[Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture] Japan's northernmost private railway, Tsugaru Railway, is more than just a railway.We will introduce you to the charms of the area along the line.

Winters in the Tohoku region, especially along the Sea of ​​Japan, are harsh.

However, in the harsh winters of the Tsugaru Peninsula in Aomori Prefecture, the Tsugaru Railway, Japan's northernmost private railway (*), is still running vigorously today.

This time, we will introduce the charm of Tsugaru Railway and the fun that can only be enjoyed in winter.

*Private railway: Here, we will refer to a railway that is neither JR, public nor third sector.

Tsugaru Railway running in northern Tsugaru

operated by Tsugaru Railway Co., Ltd. , is a 20.7km line that runs from Tsugaru Goshogawara Station in Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture to Tsugaru Nakazato Station in Nakadomari Town .

The starting point, Tsugaru Goshogawara Station, is attached to JR Goshogawara Station, where you can transfer to the Gono Line.

In addition to local trains, the resort Shirakami tourist train that runs on the Gono Line also stops at JR Goshogawara Station. On days when Resort Shirakami is in operation (mainly Saturdays and holidays), you can access Goshogawara Station from Akita or Aomori stations without changing trains.

The Tsugaru Railway opened in 1930.

For over 90 years, it has played a role in the transportation network in northern Tsugaru.

Highlights along the line

Tsugaru Railway's appeal is that Osamu Dazai's birthplace is located along the line, and the diesel cars (rail vehicles that run on diesel fuel) used on the trains are decorated with the slogan ``Run, Meros'' in honor of Osamu Dazai . It is nicknamed.

``Tsutetsu Bunko'' have been opened inside the trains

You can enjoy reading at the station and on the train, and you can freely borrow and borrow books.

Near Kanagi station

Near Kanagi Station is the birthplace of the writer Osamu Dazai, which is now open to the public as the Osamu Dazai Memorial Museum.

Osamu Dazai Memorial Museum “Shayokan” <Information>

• Facility name Osamu Dazai Memorial Hall “Shayoukan”
• Address: 412-1 Asahiyama, Kanagi-cho, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiry number 0173-53-2020
• Business hours 9:00-17:00
• Closed: December 29th
• URL Goshogawara Osamu Dazai Memorial Hall “Shayokan”

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Tsugaru Shamisen Hall

The Tsugaru Shamisen Hall has also been opened near Kanagi Station.

You can enjoy performances of the Tsugaru shamisen, a specialty of the Tsugaru region. However, please note that it is closed during the winter season (December 1st to March 31st of the following year).

Tsugaru Shamisen Hall <Information>

• Facility name Tsugaru Shamisen Hall
• Address: 189-3 Asahiyama, Kanagi-cho, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiry number 0173-54-1616
• Business hours 9:00-16:00
• Closed: December 1st to March 31st of the following year
• URL Tsugaru Shamisen Hall

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Tsugaru Iizume Station

At Tsugaru Iizume Station, the ``Tsugaru Iizume Station Museum & Train Travel Library'' is open on the third Sunday of every month.

The museum displays valuable items related to the Tsugaru Railway.

At the train travel library, you can also Train Travel Bunko the ``Iizume revitalization group,'' but it is becoming a new specialty of Tsugaru Railway.

Admission to the museum and the train travel library is free, but donations are requested in the fare box at the entrance (the one used in the one-man operated vehicle).

Tsugaru Railway Iizume Station Museum & Train Travel Library <Information>

• Facility name Tsugaru Railway Iizume Station Museum & Train Travel Library
• Address: 22-3 Iizume Seino, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiry number: 0173-34-2148 (Tsugaru Railway General Affairs Division)
• Business hours: 10:00-14:00 on the third Sunday of every month
• URL Tsutetsu Bunko & Train Travel Bunko

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Near Ashino Koen Station

The Tsugaru Railway's tracks pass under the cherry blossom trees that line the area around the station, and when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, the train passes under the blooming cherry blossoms like a tunnel.

It is a sight to behold.

Ashino Park＜Information＞

• Facility name Ashino Park
• Address: 84-170 Ashino, Kanagi-cho, Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiry number 0173-35-2111
• URL Goshogawara City Official Tourism Site

GOOGLE MAP

Retro station and tickets

There are no automatic ticket gates at the station. The ticket is a "hard ticket" made of hard paper, and you have to have the station staff insert scissors into it at the ticket gate.

The Tsugaru Railway offers a sight that has been completely lost on urban railways.

Regarding methods for safely operating trains, methods that have been used for a long time, such as tablet blocking and staff blocking, continue to be used even in the Reiwa era (Note: This does not mean they are unsafe. ).

At Kanagi Station on the way, you can see the exchange of tablet staff, which is now rare in Japan.

the ``arm wood signal'' a signal from yesteryear, is still in use. At Tsugaru Goshogawara Station, vintage train cars that were used in the past remain, allowing you to reminisce about a part of railway history.

This route is also recommended for railway fans.

Winter tradition: Stove train

What makes the retro feel of the Tsugaru Railway even more striking is the ``stove train,'' which is a winter tradition.

This train runs from the beginning of December every year until the end of March of the following year, and as the name suggests, it is a train that uses a stove inside the train. It has a history of continuing to run since the winter of 1930, when the Tsugaru Railway opened, except during and immediately after the war.

The passenger cars used in the current Stove Train are the 4th generation.

This is an old passenger car manufactured around 1950 and equipped with a Daruma stove. From the train window, you can enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere as you look out at the scenery of Tsugaru, which has experienced a harsh winter.

You can also grill dried squid on the wire mesh on the stove, and alcohol is also sold inside the train.

Enjoying some dried squid and a glass of alcohol...this is something you can only enjoy on a train journey.

To ride the Stove Train, you need to purchase a 500 yen Stove Train ticket in addition to the train ticket, but I think it's worth a try. connected).

Stove train <Information>

• Train name: Stove train　
• Operation period: December 1st to March 31st of the following year
• Inquiries: 0173-34-2148
• Official URL: Tsugaru Railway Co., Ltd. Stove Train

It's not just winter that special trains run.

From July to August, there is a ``Furin Train,'' in which Tsugaru Kanayama ware wind chimes are hung inside the train, and from September to October, there is a ``Suzumushi Train,'' in which baskets of bell insects are placed on the shelves inside the train. The train is running as.

These trains operate with wind chimes and insect cages installed on regular trains, so there is no need to purchase special tickets.

summary

This time we introduced the Tsugaru Railway, which runs through the hometown of literary great Osamu Dazai.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to go to Tsugaru this winter and enjoy an experience that can only be had on the Tsugaru Railway, such as enjoying a drink while admiring the winter scenery on a stove train?