Railway

How was the Tohoku region sung about in the third volume of the Railway Songs? (3) Ishikoshi (Miyagi) - Ichinohe (Iwate)

Following on from the previous article, this article will continue our discussion of the third volume of "Railway Songs," "Oshu/Iwaki Edition," released in 1900. The first article can be found here .

Last time, we explained the route from No. 24, which leads to Shiroishi Station in Miyagi Prefecture, to No. 31, which heads north along the Tohoku Main Line (*) to Nitta Station. This time, we will begin with No. 32, which takes us into Iwate Prefecture (please note that the pronunciation of stations in the lyrics' route is always included when they appear for the first time)

*At the time, the Tohoku Main Line was designated as the "Main Line" or "Oshu Line" by a private railway company called Nippon Tetsudo (Japan Railways). Also, the section from Morioka Station to Aomori Station is no longer part of the JR Tohoku Main Line, but is operated by a different railway company. However, for the sake of clarity, the section from Ueno Station to Aomori Station is referred to as the "Tohoku Main Line."

In creating this article, I referred to this website for the lyrics. Please note that more than 70 years have passed since the deaths of all the authors of the Railway Song, and the copyright has expired in many countries, including Japan and the United States

Number 32: Ishikoshi, Hanaizumi, Ichinoseki

The water flows through the stones of the river, and the waves scatter like flowers in the spring. From Ichinoseki to Rikuchu, it is said to be the former territory of Nanbu

(The kanji characters and kana spellings have been updated to reflect current usage.)

Ishikoshi Station

Leaving Nitta Station and crossing the Hasama River,Ishikoshi Station. The lyrics "The water flows over the stones of the river rapids" are thought to be a play on words, referring to the scene of the river water flowing "over the stones" and the name of Ishikoshi Station.

Currently, Ishikoshi Station is only served by the Tohoku Main Line, but from 1921 to 2007, it was possible to transfer to another line. The line's name and management changed several times, and when it was discontinued in 2007, itcalled the Kurihara Den'en Railway Line. It connected Ishikoshi Station to Hosokura Mine Park-mae Station, a distance of 25.7 km.

Links – NHK Archives

This line played an important role in passenger transport and ore transportation from mines, but from around 1970, the number of passengers and freight gradually declined, and it was reluctantly closed in 2007. After its closure, the station buildings and other structures were removed except for Wakayanagi Station and Hosokura Mine Park Station, but the tracks remain almost exactly as they were when the line was abandoned

Additionally, the site of the former Wakayanagi Station has been developed into the "Kurihara Rural Railway Park," and the locomotives and freight cars that were used on the line are preserved in static display in front of the former terminal station, Hosokura Mine Park-mae Station

Kurihara Rural Railway Park is a complex facility consisting of the Kuriden Museum, the former Kuriden Wakayanagi Station, and the Kuriden Lawn Plaza. Visitors can learn about the history of the Kurihara Rural Railway through exhibits andeven drive (reservations required) some of the trains that were actually used.

Kurihara Rural Railway Park<Information>

  • Name: Kurihara Rural Railway Park Kuriden Museum
  • Address: 17-1 Kawakita Tsukanone, Wakayanagi, Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture 989-5501
  • Phone number: 0228-24-7961
  • Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:00 PM)
  • Closed on: Tuesdays and during the New Year holidays (if Tuesday is a public holiday, closed the following day)
  • Official URL:[Official] Kuriden Museum

Google Map

Hanaizumi Station

After passing Ishikoshi Station, the train crosses the Natsukawa River. This Natsukawa River marks the border between Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture. The first station after entering Iwate Prefecture is currently Yushima, but it was not yet open in 1900. The first station at that timeHanaizumi.

The lyrics "Sakichiru Nami" (falling waves) may describe the scenery of the Kinryu River, which flows near Hanaizumi Station, but it is also泉thought to be a phrase that relates to the station name, Hanaizumi.

Ichinoseki Station

At that time, the next station after Hanaizumi was Ichinoseki. Not only were there no stations between Hanaizumi and Ichinoseki, but the route was also different from what it is today. A new line opened in October 1924, changing the route to its current one

Both the old and new routes return to Miyagi Prefecture before re-entering Iwate Prefecture. The new line passes near Arikabe-juku on the Oshu Kaido road in the section that runs through Miyagi Prefecture, and Arikabe Station opened at the same time as the new line opened. Crossing the prefectural border north of Arikabe Station, you re-enter Iwate Prefecture, and after traveling another 6 km north, you reach Ichinoseki Station

Ichinoseki Station is currently a major station in the southern part of Iwate Prefecture, served not only by the Tohoku Main Line but also by the Ofunato Line (opened in 1925) and the Tohoku Shinkansen (opened in 1982)

Ichinoseki Station
Ichinoseki Station

In the lyrics, the "no" is written in hiragana as "Ichinoseki". I don't know if the official spelling of the station name at the time was in hiragana, but it's probably just a variation in spelling

Incidentally, the municipality where the station is located was "Ichinoseki-machi" at the time, and is now "Ichinoseki-shi," and the official spelling in both cases does not include "no" or "no."

