecar.php

Official information, the rolling stock of Hakone Tozan Cable Car (in Japanese):

https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/fun/train/cablecar.php

Powerful Climber to the Holy Mountain: Part 2

Funicular, Nankai N11-N21, travels on the Koya-san Cable line

Following my last post, I'm going to continue to show you the access route to Koya-san in Wakayama Prefecture.

After getting off the limited express train, Koya, at Gokurakubashi terminal, I transferred to the funicular line named Koya-san Cable of Nankai Electric Railway. The Koya-san Cable line was opened in 1930 by Koya-san Electric Railway Company. Connecting Gokurakubashi and Koya-san stations, its route length is 864 meters. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm. The maximum inclination of the route is 29.21 degrees. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points on the route is 328 meters. The operation interval is 10 to 40 minutes depending on the crowd. It takes 5 minutes from Gokurakubashi to Koya-san station.

The vehicles are fourth generation ones. They were built by Nippon Cable in 2019 and the aluminum bodies were made by CWA in Switzerland. One set is composed of two cars named Type N10 and Type N20. Two sets (N11-N21 and N12-N22) are operated on the line. Thanks to the mass transit vehicles, one train can accommodate 211 passengers. It's a powerful climber. The bodies are vivid vermillion-colored and streamlined. On the contrary, the interior is a woody style and subdued. Indirect illumination using LEDs is adopted. I really liked this train.

After arriving at Koya-san terminal, I visited a sub-temple of Koya-san and stayed there with my family. When I saw the traditional garden, I felt refreshed and found my worries were almost nothing. I felt rejuvenated in Koya-san.

Traditional garden in a sub-temple of Koya-san

Official information about the Koya-san Cable line (in Japanese):

https://www.nankai.co.jp/koya/cablecar/

Official information about Koya-san by Nankai Electric Railway:

https://www.nankaikoya.jp/en/

Rengeshouma Community on the Mitake Tozan Railway

Mitake Tozan Railway   

The hot summer continues in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The maximum daytime temperature easily hits 30 degrees Celsius every day. The only thing we can do is escape the city center and go somewhere cool on the weekend. I recently visited Mt. Mitake (929 meters above sea level) with my family for the first time in five years. Not only is it cool, but it's also famous for the unique Rengeshouma community. Rengeshouma is a perennial and indigenous plant in Japan. It grows in wet forests and has graceful purple-tinged white flowers in late summer. Its spherical buds are also unique and gorgeous. 

To visit the Rengeshouma community, Mitake Tozan Railway is convenient. It's a funicular route opened in 1935. Along with Takao Tozan Railway, Mitake Tozan Railway is a Keio Group company. Connecting Takimoto (407.6 meters above sea level) and Mitakesan (831.0 meters above sea level), its route length is 1,107 meters. The height difference between the two stations is 423.6 meters. The gauge size is 1,049 millimeters. The maximum inclination of the route is 25 degrees.

Two vehicles are operated on the line. One car is the red-colored Mitake, while the other one is the green-colored Musashi (old names for Tokyo and Saitama Prefectures). Each car is 12-meters long and can accommodate 115 passengers. The seating capacity is 34 seats. The operating interval of the funicular is every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the congestion situation. The travel time between Takimoto and Mitakesan stations is 6 minutes.

Rengeshouma   

Official information about Mitake Tozan Railway:

https://mitaketozan.co.jp/eng2014/

Official information about Mitake Tozan Railway (in Japanese) including promotion movies:

https://www.mitaketozan.co.jp/

Revisit to Mt. Takao

Funicular Momiji travels on the Takao Tozan Dentetsu line

I visited Mt. Takao after a long time. What's new with this holiday mountain? I found that the number of foreign visitors has drastically increased. For instance, I saw many foreigners at a beer restaurant near the top of the mountain, where customers can see the beautiful scenery while drinking superb beers and foods.

To visit this holiday mountain, you cannot go by car. Visitors have three choices to get to the summit... walking, taking a lift or a funicular. As a rail fan, I recommend you take a funicular named Takao Tozan Dentetsu (Takao Mountain Climbing Electric Railway). Connecting Kiyotaki and Takaozan stations, its route length is 1,020 meters. The track was originally completed by Takao Kosaku Tetsudo (Takao Cable-railway) in 1927. The height difference between the two stations is 271 meters. The gauge size is 1,067 millimeters. The operation interval is 15 minutes. It takes about 6 minutes from Kiyotaki to Takaozan station. The funicular passes through two tunnels on the route.

