The 500 Series, Ultimate Beauty of High Speed Train

EMU JR West 500 series stands at Fukuyama Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen

What is the most beautiful train in Japan? Perhaps, nine times out of ten, the answer will be "the shinkansen 500 series!"

The EMU JR West 500 series was launched in 1997 as the Super-express train, Nozomi (hope). A total of 9 sets, 144 units have been manufactured by Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kinki Sharyo and Nippon Sharyo. The canopy architecture with the long front nose is very cool and popular among rail-fans as well as tourists. I think that the design of the 500 series is developed into a fine art; however, it is the result of pursuit to reduce air resistance and tunnel boom.

The EMU 500 series had been operated on the Tokaido and the Sanyo Shinkansens with a maximum speed of 300km per hour; but after the debut of the N700 (see my blog on February 22nd, 2012), the 500 series has been retired gradually. Everything flows, nothing stands still.

To see and get on this beautiful train today, take the Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata in the western part of Japan. Currently, they make 9 to 12 round trips per day as mostly all-stations trains, Kodama (echo). Although it has been shortened from 16 to 8 cars per set, and decreased its maximum speed from 300 to 285km per hour, the beautiful tubular body with a sharp long nose is still alive and kicking.

EMU JR West 500 series, it is the ultimate beauty of high speed train.

Side view of Type 521, EMU JR West 500 series at Fukuyama Station

 

More information about EMU JR West 500 series:

http://www.kinkisharyo.co.jp/eng/e_products/sh/e_500.htm
http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/business/tetsudo_e/pages/jrw500.htm
http://www.khi.co.jp/english/rs/product/detail/pro_jrn500.html



Commuter Liner, Healing Train for Hard Workers

EMU JR East 185 series, "Home Liner Konosu" stands at Ueno Station

 

Businessmen and businesswomen in Tokyo are generally busy everyday. To make matters worse, they have to have a hard time while returning home, as the commuter trains are packed on most of the routes. What can they do?

Here is what they need to do. Get on a Commuter Liner by paying an extra fee. It takes them to a healing world. Currently, some of the railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area operate special trains, which guarantee passengers going back home seats on board. For example, Tokyo Metro and Odakyu jointly operate a special Romance Car, "Metro Homeway" from the city center to western suburbs of Tokyo (see my blog on September 4th, 2011).

JR East also operates similar trains, so-called Commuter Liner. For example, Home Liner Konosu is operated between Ueno and Konosu on the Takasaki Line (see the top photo); while the Shonan Liner is operated between Tokyo and Odawara (see the following photo). EMUs 185 and 215 series etc. are used. They are higher grade than those of standard commuter trains. The operation interval is 30 minutes on average.

I sometimes use a Romance Car, Metro Homeway from Otemachi Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line near my office. It is directly operated into the Odakyu Line. Wood grain patterns are heavily used for the interior, such as the passenger seats and the walls. It offers the passengers peace and comfort.

Commuter Liner: it is a healing train for hard workers in urban areas of this country.

 

EMU JR East 215 series, "Shonan Liner" stands at Tokyo Station

Autumn Colors on the Chichibu Railway

Classic EMU Chichibu 1000 (left) and Seibu 4000 (right) series at Mitsumineguchi Station

The foliage season has come to the Tokyo metropolitan area again. In autumn, many people enjoy viewing the leaves change of color. It shows us the tremendous beauty, which we hardly notice in our daily routine life. I visited the Chichibu area last weekend, and enjoyed mid-autumn in the country. It was a bright, clear and quiet day.

To begin with, I reached Mitsumineguchi Station on the Chichibu Railway. Various colored foliaged mountains lay behind the terminal, and in front was a small flatland for a local village. It was a very quiet weekend morning around the station (see the following photo).

In the station yard, I could see a wide variety of trains (see the top photo). The vermilion colored classic one is the EMU 1000 series, which was transferred from JR East in the late '80s. The original model number was EMU JNR (Japan National Railways) 101 series, manufactured in the '60s. I often got on this type of train in downtown Tokyo, when I was a child.

The white colored train with blue, red and green colored stripes is the EMU Seibu 4000 series. This train is directly operated from Seibu Railway at the end of each week. It was launched in 1988 as a standard class train; but it has enough facilities such as cozy seats and sanitary toilets for long distance passengers.

I could also see many other kinds of trains there, but I will perhaps show them another time.

Nostalgic Mitsumineguchi Station on the Chichibu Railway

Cosmos Field on the Takasaki Line

EMU JR East 211 series arrives at Gyoda Station on the Takasaki Line

Autumn is the season for cosmos blossoms. We can see many cosmos fields here and there in the Tokyo metropolitan area. As I mentioned before, I visited Mt. Fuji (see my blog on September 22nd), Tachikawa (my blogs on October 29th and November 4th) and Kurihama (my blog on November 20th) last year.

This year, I headed north. My destination was the Arakawa River in Saitama Prefecture, some 50km from downtown Tokyo. Along the riverside, we can see a vast cosmos field there. They are white, pink and yellow colored. Among them, what particularly took my fancy was the dark pink colored Akatsuki (dawn) blossoms. Full blooming cosmos were shaken with the wind in the sunshine (see the following photo). Many people were visiting to enjoy this autumn event.

To get to this flower lover's paradise, JR East Takasaki Line is convenient. I got on the Rapid Service train from Shinjuku Station on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line, as it was directly operated into the Takasaki Line. After one hour or so, I could reach Fukiage, the nearest station to the field. It was good to see the EMU 211 series again on the way back home (see the top photo), as the 211 has already been retired from the Tokaido Main Line. I had no chance to see this "white face" at Tokyo Station near my office.

The gorgeous cosmos field and the rare train... rail-fans always get additional gain. This is killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?

Cosmos "Akatsuki" Field near Fukiage Station on the Takasaki Line

Irodori 485-N201, Sharp-eyed "Freeza" Train

N201 set of the EMU JR East 485 series, "Irodori" arrives at Katsunuma-budokyo Station

Do you know there are many leisure trains in Japan? One of the examples is "Yufuin-no- mori" of JR Kyushu (see my blog on May 7th, 2011), meanwhile a small company, Watarase Valley Railway, has an open-air train "Torokko Wasshi" for sightseers (see my blog on September 10th, 2012).

The giant, JR East also owns several leisure trains. I am going to show one of them here. That is "Irodori"; N201 of the EMU 485 series (see the photos).

Irodori (Color) is an all green-car train. It means that the 6-car train is composed of the first class car only. Actually, Irodori lives up to its name. The body of the train is very colorful. They are lilac (car number 1 and 5), dark yellow (car number 2), pinkish beige (car number 3 and 6) and light blue (car number 4). The interior is also rich in variety. Car number 1 and 6 are 2+1 cross seat cars. By contrast, car number 2, 3 and 5 are compartment cars. A large salon is provided in car number 4. A massage chair and an audio instrument are also installed.

In the meantime, Japanese rail-fans call this train "Freeza", because the face of the train resembles the famous cartoon character, Freeza in Dragon Ball. Most notably, the "sharp-eyed" front lights are awfully similar to the eyes of Freeza.

Do I like this face? Not really, to be honest, but it's very unique, isn't it?

N201 set of the EMU JR East 485 series, "Irodori" stands at Hachioji Station on the Chuo Line