Ichinoseki City Hall
Ichinoseki City Hall

The name "Ichinoseki" is often thought to originate from the fact that "there was a first checkpoint here," but no documents have been found to support this claim. Furthermore, even if a checkpoint is indeed the origin of the name Ichinoseki, there are various theories as to "when" and "who" established that checkpoint.

Another theory suggests that the name originates from the fact that the first "weir" was built to prevent the Kitakami River from flooding

Isn't Ichinoseki part of the former Date clan's territory?

The "Rikuchu" mentioned in the lyrics generally refers to present-day Iwate Prefecture. However, there are differences from present-day Iwate Prefecture, such as the fact that the southeastern and northwestern parts of present-day Iwate Prefecture were not included in Rikuchu, while the northeastern part of Akita Prefecture was included

The "Nanbu" in the lyrics "the former territory of Nanbu" does not refer to the southern part of Iwate Prefecture (or Mutsu Province) . It refers to the Nanbu clan , who at one point during the Sengoku period ruled over a vast area encompassing almost all of present-day Iwate and Aomori Prefectures, as well as the northeastern part of Akita Prefecture

The territory was so vast that a haiku was even composed about it: "Until the crescent moon becomes full, it's still the Nanbu territory" (even if you enter the Nanbu territory on the day of the crescent moon, it will still be the Nanbu territory when it becomes a full moon) (however, it has been pointed out that this haiku may have been created around the Meiji era).The territory that the Nanbu clan ruled during the Edo periodis called the "Nanbu region.

One might think that the Nanbu territory begins around Ichinoseki Station... but looking at the history of Ichinoseki, it seems that during the Sengoku period, Ichinoseki was initially ruled by the Kasai clan, and afterwards it becamethe territory of the Date clan, who were the rulers of southern Oshu, rather than the Nanbu clan, who were the rulers of northern Oshu. During the Edo period, Ichinoseki was the castle town of the Ichinoseki Domain, a branch domain of the Sendai Domain, and the lord of the Ichinoseki Domain was a member of the Date clan.

I am not sure if Ichinoseki was ever part of the Nanbu domain, but at least generally speaking, I believe that Ichinoseki is not considered to be the former territory of the Nanbu clan (and therefore the content of the Railway Song must be judged as incorrect)

No. 33: Hiraizumi

The battle between Abe no Sadatō and Yoshiie took place at Koromogawa. Those who wish to see the Golden Hall should stay here in Hiraizumi

The next station after Ichinoseki, Yamanome, was not yet open at the time, so the next stationHiraizumi.

Minamoto no Yoshiie, a warrior of the Minamoto clan

Abe Sadatō (1019-1062) andYoshiie, also known as Minamoto no Yoshiie(1039-1106), were both military commanders of the Heian period. The "battle" between Abe Sadatō and Minamoto no Yoshiie likely refers to the "Former Nine Years' War" (c. 1050-1062), in which Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (988-1075), who was appointed governor of Mutsu Province, and his eldest son Yoshiie, among others, destroyed the Abe clan, a powerful family in Ōshū Province.

Minamoto no Yoshiie (from the "Illustrated Scroll of the Former Nine Years' War" / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)
Minamoto no Yoshiie (from the "Illustrated Scroll of the Former Nine Years' War" /Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain)

However, the leader of the Minamoto clan in the Former Nine Years' War was ultimately his father, Yoriyoshi. So why are the lyrics of the song describing the Former Nine Years' War as a battle between the Abe clan and Yoshiie? I can only think that it's because Yoshiie was the warrior who received a higher reputation in later generations

Furthermore, tracing the lineage of Yoshiieleads to figures who significantly shaped later Japanese history, such as Minamoto no Yoritomo and Ashikaga Takauji.

On the other hand, Yoshimitsu, the third son of Yoriyoshi, was the founder of the Kai Genji clan andan ancestor of Takeda Shingen and the Nanbu clan.

The Koromogawa River is a tributary of the Kitakami River (more on the Kitakami River later) that flows about 1.5 km north of Hiraizumi Station. Until the late Heian period, it served as a border between forces loyal to the imperial court and the Emishi people who were not, and it is said that battles were fought around the Koromogawa River during the Former Nine Years' War

Chusonji Temple Golden Hall

"Konjikido" of course refers to the famous Konjikido (Golden Hall) of Chūson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi. It was built in 1124 by Fujiwara no Kiyohira (1056-1128), the first head of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan

Chusonji Temple Golden Hall

Kiyohira, who emerged victorious from the Later Three Years' War (1083-1087) and established the Oshu Fujiwara clan, built a temple to comfort the souls of those who died in the two wars in Oshu (the Former Nine Years' War and the Later Three Years' War), regardless of whether they were friend or foe,to build an ideal and peaceful society in Oshu based on Buddhism.