There are two rail cars namely Aoba (green leaves) and Momiji (maple) on the track. Momiji has a yellow and red colored body, which stands for the beautiful autumn leaves on the mountain. Momiji can accommodate 135 passengers. The inclination of the track is not so large at Kiyotaki station, but it gets steeper and steeper toward the top of the mountain, specifically after passing through the mid-course. Eventually, the angle reaches the maximum (31 degrees 18 minutes), which is the steepest track in Japan, just before Takaozan station.

Track of the Takao Tozan Dentetsu line

Unique Funicular at Miyagase Dam

Unit 2 of the Miyagase Dam Incline

I am going to show you a unique funicular today. I recently visited Miyagase Dam in Kanagawa Prefecture. The purpose of my visit was to see and ride "Miyagase Dam Incline".

Miyagase Dam Incline is a means of transport for visitors to climb up the dam crest. It was originally used for constructing the dam but was modified to a funicular for sightseeing later. Connecting Dam-shita and Dam-ue stations, its route length is 216 meters. The height difference between the two stations is 121 meters and the maximum inclination of the route is 35 degrees.

It is a bucket-type funicular and operated by an inverter electric system. Different from the standard funiculars, the track is double. It means that there is no station in the middle of a single-track for train meet. The operation interval is 6 to 10 minutes. The operation speed is 60 meters/minute. It takes about 4 minutes to get from Dam-shita to Dam-ue station. The present vehicles, named car number 1 and 2, were built by Tokyo Sakudo in 1998. Each car has a 5.1 meter-long and a 2.6 meter-wide body and can accommodate 46 passengers. The operation is driver-less. To be exact, this transportation system is NOT classified as a funicular under the Railway Business Act.

Incidentally, Miyagase Dam is one of the major dams in the region. It is a multipurpose concrete gravity dam of 156 meters in height. The water is supplied to many cities and towns in Kanagawa Prefecture including Yokohama.

Entrance of Miyagase Dam

Access to the Scenic Spot in Kyoto Prefecture

Unit number 1 of the funicular Tango Land and Sea Transportation 

It is said that there are three scenic spots in Japan. They are Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture and Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture. Not all the three spots belong to the National Park; however, these spots have very Japanese views on the coasts. Among the three spots, I am going to show you Amanohashidate today.

Amanohashidate (the heavenly bridge) is a 3.6-kilometer-long sandbar stretching along Miyazu Bay. The sandbar is lined with numerous beautiful pine trees. To admire the view of Amanohashidate, please climb up the hill behind the bay, and go to Kasamatsu Park by a small funicular.

The funicular line, named Amanohashidate Cable, was opened by Nariai Electric Railway Company in 1927. It was once abolished in 1944 due to WWII but reopened in 1951 by Tango Land and Sea Railway Company (present Tango Land and Sea Transportation Ltd.). Connecting Fuchu and Kasamatsu stations, its route length is only 0.4 kilometers. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm. The height difference between the two stations is 130 meters and the maximum inclination of the route is 24.7 degrees. The operation interval is 15 minutes. It takes about 4 minutes to get from Fuchu to Kasamatsu station. The present vehicles, named car number 1 and 2, were built by Alna Koki in 1975. Each car has a 7.95 meter-long body and can accommodate 75 passengers

View of Amanohashidate from Kasamatsu park near Kasamatsu station

Official information about Amanohashidate Cable (in Japanese):

https://www.tankai.jp/amanohashidate-ine-kotsu/ke-butu_rifuto/

Preserved Funicular Route in Kyoto City

Preserved boat of Keage Incline

Kyoto had been Japan's capital city since 794. When the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Tokyo in 1868, Japan's capital was also moved. Kyoto, then, started declining. How have local people tried to overcome that? They promoted industries. They constructed a canal between Lake Biwa and Kyoto City for material transportation, water supply and hydroelectric power.

One of the problems of this canal was the large height difference on the section between the east entrance of the downtown area and the center of the city. The height difference was suitable for hydroelectric power; however, it was an interruption for water-carriage. People in Kyoto again solved this difficult problem. They constructed a funicular line, called the "Keage Incline" on this section. The system was as follows:

A heavily laden boat traveled on the canal from Lake Biwa to Keage Station, the east entrance of the downtown area. The boat was, then, loaded on a truck of Keage Incline. The truck was, then, transported to Nanazenji Station, the center of the city, as a funicular line. The power of the funicular was supplied from the hydroelectric power station beside the canal. What an efficient system it was!

For your information, the total operating length of the Keage Incline was 640 meters. The height difference between the two stations was 36 meters. It took 10 to 15 minutes to get from Keage to Nanzenji Station. Unfortunately, the Keage Incline was abolished in 1948, but this unique funicular line was designated as a National Historic Site in 1996.

