This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
the late Tadayoshi Yamamoto, published by Fukuinkan Shoten(Let's Go!)by"Shuppatsu Shinkou!"Many people have probably read
This was one of my favorite picture books as a child, and I sometimes read it to my own children now
This time, we will explain the railway journey depicted in this picture book, which is said to be set in the Tohoku region
Let's depart!
The express train on the cover of "Shupatsu Shinkou!" owned by the authorExpress train (right) and local train on the back cover
"Departure, All Aboard!"is that "Mother" and "Miyo-chanfrom a "big station" to a "small station" by changing trains three times—an express train, a local train, and alimited express train—in order to meet "Grandpa."
The text does not say anything about where exactly in Japan the two are traveling, but we can make some inferences from the illustrations
Furthermore, the author traveled by train through the Tohoku region with the editorial staff before creating this picture book for research purposes. The content of the picture book is based on this research, so I will explain it step by step.
Express train departs!
The first sentence of the book goes like this:
Mom and Miyo boarded the express train from the large station.
, the largest station in the Tohoku regionSendai Stationis likely
, as clearly depicted in the illustration"Hatsukari".
Limited express "Hatsukari" (photo taken after the launch of JR)
"Hatsukari" was a limited express train that connected Ueno Station and Aomori Station
The vehicle depicted is the 485 series, a limited express train that was representative of the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of today's JR). We have explained the limited express "Hatsukari" in a separate article, so please take a look at that as well
There is a sign on the station platform that reads "12:50 bound for Aomori."
According to the timetables I have from October 1978 and June 1982, the"Hatsukari No. 3"bound for Aomori departs Sendai Station at 12:50, so it can be confirmed that the model for the illustration is "Hatsukari No. 3".
The express train is speeding along, picking up speed rapidly.
On the next page, a green train is running behind the imposing 12-car Hatsukari
This isthe 200 series train, which was used when the Tohoku Shinkansen line first openedundoubtedly
200 series Shinkansen
"Let's Start! " was first published in August 1982
The Tohoku Shinkansen had already "provisionally opened" between Omiya Station and Morioka Station two months earlier, in June. The author's research took place the previous year, so the Tohoku Shinkansen train depicted on this page isof a test runlikely a depiction
The Tohoku Shinkansen Line will be fully operational in November 1982. After the full-scale opening, the Hatsukari express train will no longer run between Ueno Station and Morioka Station, but will instead run between Morioka Station and Aomori Station
In other words, the sight of the "Hatsukari" and the Tohoku Shinkansen running side-by-side, as depicted in this picture book,a short period, from the start of the Tohoku Shinkansen's trial runs until its full opening in November 1982.
on top of the iron frame We pass an electric locomotive
The red vehicle that passed the Hatsukari on the railway bridge is an ED75 electric locomotive. This vehicle tows passenger cars and freight cars in the Tohoku and Joban regions, as well as Hokkaido and Kyushu
The illustration in this picture book does not show the rear of the electric locomotive, so it is unclear what kind of train it is pulling or whether the locomotive is running on its own
A town came into view at the foot of the mountain
Around Morioka Station
The express train eventually arrives at a town at the foot of the mountain. This isMoriokalikely the city of
The distance from Sendai Station to Morioka Station is 183.5 km, and according to the timetable at the time, the arrival time of "Hatsukari 3" at Morioka Station was 14:54, so the journey time from Sendai Station was 2 hours and 4 minutes
It's a bit of a long journey for little Miyo, but their journey is still on
The express train is about to depart!
When they arrive at the station at the foot of the mountain, Mom and Miyo get off the express train and transfer to a local train.
The two arrive at a station at the foot of a mountain, which appears to be Morioka Station. They get off the express train anda local traintransfer to
The platform where the express train stops and the tracks end is thought to be platform 0 at the current Morioka Station, where trains on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line and the JR Hanawa Line depart and arrive
Based on descriptions on later pages, the express train the two boardan express train on the Yamada Line heading from Morioka Station towards Miyakois presumed to be The train is a Kiha 58 series diesel railcar, a familiar sight on express trains during the JNR (Japanese National Railways) era (it runs on diesel fuel and is not an electric train).
