Seaside Walking on the Seaside Line

EMU 2000 series travels on the Kanazawa Seaside line in Yokohama City 

Here we are still in the gloomy rainy season in Tokyo. We have been having hot and humid days, but, once the sun's rays peep through the clouds, I never fail to go out to enjoy a stroll on weekends. My destination this time was Umino-Koen (Marine Park) in Yokohama City, about 50 kilometers south of Tokyo. There are a designated swimming beach and marine sports facilities such as beach volleyball courts and a windsurfing boathouse. You can also enjoy clam digging on the beach in spring. An outdoor BBQ facility, which was temporarily closed for the COVID-19 calamity, has been just reopened.

To visit this urban resort, the nearest railway station is Uminokoen-Shibaguchi on the Kanazawa Seaside line. Taking this opportunity, please let me review this public transportation system again. The Kanazawa Seaside line is so-called AGT (a rubber-tired automated guideway transit). There is no driver and conductor on the train. As a result, the driver's seat on the train is vacant except in an emergency case. A passenger can freely sit on it and can enjoy scenic views through the frontal window of the train. The route was opened in 1989 by Yokohama Seaside Line Company. Connecting Shin-Sugita on the JR East Negishi line and Kanazawa-hakkei on the Keikyu main line, its operating length is 10.8 kilometers. The track is double, and the electric system is a 750 V DC with the third rail.

I fully enjoyed the seaside walking on the Kanazawa Seaside line.

A beach in front of Uminokoen-Shibaguchi station on the Kanazawa Seaside line

Inauguration of Two Shin-Yokohama Lines

EMU Sotetsu 21000 series arrives at Shin-Yokohama station

On the 18th of March, 2023, two new railway lines were inaugurated in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. One is the Shin-Yokohama line of Sagami Railway (hereafter Sotetsu). The other one is the Shin-Yokohama line of Tokyu Railways. These two lines are connected at Shin-Yokohama station. A direct operation of Sotetsu and Tokyu trains through Shin-Yokohama station was also started on that day. What is the significance of the opening of these lines?

Firstly, Sotetsu got the second access route to Tokyo. Sotetsu is a major private railway company, but its weakness was its inconvenient line network. Sotetsu trains couldn't run into Tokyo until four years ago. Sotetsu's weakness was once mitigated in 2019, when the Sotetsu-JR East connecting line was completed. Since then, Sotetsu trains are directly operated onto the JR East lines to downtown Tokyo, but the story didn't end there. Sotetsu got another access route to Tokyo this time. That's the Shin-Yokohama line. Sotetsu trains are now directly operated onto the Tokyu and the other lines, and bound for the city center of Tokyo.

Secondly, transfer to the Tokaido Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama station is much easier now. JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen is an intercity high-speed railway bound for Osaka and other major cities, but the problem was the access to the transfer station in Yokohama City, namely Shin-Yokohama, because it's far from the downtown area. The completion of the new lines has made passengers easier to transfer to the Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama station. Yokohama City is significantly changing.

Platform of Shin-Yokohama station

Official movie, the Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (in Japanese):

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gjvrLOFv_v0?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=gjvrLOFv_v0&rel=0

Tama Riverside Walking, Part 8: Futakoshinchi

Set 2131 of the EMU Tokyu 2020 series crosses Tama River

Here we are in the middle of the gloomy rainy season. We have been having hot and humid days, but, once the sun's rays peep through the clouds, I never fail to go out to enjoy a stroll. Following Noborito on the Odakyu line, my next destination was Futako-shinchi on the Tokyu-Denentoshi line in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

After getting off the train at Futako-shinchi station, I headed to Tama River. I could see a railway bridge of a double-double track spanning between Futako-shinchi and Futako-tamagawa. There are baseball grounds, jogging paths and cycling roads on the riverbank of Futako-shinchi side. I saw many athletes there. On the other hand, I could see office buildings, shopping malls and high-rise apartments of the Futako-tamagawa area on the other side of the river. Futako-shinchi and Futako-tamagawa are in contrast to each other.