Preserved track of Keage Incline

More photos of Keage Incline:

https://en.japantravel.com/kyoto/cherry-blossoms-at-keage-incline/19261

Modern Funicular on Mt. Sarakura

Funicular "Haruka" travels on the Sarakurayama Cable Line

Mt. Sarakura is a reputable sightseeing spot in Kita-Kyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, about 1,100 km west of Tokyo. The summit is 622 meters above sea level. This mountain is specifically famous for being a night viewing spot among the local people of Kyushu Island. I recently visited this wonderful place taking the funicular route, Sarakurayama Cable Line. Even though it was daytime, not evening, I could fully enjoy a magnificent sight.

Sarakurayama Cable Line was opened by Hobashira Cable Company (present Sarakurayama Tozan Railway) in 1957. Connecting Sanroku (at the foot of the mountain) to Sanjo Station (at the top of the mountain), its route length is 1.1 km. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm. The height difference between the two stations is 440 m and the maximum inclination of the route is 27.8 degrees. The operation interval is 20 to 30 minutes. It takes 5 minutes to get from Sanroku to Sanjo Station.

The vehicles are second generation ones called Haruka and Kanata. Haruka is yellow, while Kanata is blue. Both of them were built by CWA in Switzerland in 2001. Each car can accommodate 112 passengers. With the introduction of the current model, the overhead wire on the track was removed to provide passengers with the better visibility. Instead, the electric power is provided by the accumulator on board.

I like these rounded shaped modern funiculars. The only disadvantage is that the vehicles don't have air-conditioning, which is probably because the electric power supply from the accumulator is insufficient.

To be continued...

Funicular "Kanata" stands at Sanroku Station

Official information about Sarakurayama Funicular (in Japanese):

http://www.sarakurayama-cablecar.co.jp/about.html

New Colors of Mitake Tozan Railway: Part 2

Funicular "Musashi" arrives at Takimoto Station on the Mitake Tozan Railway

I am going to show you another new colored funicular on the Mitake Tozan Railway. It has a green colored "face" on the car.

Mt. Mitake (929 m above sea level) is located 50 km west of downtown Tokyo. To climb up this steep mountain, Mitake Tozan Railway is convenient. It was opened in 1934 as a funicular route. Connecting Takimoto and Mitakesan, its line length is 1,107m. The height difference between the two stations is 423.6m. The gauge size is 1,049 mm, which is quite unique. The maximum inclination of the route is 25 degrees.

In 2014, the color of the funiculars was changed in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the company. The one vehicle was changed to red and another is green. The name of the vehicles was also changed. One was changed from Aozora (blue sky) to Mitake and another was changed from Hinode (sunrise) to Musashi (old name of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture). One car can accommodate 115 passengers.

To visit Mt. Mitake, please take the JR East Ome Line, and get off at Mitake Station. It then takes 10 minutes by bus to Takimoto Station on the Mitake Tozan Railway. The operating interval of the funicular is every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the congestion situation. Travel time between Takimoto and Mitakesan stations is 6 minutes.

I wish to visit Mt. Mitake again at the weekend to escape from the hot and humid city. It will be a paradise for the city dwellers.

The track of Mitake Tozan Railway

New Model on the Ooyama Cable Line

Unit number 2 of Ooyama Sightseeing Electric Railway arrives at Ooyamadera Station

The Ooyama Cable Line is a funicular route in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, about 60 km southwest of Tokyo. The route was originally opened in 1931, but suspended in 1944 due to WWII. The operation was resumed in 1965 by newly established Ooyama Sightseeing Electric Railway Company, using the second generation vehicles called Tanzawa and Ooyama.

On October 1st last year, the third generation model, namely unit number 1 and 2, was launched. It was designed by Okabe Noriaki, who also designed the electric car 3000 series, "Allegra", for the Hakone Tozan Railway in 2014. The green colored bodies with gold and silver colored stripes are vivid and glorious. In timing with introducing the new model, the overhead wire on the track was removed, because it had been interrupting passengers' views. Instead of the wire, a lithium-ion battery is installed on each vehicle for supplying the electricity of indoor lights and in-car announcement apparatus. For your information, the vehicles still have pantographs for charging while standing at stations through rigid body overhead lines, which are installed only at the stations.

Connecting Ooyama Cable and Afuri Shrine stations, the route length of the Ooyama Cable Line is 0.8 km. There is one intermediate station, Ooyamadera, at the mid-point of the line. The height difference between the highest and lowest points of the route is 278 m. The maximum inclination of the route is 25.5 degrees. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm.