By the way, what is the name of this express train? All we can get from the picture is that it is an express train and that it is a four-car train. According to the timetable at the time, the express train running from Morioka Station to Miyako Station on the Yamada Line was
8:58am Sotoyama (departing Morioka, via Miyako, Kamaishi and Hanamaki, bound for Morioka)
12:34 departure Yoneshiro 2 (departing from Akita, via Hanawa Line, bound for Miyako)
17:15 departure Rias (departing Morioka, via Miyako, bound for Kamaishi)
Three trains were in operation
The express train in the picture is stopped at a dead-end platform, suggesting it's an express train originating from Morioka Station. This"Yoneshiro No. 2"eliminates the
departing at 17:15the "Rias" train, even during the summer solstice, it would be dark by the time it was running, and it would miss the last local train that appears later, so it doesn't match the depiction in the picture book.
However,the "Sotoyama"is the definitive choice, that also raises some questions."Hatsukari No. 3"As mentioned earlier,"Sotoyama,"which departs at 12:34 PMthe "Yoneshiro No. 2,". This would be the same even if the first limited express train of the morningthe "Hatsukari No. 1"(arriving in Morioka at 1:57 PM).
In other wordsimpossible to reach the destination, "Chiisai-eki," on the same day by transferring between the "Hatsukari" and the Yamada Line express train. How should we interpret this?
In fact, the author of this picture book states that "this picture book isof a train journey through the landscapes and time that I imagined." I suspect that the author was aware that a journey exactly as depicted in this picture book would be impossible.
The express train has arrived at a station in the mountains. Now we will transfer to a local train.
Former Moichi Station and local trains on the Iwaizumi Line
The station in the mountains where you transfer from an express train to a local train isMoichi Stationlikely
However, some things have changed since the picture book, such as the disappearance of platform 1, where local trains stop, and the dismantling of the overpass that was over the tracks. Also, although the illustration clearly shows several station staff, as of April 2018 the station is unmanned and staff are not present all day
Also, the fact that freight cars carrying cargo are parked at local train stations like this one gives a sense of the times
Shortly after this picture book was published, in November 1982, freight handling at Moichi Station ceased, and in November 1986 freight trains on the Yamada Line were discontinued
The journey from Morioka Station to Moichi Station is 87.0 km, and takes about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours by express train. It was another long journey for the kids
Regular train departs!
The local train I transferred to at Moichi Station is modeled after a train on the now-defunctIwaizumi Line.
The Iwaizumi Line was a 38.4km line that started at Moichi Station and ran to Iwaizumi Station in Iwaizumi Town
The Iwaizumi Line has always had few users, and there have been frequent discussions about closing the line, but it has been spared because there were no roads in place for replacement buses. However, even though it was spared from closure, the decline in users continued, and by the 2000s it had become the least used line in Japan
Following a train derailment caused by a landslide in July 2010, train service on the entire line was suspended, and itdiscontinued on April 1, 2014was
The local train in the picture book is depicted as a two-car Kiha 52 diesel railcar (also not an electric train). The number of passengers depicted also appears to be smaller than the two trains we have ridden so far
Was the Iwaizumi Line also used in this way at the time?
At the time the picture book was published, there were only five round trips per day running the entire Iwaizumi Line (just before the line was closed, there were three round trips per day). Also, the train departing from Moichi Station at 6:10 PM was the last train bound for Iwaizumi
As mentioned in the section on express trains, the express "Rias" that arrives at Moichi Station at 7:16 p.m. will not make it in time for the last train on the Iwaizumi Line, and it will already be dark by then
It seems that the journey in this picture book should be considered purely fictional
We arrived at a small station deep in the mountains
Asanai Station (the station name sign and waiting room on the platform no longer remain)
Finally, Mom and Miyoko arrived at a small train station, their destination
, which was two stations before Iwaizumi Station, the terminal station of the Iwaizumi LineAsanai. It was a 31.0km journey from Moichi Station, taking about 40 to 50 minutes.
