The Eizan Main Line: Access to the Holy Mountain

Electric car Eiden 700 series arrives at Demachiyanagi Terminal on the Eizan Main Line

Hiei-zan (848.3 m) is a mountain that straddles the eastern part of Kyoto and the western part of Shiga Prefecture. It faces Japan's largest lake, Biwako, on the Shiga Prefecture side. Hiei-zan is known as the holy mountain, since the famous Buddhist temple, Enryaku-ji, is located there. It is a large Tendai monastery founded by Saigyo (767-822). The precinct yard, which is composed of three areas in Mt. Hiei, is very large. Each area has many halls, such as Konpon-chudo (the main hall) of the National Treasure.

To get to this holy mountain, there are several access routes from Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. I took a train from Kyoto city to Yase-Hieizanguchi Station and transferred to the funicular and the aerial tramway. My vehicle was a small electric car, the Eizan Electric Railway (Eiden) 700 series. This tiny car was launched in 1987 to respond to the introduction of the ATS (automatic train stopping) system, air-conditioners and driver-only operation (train operation without a conductor on board).

The 700 series is a 15.7 meter-long car operated as a single-car train. It is lovely and popular among tourists. The mechanical and electrical equipment of the 700 series is rather old, but this classic car matches the historical Kyoto streetscape and the deep green forest in the foot of Mt. Hiei.

I am going to report the connecting funicular and aerial tramway line in my next post. To be continued...
 

Konpon-chudo (the main hall) is shrouded in a morning mist

Nostalgic Warehouses Quarter in Tochigi City

EMU Tobu 100 series, "Spacia", stands at Tochigi Station on the Nikko Line. 

Tochigi is a city with the third largest population in Tochigi Prefecture, about 90 km north of Tokyo. It has a population of 160,000.

Along with Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture, Tochigi is famous for its historic storehouses quarter. They were constructed along Uzuma River during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868), because Tochigi was grown as a commercial city using water-transport on the river. Today, many old storehouses are still preserved in good condition and used as museums, shops, restaurants and cafes. The best season to visit Tochigi City is from April to May. You can see numerous carp streamers spanned above Uzuma River to pray for children's healthy growth.

To get to this nostalgic storehouses quarter, please take the Tobu-Nikko Line and get off at Tochigi Station. If you live in the western part of Tokyo, I suggest that you use the limited express train from JR East Shinjuku Station. This gorgeous train is jointly operated by Tobu Railway and JR East, and directly operated onto the Tobu-Nikko Line via Kurihashi Station.

Your vehicle is the EMU 100 series, "Spacia", which was launched in 1990. A quarter of a century has already passed, since it debuted. Tobu Railway recently gave a press release announcing that the new model, EMU 500 series, will debut in 2017. The 500 series will be a 3-car train with an active suspension system.
 

Old warehouses quarter near Tochigi Station

Sightseeing Train to Mt. Kurama

EMU Eiden 900 series stands at Kurama Station on the Kurama Line

 

Kuramadera is an old Buddhist temple founded in 770. Although the original main hall had been destroyed by fire in its long history, some of the old Buddha statues are still preserved. They are designated as National Treasures. Kuramadera is located within a deep forest on Mt. Kurama in Kyoto Prefecture, some 500 km west of Tokyo. It is said that Tengu (a goblin) lives in the forest. Tengu is a legendary creature, who has a red face and a long nose.

To get to this mysterious mountain, the Kurama Line of Eizan Electric Railway (Eiden) is convenient. Connecting Takaragaike and Kurama stations, the length of the Kurama Line is 8.8 km. The track is mostly double and the gauge size is 1,435 mm. The electric system is 600 V DC overhead. All trains are directly operated onto the Eizan Main Line to Demachiyanagi Terminal in Kyoto City.

One of the popular trains on the Kurama Line is the EMU 900 series, called Kirara. The 900 series debuted in 1997 to promote tourism to Mt. Kurama. A total of two sets, four units have been built by Mukogawa Sharyo. The 900 series has large windows and special seats, which provide passengers with the fantastic scenery of Mt. Kurama.

For your information, the 900 series was a winner of the 1998 Laurel Prize awarded by Japan Rail Fan Club. This special prize is awarded to trains, which were launched in the previous year as the most outstanding technical and designed ones.
 

Kuramadera near Kurama Station on the Eiden-Kurama Line

 

Official information about the EMU Eiden 900 series (in Japanese):

https://eizandensha.co.jp/vehicle/46/

Supermoon on the Inokashira Line

EMU Keio 1000 series arrives at Eifukucho Station on the Inokashira Line

Moon viewing is one of the traditional autumn events in Japan. Its exact origin is unknown, but moon viewing is a celebration of harvest for modern people. In Japan, people offer silver grass and rice dumpling to the moon. This year, moon viewing coincided with supermoon.

Supermoon, also known as a perigee full moon, is a unique ‎celestial phenomenon. It is a full moon occurring when the moon passes through the nearest point to the earth in its elliptical orbit. As a result, the apparent size of a supermoon is 14 % larger than the one that passes through the farthest point. It is also 30 % brighter than the one that passes through the farthest point.

To enjoy the "supermoon viewing", I visited my parents, who live on the Keio-Inokashira Line. It was an evening rush hour. Outbound trains were crowded with commuters and students as usual. The Inokashira Line is a short commuter route connecting Shibuya and Kichijoji. Its line length is only 12.7 km. The track is 1,067 mm-size double. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. Although the Inokashira Line is a short route, the express train is frequently operated for flying passengers. It connects with a local train at Eifukucho Station, which is located on the middle point of the line.

Following the beautiful cardinal sunset, the supermoon went up in the eastern sky. It was indeed big, bright and fantastically shining. Feeling the cool autumn breeze, we could enjoy the special supermoon viewing this year.
 

Supermoon is seen on the Keio-Inokashira Line

Classic Train on the Ooigawa Railway

EMU Ooigawa Railway 21000 series stands at Kanaya Station

Ooigawa is a large river in Shizuoka Prefecture, some 200 km west of Tokyo. The valley of Ooigawa is well known for tea cultivation and hot springs. I often visit this area on vacation with my family. Our transportation means is usually the railway. We can take a local line, Ooigawa Railway, from Kanaya Station on the Tokaido Main Line.

Ooigawa Railway is a small private company. It has the 39.5 km-long Ooigawa Main Line and the 25.5 km-long light railway, namely the Ikawa Line. The Ooigawa Main Line is a 1,067 mm-size single track with a 1,500 V DC overhead electric system. The express train, pulled by a steam locomotive, is very famous among tourists, but I am going to show you the classic EMU 21000 series today.

The 21000 series is an old EMU launched in 1958. It had been operated on the Nankai Line in Osaka and Wakayama prefectures. A total of 4 units, namely car numbers 21001, 21002, 21003 and 21004, were moved to Ooigawa Railway in 1997 after their retirement from Nankai Electric Railway.

This classic train is definitely my favorite. The body has a nostalgic 50s design. The interior of the train is also nostalgic, as it has switchable cross seats using red-colored moquette fabric. The reading lights under the shelves are beautiful and elegant. The 21000 series looks very old, but it is equipped with the same air conditioners as the other standard trains in Japan.
 

Interior of the EMU Ooigawa Railway 21000 series

Official information about rolling stock of Ooigawa Railway (in Japanese):

http://www.oigawa-railway.co.jp/train_introduction.html