Blog | Train Trip Japan

Beasts

There's not much else to say!

An old Tokyo tram sitting in a field

Tram 7022 used to serve the streets of central Tokyo from 1954 to 1968. There's a photo of it here. It was then placed in this field in...

Retro waiting room

This waiting room was well used in the 1980s but is barely used today

Wine tunnel

This old railway tunnel has been repurposed for wine storage. You can rent a locker and keep your wine collection here in perfect...

Japan's narrowest section of platform?

It's best not to bound off the train here

A beast of a snow plough

This retired snow plough sitting in the summer sun could definitely be described as a beast!

Built but never used

Construction of this section of line started in the 1930s, was paused during WW2, and then never started again. Despite several attempts...

Rural train

Traveling by train across rural Japan is such a treat

Interesting old railway tunnel

This railway tunnel was actually never used for its intended purpose. It was built to extend a railway line in western Japan but the...

A very picturesque station

This must be one of Japan's most picturesque stations. Access is across the bridge on the left. There are 4 or 5 trains a day in each...

A stove on a train

Every train should have a stove in winter, especially one on which you can grill some squid

Being reclaimed by nature

This section of track in the mountains of Japan is slowly being reclaimed by nature. I visited in September 2020. It will be interesting...

Torii gates

Torii gates are usually seen at the entrance to shrines in Japan. But here, they are an interesting addition to this disused platform

A disused platform in the rain

This platform hasn't been used since the 1980s. Yet the seats still remain. Somehow, visiting in the pouring rain made it much more...

Beautiful rust streaks on an old train

Preserved rolling stock are great to see. Gleaming, shiny, polished trains sitting well-protected in museums are an important part of our...

Disused rail bridges

These disused rail bridges are becoming increasingly overgrown. Trains no longer pass over them. Will the bridges be saved as part of the...

A stunningly rundown old station

This station was called Yasuushi Station and was on the Soya Main Line in Hokkaido. I went up this line in August 2018 from Asahikawa to...

One of the best trains in Japan

I love this train. It's certainly one of my favourites, if not my number one. I love the design, the colour, how it moves, how it sounds....

Abandoned railway station in the countryside

This station was on the Kashima Railway Line which closed in 2007. I visited in February 2019 and walked along the majority of the line.

A local railway station sign in northern Japan during summer

I love this local railway station sign. There's plenty of character in the sign itself and there's a perfect background of green rice...