For the lyrics see here: http://www.jpopasia.com/lyrics/21990/ayumi-hamasaki/haru-yo-koi.html
Inspired by the video above of Yumi Matsutoya's Haru Yo Koi, and with an ever abiding fondness for local trains, Friday was set aside as a day to ride the Kominato sen. I went on the first year I came to Japan, when Hiro & I went on a cycling trip through Chiba in the middle of summer (starting in the mountains.... what we were thinking...) I have little recollection of the train though.. the memories of salt patches from the copious amount of sweat remain vivid...
Anyway, back to the Kominato sen... It's a one and sometimes two carriage train that starts from Goi on the west coast of Chiba. It used to be part of the JR network before the grand breakup in the 1980s and now it's a third party local line, like the much less profitable Akita Nairiku sen. Admittedly it was spring holidays and the flowers are out, but I was surprised, at least compared to the Nairiku line, how many people were taking the train. They were mostly joy riders - but not all - and it's probably enough people to keep the line from being akaji (in the red).
http://www.kominato.co.jp/
Like a lot of rural lines the Kominato line runs infrequently. The second train of the day leaves Goi at 9:29. The one after that at 12:36. Planning is necessary, but there is still some scope for flexibility. The timetable below is a little misleading - the arrival and departure times are noted as the same however the train stopped for a generous 4 minutes at Satomi station and many passengers got out to take photos.
GOI
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09:29
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12:36
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0.0km
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KAZUSAMURAKAMI
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09:33
|
09:33
|
12:40
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12:40
|
2.5km
|
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AMAARIKI
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09:37
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09:37
|
12:45
|
12:45
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5.4km
|
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KAZUSAMITSUMATA
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09:41
|
09:41
|
12:48
|
12:48
|
7.2km
|
|
KAZUSAYAMADA
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09:44
|
09:44
|
12:51
|
12:51
|
8.6km
|
|
KOFUDAI(CHIBA)
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09:48
|
09:48
|
12:55
|
12:55
|
10.6km
|
|
UMATATE
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09:51
|
09:51
|
12:59
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12:59
|
12.4km
|
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KAZUSAUSHIKU
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09:57
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09:57
|
13:05
|
13:05
|
16.4km
|
|
KAZUSAKAWAMA
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10:01
|
10:01
|
13:08
|
13:08
|
18.5km
|
|
KAZUSATSURUMAI
|
10:04
|
10:04
|
13:11
|
13:11
|
20.0km
|
|
KAZUSAKUBO
|
10:07
|
10:07
|
13:15
|
13:15
|
22.0km
|
|
TAKATAKI
|
10:10
|
10:10
|
13:18
|
13:18
|
23.8km
|
|
SATOMI
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10:18
|
10:18
|
13:25
|
13:25
|
25.7km
|
|
ITABU
|
10:22
|
10:22
|
13:29
|
13:29
|
27.5km
|
|
TSUKIZAKI
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10:26
|
10:26
|
13:33
|
13:33
|
29.8km
|
|
KAZUSAOKUBO
|
10:30
|
10:30
|
13:38
|
13:38
|
32.3km
|
|
YOROKEIKOKU
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10:35
|
10:35
|
13:43
|
13:43
|
34.9km
|
|
KAZUSANAKANO
|
10:42
|
13:49
|
39.1km
|
Kazusa was the old domain name for central Chiba.
Wikipedia has a little more on it.
It's nanohana - canola - season on the line at the moment, and although we were too early for the sakura, and we didn't get as far as YoruKeikoku (we would have but for the fact we believed a road sign over google maps...) the nanohana and bucolic charm of the line made for a very relaxing day out. The missed turn wasn't in vain either as we had the good fortune to meet a very hospitable local who invited us in for coffee!
Yorukeikoku is probably the most "famous" place in Chiba for autumn leaves and it's a good excuse to go back. Next time, perhaps taking the Kominato line to the end and changing to the Isumi line train which goes through to the Pacific coast.
It's nanohana - canola - season on the line at the moment, and although we were too early for the sakura, and we didn't get as far as YoruKeikoku (we would have but for the fact we believed a road sign over google maps...) the nanohana and bucolic charm of the line made for a very relaxing day out. The missed turn wasn't in vain either as we had the good fortune to meet a very hospitable local who invited us in for coffee!
Yorukeikoku is probably the most "famous" place in Chiba for autumn leaves and it's a good excuse to go back. Next time, perhaps taking the Kominato line to the end and changing to the Isumi line train which goes through to the Pacific coast.
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| Most of the line is single track, with a few stations where trains can pass. |
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| We backtracked to Kazusa Tsurumai |
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| We met this groups of sketchers earlier in the day at Tsukizaki. Sketching is a popular hobby in Japan. It's quite common to see primary school children out in the neighbourhood sketching. Perhaps practice is the reason, but I have no doubt the average Japanese person is more skillful at drawing than the average Australian. In fact, I rarely meet people here who say "I can't draw". It's a bit like saying "I can't walk" - everyone can do it unless they have a certifiable disability. |
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| Canola looking beautiful against the clear blue sky. |
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| Kazusa Tsurumai |
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| At Tsukizaki station - a map for hiking in the Yoru Keikoku area |
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| Kazusa Okubo |
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| The canola on this line is more like floral decoration. In Australia people plant it in huge paddocks. I assume the variety in Aus has been altered to allow for more oil production. Here it seems to be more commonly eaten as a green vegetable. The flower seems to be proportionally much less. |
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| Tsukizaki. A large group of photographers gather to greet the train. Some of the crowd had obnoxiously unnecessary tripods - I came to understand why some places ban the use of tripods. |
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| Tsukizaki station |
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| Tsukizaki station |
