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Many trains operate in circular routes on lines such as Tokyo's Yamanote Line, Osaka Prefecture's Osaka Loop Line, and Aichi Prefecture's Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line. This means that if you board a train at one station, it will make a full circuit of the line, allowing you to return to the station where you boarded (whether there is any point in riding in this way and how fares are calculated in that case are separate issues). there were several circulating trains " that departed from a starting station, traveled across several lines, and eventually returned to the starting station Sotoyama " and " Goyo " that we will introduce here
What are the circular trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo"?
The "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains were introduced in 1965 and were initially classified as "semi-express" trains. The following year, in 1966, they were upgraded to "express" trains.
"Sotoyama" is the general name for the mountains in the northeastern part of Morioka. The name "Goyo" is thought to come from Mount Goyo, which towers in the southeastern part of Iwate Prefecture. Both names are derived from mountains in Iwate Prefecture.
Here's the route of the Sotoyama. It starts at Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, travels east on the Yamada Line, and arrives at Miyako Station. After arriving at Miyako Station, it continues south along the Pacific coast to Kamaishi Station. The section from Miyako Station to Kamaishi Station has been part of the Sanriku Railway's Rias Line since 2019, but at the time, this section was also part of the JNR Yamada Line.
From Kamaishi Station, take the Kamaishi Line and head to Hanamaki Station
The Kamaishi Line (or more accurately, its predecessor, the Iwate Light Railway) is said to have been the inspiration for "Night on the Galactic Railroad," a novel written by Miyazawa Kenji, a writer from Hanamaki. SL Ginga, based on the theme of "Night on the Galactic Railroad, " was in operation on the Kamaishi Line. However, it will cease operation in June 2023, much to the regret of many.
From Hanamaki Station, the train heads north on the Tohoku Main Line and returns to Morioka Station, which is its terminus. This train starts and ends at the same station . Trains like this are called circulating trains
The route of the "Goyo" is the reverse of the route of the "Sotoyama", that is, counterclockwise. The journey time from the first departure to the last destination of the "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" was about 6 hours.
Routes of "Sotoyama" and "Goyo"
What kind of people used it?
Riding a circular train until it completes one full rotation is probably not the purpose of the journey. The same goes for the "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains; it seems unlikely that people would normally board at Morioka Station and get off there. So, what kind of people used these circular trains? For example, people who wanted to go from Morioka to Miyako, people who wanted to go from Miyako to Kamaishi, and people who wanted to go from Kamaishi or Hanamaki to Morioka. In other words, the passengers on the trains changed many times during the journey.
One could also say that the "Sotoyama" was a train that connected an express train that ran from Morioka to Kamaishi via Miyako, and another express train that ran from Kamaishi to Morioka via Hanamaki, all into one train. It was probably more efficient for the JNR, which operated the service, to run one train rather than separate also beneficial for passengers who wanted to travel across multiple lines (for example, a passenger traveling from Moichi Station on the Yamada Line to Tono Station on the Kamaishi Line) because they could stay on one train for the entire journey.
Is this train useful for people who want to take the trouble to go the long way around?
Apart from the practical advantages already mentioned, trains like the Sotoyama were also useful for people who wanted to take the long way around
The late travel writer Shunzo Miyawaki wrote a book called The Longest One-Way Ticket Journey The longest one-way ticket is the ticket that covers the longest route among all the one-way tickets that can be issued under the rules of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and JR. This journey involves repeatedly taking long detours on JNR lines all over Japan, while avoiding passing through the same station twice. The route Miyawaki took on the longest one-way ticket in the fall of 1978 was 13,319.4 kilometers.
In the process of carrying out this journey, Miyawaki needed to travel from Morioka Station to Hanamaki Station via the Yamada Line and Kamaishi Line. The Sotoyama was the perfect train for this circuitous journey, as it allowed him to travel from Morioka Station to Hanamaki Station without having to change trains along the way. And Miyawaki actually rode this train.