Unit number 2 (mountain side)

Official information about Ooyama Cable Line (in Japanese):

http://www.ooyama-cable.co.jp/company.html

Access to the Holy Mountain: Part 2

Funicular Ke 1 of the Eizan Cable Line, Keifuku Electric Railway

Following my previous post, I am going to continue to show you the access route to Mt. Hiei from the Kyoto Prefecture side.

After getting off the train at Yase-Hieizanguchi Terminal, I transferred to the funicular, Eizan Cable Line of Keifuku Electric Railway. The Eizan Cable Line was opened in 1925 by Kyoto Dento, which was an electric power company. Connecting Cable-Yase and Cable-Hiei stations, its route length is 1.3 km. The route is a unique S-shaped curve. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm. The maximum inclination of the route is 27.9 degrees. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points on the route is 561 m, which is the largest of funicular lines in Japan. The operation interval is 15 to 30 minutes. It takes 9 minutes from Cable-Yase to Cable-Hiei Station.

The vehicles are third generation ones called Ke 1 and Ke 2, which were built by Mukogawa Sharyo in 1987. Each car can accommodate 136 passengers. The outer design is rather old, but its large windows provide passengers with fantastic views of the green forest and the steep mountain. Four pantographs on the roof is very unique.

After arriving at Cable-Hiei Station, I transferred to the aerial tramway, namely the Eizan Ropeway. Space does not permit me to introduce you to this tramway, so, I am going to show you it in my next post.

To be continued...

 

Hokke So Ji-in (left) and Amida-do (right) of the Enryaku-ji Temple

Mitake Tozan Railway: New Colors

Funicular "Mitake" of the Mitake Tozan Railway

 

The hot summer still continues in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The only thing we can do is escape the city and go to somewhere cool. I visited Mt. Mitake for the first time in three years with my family last weekend. Mt. Mitake is located 50 km west of downtown Tokyo, and is known as a sanctuary for mountain worship. Although the peak is only 929 m above sea level, it is a steep mountain, surrounded by a deep forest.

To climb up Mt. Mitake, Mitake Tozan Railway is convenient. It was opened in 1934 as a funicular route. Connecting Takimoto and Mitakesan stations, its line length is 1,107m. The height difference between the two stations is 423.6m. The maximum inclination of the route is 25 degrees. The gauge size is 1,049 mm, which is quite rare in this country. The operating interval is every 15 to 30 minutes depending on the congestion situation.

Last year, the color of the funiculars was changed in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the company. The one vehicle was changed to red and another is green. The name of the vehicles was also changed. One was changed from Aozora (blue sky) to Mitake and another was changed from Hinode (sunrise) to Musashi (old name of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture).

After arriving at Mitakesan Station, we enjoyed full-blown rengeshouma (Anemonopsis macrophylla). It is very rare lovely blossom seen in deep forests in Japan. We had losts of enjoyment in Mt. Mitake.
 

Full-blown rengeshouma is seen near Mitakesan Station on the Mitake Tozan Railway

The Steepest Railways in Japan and the World

Funicular "Momiji (maple)" stands at Kiyotaki Station on the Takao Tozan Railway

I received information from one of my blog readers, in which he introduced a steep railway in Australia. I have also ridden on it before. It is Katoomba Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. This funicular is the steepest railway in the world at inclines of up to 52 degrees.

Katoomba Scenic Railway was originally constructed for a coal mining operation. It was a cable-driven funicular and remained as a sightseeing railway after the mine was closed in 1945. Its operating length is 310 m.

When I visited there in 1981, I was still a student. It was very exciting to ride an open-top passenger car in a rustic atmosphere. After going down the steep track, I reached a scenic spot to view the Three Sisters (oddly-shaped rocks) in a rain forest. According to the railway's website, the passenger cars have already been changed to modern ones, but it must have kept the fantastic surrounding as it was.

A worthy rival of Katoomba Scenic Railway in Japan is Takao Tozan Railway in Tokyo Metropolis. It was opened in 1927 and its line length is 1,020 m. This funicular is Japan's steepest cable-driven railway at inclines of up to 31 degrees. You can experience the maximum inclination in a dark tunnel. So, it is much more thrilling than most passengers imagine before boarding.

