Scenic Waterfall on the Gotemba Line

EMU JR Central 313-3000 series stands at Yamakita Station on the Gotemba Line

 

It is late spring in Tokyo. The maximum daytime temperature reaches 25 degrees Celsius, meaning that the air-conditioners are starting to be used on the trains. I visited a cool spot, Shasui-no-taki (Shasui Fall) in a suburban area with my family at the weekend.

Shasui-no-taki is a famous waterfall in Kanagawa Prefecture, some 70km west of the downtown Tokyo area. It was designated as one of "the 100 best waterfalls in Japan" in 1990 by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

The Shasui Fall is composed of three separate plunges with a total height of 90 meters. It has been known since at least the 12th century when it was used by Buddhist clergies for purification ceremonies. The clergies stood underneath the fall, allowing the water to strike their heads and upper bodies. It has been a sacred spot for a long time.

To visit this scenic waterfall, take the JR Central Gotemba Line and get off at Yamakita Station. Your carriage will be a lovely 2-car train, the EMU 313-3000 series, which has been manufactured since 1999. A total of 28 sets, 56 units, have been manufactured so far. They are operated without conductors, so the driver has to operate the passenger doors and check tickets at unmanned stations. He (or she) always looks very busy.

The stylish "face" with white and orange colored stripes on the train is my favorite, but the difference in levels between the train floors and station platform needs improving.
 

Shasui-no-taki (Shasui Waterfall) is located near Yamakita Station on the JR Central Gotemba Line

Little Dancer in Matsuyama City

Electric car Iyotetsu 2100 series stands at Dogo Onsen Station

 

As promised, I am going to show you a streetcar in Matsuyama City. It is operated on the Matsuyama City Line of Iyo Railway Company (Iyotetsu).

The electric car 2100 series is so called LRT (light rail transit). The definition of LRT is not clear, but it is typically an urban low-floor tram with a low noise level in Japan. The 2100 series is Japan's first low-floor electric car, launched in 2002. A total of ten units have been manufactured so far by Alna Sharyo in Osaka City. It is a short body streetcar with two 60kW induction motors controlled by an IGBT-VVVF inverter system. The track gauge is 1,067mm and the electric system is 600V DC overhead. There are five routes in the downtown area.

The 2100 series is frequently called "Little Dancer S". This nickname derived from the "dancing" image of the vehicle and the "little" size. "S" stands for short, as it is only 12m long. His (or her) brothers, namely, Little Dancer L, A3, A5, U, Ua and C2 are also seen in large cities throughout Japan.

I like the 2100 series, as it is clean and quiet, but the problem is its low passenger capacity... only 47. It is very crowded every day in rush hour. I hope that Iyo Railway will take note of passengers' grievances and make some changes.

Little Dancer is a new symbol in the historical castle city.
 

Electric car Iyotetsu 2100 series arrives at Dogo Onsen Station

Night View of Dogo Hot Spring

Electric car 2100 series stands at Dogo Onsen-mae (Dogo Hot Spring) Station on the Iyo Railway

 

It is 9 pm in Matsuyama City on Shikoku Island, some 700km west of Tokyo. Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku Island. The population stands at 0.52 million. It is a busy city as the administrative and the industrial center of Ehime Prefecture. Although the city center falls utterly silent, a suburban area is still full of people enjoying their weekend. Where is it?

It is Dogo Hot Spring on the Iyo Railway. Dogo is Japan's oldest hot spring, which was opened about 3,000 years ago. As a written record, there is an ancient text, in which Prince Shotoku took a bath in this hot spring in 596. The current main building was reconstructed in 1894, and was designated as a cultural asset of national importance in 1994. The nostalgic building and the public bath in it are very popular attractions for sightseers.

When I visited Dogo, rickshaw men were urging sightseers to take a rickshaw to meander through the surroundings. A family with small children was just about to leave with their hearts filled with excitement. It was a Saturday evening... children were allowed to stay up late.

To get to this historical hot spring, please take a streetcar of Iyo Railway from JR Shikoku Matsuyama Station, and get off at Dogo Onsen-mae (Dogo Hot Spring) Station. It takes about 20 minutes. I am going to introduce you to the newest model, the electric car 2100 series in an upcoming blog article.

To be continued...
 

Night view of the main building of Dogo Hot Spring near Dogo Onsen-mae Station

DF50: Preserved Diesel Locomotive in Saijo City

Diesel locomotive DF50-1 is exhibited in Shikoku Tesudo Bunka-kan near Iyo-Saijo Station

 

Saijo is a small city in Ehime Prefecture, some 700km west of Tokyo. It has a population of 110,000 as of March this year. Saijo City was once famous for its heavy industries such as shipbuilding; however, it recently lost its lead position to the adjacent Imabari City. Saijo seems to lack a bit of energy.

Don't worry Mr. Mayor. Please keep in mind that you have rare resources in the form of railway museum, "Shikoku Tetsudo Bunka-kan". This unique museum has a precious preserved diesel locomotive (DL), unit number 1 of the Type DF50 (DF50-1). It was manufactured by Shin-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1957. DF50-1 was born the eldest unit of 138 brothers.

From the performance aspect, DF50-1 is a rather old locomotive. A classic diesel-electric transmission system had been adopted, since the advanced torque converter technology was immature in the 1950s. One 1,060PS diesel engine and six 100kW traction motors are equipped.

DF50-1 is a popular exhibition among children and rail fans. Its vermilion colored body is still fresh and cool. I saw many visitors taking family keepsake pictures behind this precious DL.

Saijo City took heart from the success of the railway museum. Currently, a new annex museum building is being constructed to exhibit nostalgic steam locomotive, Type C57. The new facility is planned to open in July this year.

Saijo City... he is wise who looks ahead.
 

EMU Shinkansen 0 series (left) and DF50-1 (right) are preserved in Shikoku Tetsudo Bunka-kan

Early Summer in Kamakura

EMU Enoden 10 series runs on the coast near Kamakura-koko-mae (Kamakura High School) Sta.

 

It is early summer in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Although it blows a bit of a cool wind, the sun is strong, as if it were that of mid-summer. I enjoyed a stroll on the coast of Kamakura City with my family at the weekend.

Kamakura, about 40km south of Tokyo, is known as a historic city where the Bakufu (shogunate government) was located from 1185 to 1333. This city is located on the Pacific Ocean to the south. Meanwhile, there are steep mountains to the north, east and west as a natural fortification in the Samurai (warrior) era.

Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden) is a convenient mode of transportation to get around the city. Connecting Kamakura and Fujisawa (10km), Enoden was opened in 1902. The track is single, and its electric system is 600V DC overhead. The gauge is 1,067mm. Along with the EMU 20 series, the EMU 10 series is a retro train on the line. It was launched in 1997 in commemoration of the Enoden's 95th anniversary. Only one set (set number 10-50) was manufactured by Tokyu Sharyo. Its blue and cream colored body with a decorated belt is very impressive.

Taking Enoden, we visited a small temple, Jojuin, near Gokurakuji Station. This temple is located on a small hill behind the coast. So, We could feel a fragrant breeze while praying. It was a quiet afternoon.

The beautiful coast and the retro designed train... early summer in Kamakura is a satisfactory spot to visit.
 

View from Jojuin Temple near Gokurakuji Station on the Enoden Line