This train is convenient for those in a hurry to travel on the longest one-way ticket route, and I decided not to get off at either Miyako or Kamaishi, but to ride the entire U-shaped train all the way to Hanamaki. Shortly after departure, the conductor passed by, and I said, "Can I have an express ticket to Hanamaki, please?" "What? Sir, this goes around Miyako," the conductor said, sounding shocked. It takes less than 30 minutes to get to Hanamaki on the Tohoku Main Line express train. However, this express train via Miyako and Kamaishi takes five hours and 18 minutes, so it's no wonder the conductor was surprised. ("The Longest One-Way Ticket Journey," Shincho Bunko, pages 131-132)
Looking at the timetable at the time, the Sotoyama departed Morioka Station at 8:58 AM, arrived at Miyako Station at 11:07 AM, and at Kamaishi Station at 12:21 PM, arriving at Hanamaki Station at 2:16 PM. It arrived at Morioka Station at 2:50 PM. Meanwhile, the Tohoku Main Line express train, Kurikoma No. 2, departing Morioka for Sendai, departed Morioka Station at 9:20 AM and arrived at Hanamaki Station at 9:47 AM. Taking the extra time and paying the higher fare and express fare to travel from Morioka to Hanamaki rather than via the Tohoku Main Line was completely unreasonable, as the conductor's reaction shows. However, for people like Mr. Miyawaki, the Sotoyama was a useful train. If trains like this still existed, people like railway YouTubers might find various ways to enjoy them.
Discontinued with the full-scale opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen
With the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982, the limited express and rapid trains running on conventional lines in the Tohoku region were significantly reorganized and reduced. As a result, the "Goyo" was discontinued in the November timetable revision. The "Sotoyama" retained its name, but was downgraded to a rapid train and its operating area was shortened to between Morioka Station and Miyako Station (just to be clear, this train does not take a detour and simply travels on the Yamada Line). It can be said that the "Sotoyama" express train before the revision is a different train, with the only difference being the name.
With the timetable revision in March 1985, the limited express "Rias" began operating between Morioka Station and Miyako Station, with fewer stops than the "Sotoyama." Eventually, all rapid trains between Morioka Station and Miyako Station were unified under the "Rias," and the "Sotoyama" was discontinued, bringing an end to its history.
The Reiwa circular train that was lost
The circular express trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" were discontinued during the Showa era, but in 2024, the Reiwa era, they will be revived as special rapid trains
JR East announced in May that the " Goyo 1Goyo 2 " will depart Kamaishi, passing through Miyako Sotoyama 1 " will depart Morioka, passing through Miyako, bound for Kamaishi, and the " Sotoyama 2 " will depart Kamaishi, , bound for Morioka. The 2024 "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" trains were initially scheduled as separate trains, with Kamaishi Station as the dividing line. However, the timetable allows passengers to transfer between the "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" trains (presumably the trains used on the "Sotoyama 1" were planned to continue on the "Sotoyama 2" train), effectively reviving the circular express service of the JNR era. The trains also attracted attention by running between Kamaishi Station and Miyako Station, which is now under the control of Sanriku Railway.
JR East's Kiha 110 series diesel railcar used for special express trains (pictured is the rapid "Rias" train)
Unfortunately, this circular train of the Reiwa era would end up being a dream. The Yamada Line was damaged in the heavy rains of August, which occurred after the announcement of the special rapid service, and it took time to resume service. The special rapid services "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" did operate, but since they could not use the Yamada Line and could not operate as a circular service, their route was shortened from Morioka Station to Miyako Station via Hanamaki Station and Kamaishi Station. While the route of the "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" was no longer a reproduction of the original, I felt that it was a reproduction of the "Rikuchu" route. Another highlight, the running of JR's Kiha 110 series diesel railcars on the Sanriku Railway Line, was also successfully realized.
![00001963-6](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/00001963-6-150x150.jpg.webp "The Yamada Line's path was asked, "Are you planning to ride a monkey?" [Iwate Prefecture]")
![OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/27308568_l-150x150.jpg.webp "The extremely complicated operational form of "Rikuchu" that once existed express train is a legendary story [Iwate Prefecture]")
![Akita-relay](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Akita-relay-150x150.jpg.webp "Abolished after just one year!? The unusual express train "Akita Relay" [Iwate Prefecture and Akita Prefecture]")
