Japan's beloved slow-motion train

[thomas]

The BBC on Japanese trains that are made to travel slowly and are even applauded when they are late.

Shirakami Kumagera; photo credit: JR Times​

When my train finally arrived, however, four minutes later, at 08:53, every Japanese passenger on the platform softly applauded. This was the first of many peculiarities about my experience on board the Resort Shirakami Train, which crawls along the Gonō Line through Akita Prefecture in northern Honshu's Tōhoku region. Slow by anyone's standards, and it's a train purposely built for travelling tortoise-like from the city of Aomori to Akita, often averaging just 10km/h. Operator JR-East (East Japan Railway Company) calls the service a "Joyful Train", and a trip on such a leaden-footed locomotive is like few other sightseeing journeys in the country.

Japan's beloved slow-motion train

The Japanese are obsessed with bullet trains – but they're equally smitten by those that aren't so speedy.

www.bbc.com

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

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五能線の旅（20分） Trip on the Gono Line (20 minutes)


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[cloa513]

Sounds just the Kawagoe line except that is miserable line due to constant stoppages due to being a single track except at stations with absymal train driver/timetable management where you stuck with doors open in freezing weather for five minutes plus.

 

[Lothor]

Sounds just the Kawagoe line except that is miserable line due to constant stoppages due to being a single track except at stations with absymal train driver/timetable management where you stuck with doors open in freezing weather for five minutes plus.

But nice views of Fuji between Omiya and Kawagoe on clear winter days if I remember right.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

One of Japan's fastest trains , always on time and perfect in every way.

 

[johnnyG]

I think I rode this once from Ajigasawa to Aomori. I was not impressed with the shamisen performance (my wife plays tsugaru shamisen and is pretty good). There was also a story-teller (2?) who spoke/told the stories in aomori-ben.

 

[thomas]

I think I rode this once from Ajigasawa to Aomori. I was not impressed with the shamisen performance (my wife plays tsugaru shamisen and is pretty good). There was also a story-teller (2?) who spoke/told the stories in aomori-ben.

Tsugaru shamisen is utterly bewildering! The first time I heard it on TV, I was mesmerised.

@johnnyG, if you have any videos, please share.

 

[johnnyG]

This is representative. The fellow on the right, Kimura Shunsuke, is from tokyo but has been thru here a number of times either with Ono or others (he also plays flute). My wife kind of thinks of him as a mentor/teacher, and she has MC'd a couple of his performances (with workshops before or after), tho her regular teacher is local. Her group here has a piece that this guy composed and gave to them.

 

[WilliamfDraper]

The BBC on Japanese trains that are made to travel slowly and are even applauded when they are late.

View attachment 99871
Shirakami Kumagera; photo credit: JR Times​

Japan's beloved slow-motion train

The Japanese are obsessed with bullet trains – but they're equally smitten by those that aren't so speedy.

www.bbc.com

I am going to Come back to this when I have time to enjoy .

Can I download this for later viewing , where there is no Wi-Fi ( wifi )

 

[cloa513]

I was in Omiya when a Keihin Tohoku train just didn't leave at its scheduled time- there was no announcement or message on its board. Keihin Tohoku Line- second worst main train line JR East city services.

 

[Engiepo]

The views are beautiful, that's for sure. I won't say that the train somehow impressed me, but I liked the person who walks and tells stories.

 

[WilliamfDraper]

I am going to Come back to this when I have time to enjoy .

Can I download this for later viewing , where there is no Wi-Fi ( wifi )

Thankyou : )

 

[WilliamfDraper]

I am going to Come back to this when I have time to enjoy .

Can I download this for later viewing , where there is no Wi-Fi ( wifi )

Thankyou ,

I used to work as a School Bus Driver , one day , being about 500 feet from our STOP , I said to all " WE' re HERE " ( these are the smart school students ) , and they all yell out " NO WE AREN'T " and i say , well I'm here , where are you all , if you are not . : )

They all just kind of groaned….. like out witted by dumb bus driver .