The author said that he got off at this station based on "the editor's intuition," but commented that it was "the perfect station to use as the final destination for a picture book."
In the illustration, the train driver and station attendant are handing over what appears to be a "tablet," which is necessary to ensure the safety of train operations. The rule is that only trains possessing this tablet are allowed to proceed to the next station, thus preventing collisions between trains. Asanai Station also became an unmanned station in 1986.
The tablet (held by the station staff in their right hand) being handed over
On the last page of the picture book, when the mother and Miyo meet the grandfather and friends, the clock at the station shows 6:07. Since it is impossible for it to be 6:00 in the morning, it is likely to be 6:07 in the afternoon
However, according to the timetable at the time, there were no trains arriving at Asanuchi Station around 6 p.m., so it seems safe to assume that this is a completely fictitious time setting
The train departed from the larger station at 12:50, so it took a little over five hours to get to the smaller station. The total travel time for the three trains we have taken so far is about five hours, so the clock on the last page may have been set to this time
The Asanuchi Station building remains even though the Iwaizumi Line has been discontinued. A bus (Iwaizumi Shigeshi Line) that replaced the discontinued Iwaizumi Line runs through the nearby bus stop about three times a day, so it is possible to get there by public transportation
Was it possible to travel from Sendai Station to Asanui Station during the day?
Again, as depicted in the picture book,
Limited Express "Hatsukari" → Yamada Line express train → Iwaizumi Line local train
In reality, it was impossible to travel from Sendai Station to Asanui Station in one day by changing trains
So how could you make the trip within one day? To do so, you would need to change the train you were taking, either the Hatsukari Limited Express or the Yamada Line express train
For example, if you take the Hatsukari 3 train, which departs Sendai Station at 12:50 and arrives at Morioka Station at 14:54, and then transfer to a local train bound for Kamaishi departing Morioka at 14:58, you will arrive at Moichi Station at 17:17. If you then transfer to the last train on the Iwaizumi Line, which departs Moichi Station at 18:10, you will arrive at Asanai Station at 18:58
Alternatively, you can take the express train "Kurikoma No. 3" bound for Aomori, which departs Sendai Station at exactly 10:00 AM and arrives at Morioka Station at 12:28 PM. Then, take the express train "Yoneshiro No. 2," which departs Morioka Station at 12:34 PM and arrives at Moichi Station at 2:25 PM. From there, transfer to the local train on the Iwaizumi Line departing at 3:08 PM and arrive at Asanai Station at 3:56 PM.
Would this be a realistic itinerary?
Regardless of the itinerary, thejourney from Sendai Station to Asanai Station is quite long, covering 301.5 km and taking about 6 hours. I'm truly impressed that Miyo and her mother managed to get through this long journey.
summary
"Departure, All Aboard!"The train journey depicted in
However, the illustrations, which are based on the author's research, are realistic and not overly sweet. If you ever have the chance to pick up this picture book, please take a look at the details of the illustrations as well as the story
As this is the last point, I'll add a side note. "Proceed to depart" is aphrase uttered by the train driver to confirm that the departure signal is green, meaning the departure signal indicating whether or not departure is permitted is green.
It is not a phrase that expresses enthusiasm like "Let's get going!" I hope you will remember it as a bit of trivia
![00001963-6](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== "The history of the Yamada Line, where people were asked, "Are you planning to let even monkeys ride?" [Iwate Prefecture]")
![00001963-6](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/00001963-6-150x150.jpg.webp "The history of the Yamada Line, where people were asked, "Are you planning to let even monkeys ride?" [Iwate Prefecture]")
![26797907_l](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/26797907_l-150x150.jpg.webp "The history of the Tohoku region's first express train, "Hatsukari"")