As soon as I started walking on the embankment, a 10-car train crossed the railway bridge. It was a westbound train, set number 2131 of the EMU Tokyu 2020 series. The 2020 series is composed of five motorcars and five trailers. Each motorcar has its own electric control unit. A total of 30 sets, 300 units, were built by J-TREC Yokohama factory from 2018 to 2022. The 2020 series is characterized by its unique "face". It's white and round. The crescent-shaped accent strikes my eyes. The large cowcatcher integrated with the face also stands out conspicuously.

While observing trains, I enjoyed Tama riverside walking as usual.

Baseball grounds, jogging paths and cycling roads on the riverbank

Cat Trains on the Setagaya Line

Set 302 (302F) of the EMU Tokyu 300 series, "Tama and Friends" train

In 1983, having a variety of stationeries with the drawing of cute characters on them became a fad among Japanese girls. "Tama and Friends" became very popular characters at that time. Tama is a male cat taken care of by a boy, Takeshi. "Tama and Friends" is a story of the daily lives of Tama and his cat and dog friends. This year, Tama marked the 40th year of its debut. In commemoration, Tokyu Railways tied up with Sony Creative Products Inc., the creator of "Tama and Friends", and launched a special poster train on the Setagaya line. That is set 302 (302F) of the EMU 300 series. 302F is the second set of the 300 series consisting of two electric cars. It originally had light-blue-colored monotone bodies, but is currently decollated with cute Tama and his cat and dog friends.

Speaking of the "cat train", we mustn't forget "Happy Maneki-neko" as well. That's also a special poster train, 308F of the EMU 300 series, on the Setagaya line. The design of this poster train came from Maneki-neko, whose birthplace is Gotoku-ji Buddhist temple on the Setagaya line. Maneki-neko is an ornament in the shape of a cat beckoning with a forepaw. It's said that Maneki-neko brings good luck. Happy Maneki-neko was the 110th anniversary train of the opening of the tram route. Although six years have already passed since it debuted, Happy Maneki-neko train is still very popular among local children.

The Tokyu-Setagaya line is currently "the route of the cat trains".

Local nursery school children welcome Happy Maneki-neko train (308F)

Official information about "Tama and Friends" train by Tokyu (in Japanese):

https://www.tokyu.co.jp/image/information/pdf/230222_tama.pdf

Official information about "Tama and Friends" train by Sony (in Japanese):

https://blog.tamaandfriends.jp/3569

Green Garden in the City Center

New Shibuya terminal on the subway (Tokyo Metro) Ginza line 

The rainy season continues in Tokyo. From early June to mid-July, Tokyo has a hot and humid rainy season, called Tsuyu. It's a gloomy period before midsummer, but Tokyoites can enjoy that the trees have gotten greener and greener each day.

I recently visited Nezu Museum in the city center of Tokyo. This museum is famous for exhibiting antiques of Japan and Asia, but it's not only that. Another pleasure of visiting Nezu Museum is to stroll through the garden, which is said to be an urban oasis. After viewing the museum, visitors can enjoy the changing seasons in the lush garden. The garden is filled with so many greens in this season. It was incredible for me that I was in the city center of Tokyo.

To get to Nezu Museum, the nearest station is Omotesando on the subway Ginza line. Taking this opportunity, I'm going to show you the new Shibuya terminal on the Ginza line. In January, 2021, the subway operator, namely Tokyo Metro, moved their Shibuya terminal 130 meters eastward as part of the urban infrastructure project in the Shibuya area. The new terminal has an island platform with M-shaped arches. It's cleaner and brighter than before. The appearance of the new Shibuya terminal is of course my favorite, but the problem is its location. It became far from Shibuya terminal of the Keio-Inokashira line. It became inconvenient to transfer to the Ginza line for the Inokashira line users like me. You can't make everybody happy.

The garden of Nezu Museum near Omotesando station on the subway Ginza line