 

Katoomba Scenic Railway, NSW, Australia (February, 1981)

Unique Funicular on Mt. Tsukuba

Funicular Momiji of the Tsukuba-san Cable Railway Line

 

As I mentioned before, Mt. Tsukuba is the scenic sightseeing spot in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This mountain has twin peaks, namely Nyotai-san (Female Summit) and Nantai-san (Male Summit). The female summit (877m above sea level) is 6 meters taller than the male one. Both peaks have means of transportation for access. They are the aerial tramway to the female summit and the funicular to the male summit.

The funicular, Tsukuba-san Cable Railway, was opened in 1925. Connecting Miyawaki and Tsukuba-sancho stations, the route length is 1,634m. The height difference between the highest and the lowest points of the route is 495m. The track gauge is 1,067mm.

The present two vehicles, namely Wakaba and Momiji, were manufactured by Daiei Sharyo in 1995. The body colors are green (Wakaba) and red (Momiji). Each vehicle can accommodate up to 106 passengers. They are operated every 20 minutes. The travel time between the two stations is 8 minutes.

This funicular line has several features. Firstly, the track is curved to the west. So, the two terminals differ in orientation at an angle of 90 degrees. Secondly, there is a tunnel mid-way on the route. It was a difficult task to burrow hard rock in the 1920s. Thirdly, an overhead catenary is not used for electric power supply in the vehicles, since such strong direct current causes adverse effects on the observation work at the national magnetic observatory near Mt. Tsukuba.

Mt. Tsukuba Cable Railway... it is a unique funicular in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
 

Funicular Aoba of the Tsukuba-san Cable Railway Line

Mini-Funicular to the Scenic Mountain Pass

Car number 2, "Jukkoku", of the Jukkoku-touge Cable Line, Izu-Hakone Railway

Jukkoku Pass is located in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture, some 100km southwest of Tokyo. Although its altitude is not high (770m above sea level), it has the best view of the mountains and the ocean. "Jukkoku" is the Japanese word for "ten domains". It means that people could view ten feudal domains from this pass in ancient times. They are the present Shizuoka, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures.

I visited this reputable mountain pass with my family last weekend. To get to this spot, Jukkoku-touge Cable Line is convenient. Connecting Jukkoku-touge Noboriguchi and Jukkoku-touge stations, the route length is only 317m. The height difference between the highest and lowest points of the route is 101m. The maximum inclination is 22 degrees and the track gauge is 1435mm. It takes only three minutes to move between the two stations.

The Jukkoku-touge Cable Line was completed in 1956 by Sunzu Railway (present Izu-Hakone Railway). The two Hitachi funiculars, namely "Hikane (car number 1)" and "Jukkoku (car number 2)" debuted in 1956, when the line was opened. The body is rather old, but the interior is nicely renovated. They are operated every 15 minutes on average.

After arriving at Jukkoku-touge Station, we could enjoy the superb view. Mountain upon mountain of backbone hills of Izu Peninsula expand southward. Mt. Fuji, the Sea of Sagami and Suruga Bay could also be seen beautifully under the clear winter's sky.

Jukkoku-touge Cable Line... it is a lovely mini-funicular to the scenic mountain pass.

Distant view from Jukkoku Pass near Jukkoku-touge Station on the Jukkoku Cable Line

Night Viewing Spot on the Rokko Cable Line

Funicular, unit number 1 and 3 on the Rokko Cable Line (Operation is suspended) 

 

The Rokko mountain range is a resort area of Kobe City, some 600km west of Tokyo. It is located just behind the urban area. Development of Rokko started as a cottage area for foreigners in the late 19th century. The Rokko mountain range is also known as a night viewing spot. Along with Hakodate and Nagasaki, it is known as one of the three major night viewing spots in Japan.

To enjoy the night view, the most reputable route is to take the Rokko Cable Line. This funicular route was opened in 1932. Connecting Rokko Cable-shita and Rokko-sanjo, the total operating length is 1.7km. It is the second longest funicular route in Japan. The height difference between the highest and lowest points of the route is 493m. The train is operated every 20 minutes. It takes 10 minutes from Rokko Cable-shita to Rokko-sanjo station. To transport flocking sightseers, the operating company introduced 2 sets of 2-car trains, namely, unit number 1+3 and 2+4 in 1999.

On September 16th this year, a large scale typhoon hit Kobe City. The Rokko Cable Line was severely damaged due to rock fall. Currently, the operation is suspended, and substitute bus services are being provided. The operating company is speeding up the reconstruction effort and the company recently made an announcement that the operation will be resumed in late January next year.

I wish the funicular route a speedy recovery.
 

Night view of Kobe City and Osaka Bay from Rokko-sanjo Station on the Rokko Cable Line

 

More information about the Rokko Cable Line (in Japanese): http://www.rokkosan.com/cable/