Railway Day 2020 (鉄道の日 Tetsudo no Hi)

Commemorating 2020’s Railway Day (鉄道の日 Tetsudo no Hi) and abstinence from leisure travel, we shall reminisce some of our favourite train rides in Japan. In no order of merit….

JR Hakodate Main Line (函館本線, Hakodate-honsen)

Scenic segment: between Otaru-Chikkō Station (S13 - 小樽築港駅) to Zenibako Station (S11 - 銭函駅), operated by JR Hokkaido. Opened on 21 November 1910; opened on 28 November.1880.

(Summer)

The scenic stretch, approximately 12 minutes long gives you an unobstructed view of the Ishikari Bay (石狩湾) and Sea of Japan (日本海) when you can travelling between Sapporo and Otaru. Despite being the main train line connecting the popular tourist cities of Sapporo and Otaru, we have never found the trains to be crowded and seats are readily available.

(Winter)

We savored the winter scenery during the first trip to Hokkaido. The winter scenery is completely different from the Summer season which we experienced on our 2nd trip to Hokkaido. Perhaps it was due to the white snow that we noticed little details along the trip. Can you spot the same interesting sights as we did on our train ride?

JR Tokaido Main Line (東海道本線, Tōkaidō-honsen)

Nebukawa Station (JT18 - 根府川駅) along Tokaido Main Line of East Japan Railway. Opened: 1922

We took the free hotel shuttle from Hilton Odawara to Nebukawa station to grab a train back to Tokyo. Little did we know, there was a tragic story about this station.

Yurikamome Line (ゆりかもめ)

Operated by Yurikamome, Inc. Opened: November 1st 1995

Possibly one of our favourite train rides which I will almost always take whenever we visit Tokyo. If you are visiting Odaiba, this monorail would be the ideal means of transportation. Even if not for visiting Odaiba, can you really resist this psychedelic experience,admiring the urban landscape of Tokyo and traversing the iconic Rainbow Bridge?

Enoshima Electric Railway or Enoden (江ノ島電鉄, Enoshima dentetsu)

Kamakurakōkōmae Station (EN08 - 鎌倉高校前駅) operated by Enoshima Electric Railway Co., Ltd. of Odakyu Group. Opened: 1903

Any self-respecting otaku should instantly recognise this station from the cult-classic Slam Dunk (スラムダンク). You can be sure to find this train station on the bucket list of most anime pilgrims. While we did not exactly take the Enoden, we dedicated a drive-past in our rented Mitsuoka Rock Star.

Ishinomaki Line (石巻線) and Senseki Line (仙石線) / Senseki-Tōhoku Line (仙石東北ライン)

JR Ishinomaki Station (JR石巻駅) operated by JR East. Opened: 28 October 1912

With much apprehension on our 1st self-guided trip to Japan, we took this long train ride to Ishinomaki to visit Tashirojima Island (田代島), one of the several famous cat islands in Japan. If you may recall, Ishinomaki was one of the cities hardest hit by the tsunami back in 2011. When we visited here in 2015, the city was still recovering from the disaster and there are still areas which have not been rebuilt. Nevertheless, one could sense the unwavering spirit of the local community, as they slowly welcomed tourists and steadily rebuilt their lives. One of the famous landmarks here is the Ishinomaki Mangattan Museum, dedicated to manga artist, Shotaro Ishinomori, who is known for such works as Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009. You will see his trademark characters all over the city and even on the trains that serve JR Ishinomaki Station

Last but not least, a shout out to hidden Japanese Curry stall at JR Niseko station

JR Hakodate Main Line (函館本線, Hakodate-honsen)

Niseko Station (JT18 - ニセコ駅) along Hakodate Main Line, operated by JR Hokkaido. Opened: 15 October 1904

Tea House Nupuri / 茶房ヌプ. This homely diner selling Japanese Curry is probably overlooked by tourists to Niseko as tourists often use Kutchan station as the gateway to Niseko. We strongly recommend you to make a trip to Niseko station, if not for Tea House Nupuri, at least to visit Niseko station, built in 1904!

Tea House Nupuri Menu, Photo Credits from: Kumie Kimi