Twilight Express (Sleeper Train) in Japan

The Twilight Express is one of Japanese sleeper train and runs the longest distance in Japan.

Until expansion of Hokkaido-Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Hakodate, the express will stop running regularly.

Therefore, now is the chance for making a journey with Twilight Express, especially if you have JR-Pass.

EF81 (EL)

At Sapporo Station

Second class couchette (Japanese B-Shindai)

Restaurant Car

In the case of bound for Osaka, the restaurant offers French cuisine full course (12,000 JPY) during dinner time, which you should make a reservation in advance. After dinner time, it is possible to eat snacks and drink various liqueurs as pub time. If you want eat something in compartment or couchette, there is a kind of Bento for dinner as the room service. Breakfast is served at the restaurant car(1,575JPY). Both the Bento and breakfast are available to get if you order when the waiters/waitresses comes in each compartment or couchette.    

Type 24 fleets

If you have a chance to go to Japan, I highly recommend to get the train ticket and make a trip with the Twilight Express.

Announce in the train (Youtube)


(2/Feb/2014)

Trams in Tokyo

Trams in Tokyo (1971-73)

There are public-sector huge tram network until the end of 1960's (Wiki)

We can enjoy its glorious days on Youtube.

There still is small private tram style line in Tokyo.

 The tram-style line runs only separated traffic from road. There is a part of Tama-den tram (Wiki JP).

Most of Tama-den network on the road disappeared.

Setagaya-Line (1978)

Dancing lonely night (Japanese 60s) by The Jaguars

GS I Love You Too

(2013/08/31)

Human Renaissance (Music)

The Tigers played Baroque Pop in their album 'Human Renaissance'.

It was inspired from the Bee Gees and the Beatles.

'Endless Rain' is one of the songs of the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXHb0vGnaQE

'The Glorious World' is also introduced with an orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT2fu1kZxSo

The Tigers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tigers_(Japanese_band)

Lupin DMU in Hokkaido, Japan

 

DMU type Kiha-54 522, which was painted with  Lupin III,  runs between Kushiro and Nemuro, Hokkaido(northern island of Japan.

 

Lupin III (ルパン三世)  is one of the most famous Japanese manga series and the animation programmes and movies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_III

The fiste original programme was bloadcasted in 1968.

 

There is a cutey woman called 'Fujiko' in the booking office of  Hamanaka-station.

 

 

 

She is a sexy heroine, but sometime does down main character Lupin the third ;)

 

The music of the animation programme is also cool and Jazzy.

 

Main character  Lupin waits for you at the platform of Hamanaka-station. The author was born in the town. Information about Hamanaka-tonw is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamanaka,_Hokkaido

 

 

JR(Japan railway)Hokkaido offers the information with English.

http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/index.html

 

(2013/03/08)

Hokkaido narrow-gauge preserved railcar

The scene of Hokkaido, which located in Northern Japan, looks like somewhere in Eastern Europe.

 

There were a lot of small narrow gauge networks in Hokkaido until the 1960s.

Hokkaido is a frontier in Japan against Russia and many people migrated after Meiji-resolution. There were no good roads in the rural area, therefore, it was necessary to build narrow-gauge with low-costing operation. After motorisation, the networks were  totally abandoned except 'Maruseppu' park's one.

Sometimes the SL/DL runs inside the park. If you are interested in this park, it is better to contact with Engaru-town near Abashiri in advance.


http://engaru.jp/kankou_info/maruseppu/sinrin-kouen/ikoinomori.html

(Japanese only)

Contact address: shokou^engaru.jp : please change from ^ to @ due to avoiding spams

 

However, we can see preserved locos and DMUs.

For example, in Bekkai-town (roughly 40 km from Nemuro-Nakashibetsu Airport), there are one DMU and DL.

DMU

DL

Ruin of the turn-table

Ruin of the depot

There are some amazing pictures taken in 1968, when the 762mm line still run.

http://homepage3.nifty.com/m_horikoshi/3KaniKidou/_Rk_01_bekkai.htm
(Japanese only)

This HP uploaded great valuable pictures of the other narrow-gauges in Eastern Hokkaido.

http://omotetsu.art.coocan.jp/hamanaka01.htm
(Japanese only but worth to see)


(08/Feb/2013)