The Oshu Fujiwara clan enjoyed a century of prosperity before their downfall. Subsequently, many of the buildings of Chuson-ji Temple were lost due to dilapidation and fire, and only the Konjiki-do (Golden Hall) remains in its original state. Full-scale repairs to the Konjiki-do began in the Meiji era, and it was not until 1962, during the Showa era, that it regained its original golden splendor

In 2011,Chūson-ji Temple and its Golden Hallwere registered as a World Cultural Heritage site as part of "Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Land." The culture of Hiraizumi, which arose 900 years ago through the ideas of the Ōshū Fujiwara clan, is now being shared with the world.

Chūson-ji Temple<Informatoin>

Google Map

The lyrics say, "Those who wish to see the Golden Hall should come here to Hiraizumi," but in realityabout 2kmaway from Hiraizumi Station (although for people in the Meiji era, this might not have seemed like "about" that far...). Currently, if you're using public transportation, it's generally recommended to take a bus or taxi from either Hiraizumi Station or Ichinoseki Station, where the Tohoku Shinkansen stops.

Number 34: Morioka

Seven or eight stations pass by; the mountains are beautiful and the fields are vast; with the Kitakami River on our right, where exactly are we headed? Morioka City

Stations south of Morioka whose names don't even come up

The stations on the Tohoku Main Line after leaving Hiraizumi are currently Maesawa, Rikuchu-Orii (not yet open at the time), Mizusawa, Kanegasaki, Rokuhara (not yet open at the time), Kitakami (then called Kurosawajiri), Murasakino (not yet open at the time), Hanamaki, Hanamaki Airport (not yet open at the time), Ishidoriya, Hizume, Shiwa-Chuo (not yet open at the time), Furudate (not yet open at the time), Yahaba, Iwate-Iioka (not yet open at the time), Senbokucho (not yet open at the time),Morioka. The distance from Hiraizumi Station to Morioka Station is approximately 80 km.

As I wrote in number 32, "Ichinoseki was not part of the former Nanbu territory," and indeed, the southern part of present-day Iwate Prefecture was part of the Date territory. The area around Rokuhara Station in Kanegasaki Town was the northern limit of the Date domain, so in terms of stations, the former Nanbu territory would have started from Kurosawajiri (present-day Kitakami)

Morioka Station
Morioka Station

In 1900 alone, there were nine stations in operation: Maezawa, Mizusawa, Kanegasaki, Kurosawajiri (now Kitakami), Hanamaki, Ishidoriya, Hizume, Yahaba, and Morioka. In addition, there were post towns along the Oshu Kaido road near these stations, specifically Maezawa, Mizusawa, Kanegasaki, Kurosawajiri, Hanamaki, Ishidoriya, Hizume-Koriyama, and Morioka

However, the Railway Song only says "seven or eight stations pass by,"not only failing to mention the names of the stations between Hiraizumi and Morioka, but alsoleaving the number of stations ambiguous (although it may be intended to be clear that there are eight stations because the last number mentioned is eight). As for the scenery along the railway line, it only mentions mountains, fields, and the Kitakami River.

To be honest, I'm wondering, what's the deal with this?! Does this mean there wasn't much to write lyrics about in Mizusawa, Kurosawajiri, or Hanamaki?

...or so I thought, but Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933), who was from Hanamaki and is now treated like a great figure from Iwate Prefecture, was still a toddler at the time. In present-day Iwate Prefecture, you can see Kenji Miyazawa and the Galaxy Express everywhere, but that was completely unthinkable back then

And it would be 94 years later before Shohei Ohtani, who hails from Mizusawa City (now Oshu City) and became the ace pitcher for Hanamaki Higashi High School's baseball team (though his later achievements are undeniably far greater), was born

As for what famous places were along the railway line in 1900... I'm very sorry to say that the only place I could think of was Hanamaki Onsen

Incidentally, there was a period when trains ran from Hanamaki Station to hot spring resorts

Links – NHK Archives

The Kitakami River, the mother river of Iwate Prefecture

From around Hiraizumi Station, the Tohoku Main Linethe Kitakami Riverflows on the right. The Kitakami River flows from north to south through the central part of Iwate Prefecture and empties into Oppa Bay in Ishinomaki City, eastern Miyagi Prefecture. It is 249 km long, making it the 5th longest river in Japan, and its drainage basin is 10,150 square kilometers, making it the 4th largest in Japan.Both of these figures make it the largest river in the Tohoku region.

The Kitakami River basin includes major cities in Iwate Prefecture such as Takizawa, Morioka, Hanamaki, Kitakami, Oshu, and Ichinoseki, andthe mother river of Iwate Prefecture. It also flows through Ishinomaki, the second most populous city in Miyagi Prefecture, and is sometimes referred to as the mother river in Ishinomaki as well.

The name Kitakami River is said to originate from "the river that flows through Hitakami Province." Hitakami Province is described in the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) as "a country in the east," and although its exact location is unclear, it is believed to be a region beyond the reach of the imperial court at the time, effectively the northern part of the Tohoku region. It is said that "Hitakami" gradually became "Kitakami," and eventually the kanji characters "北上" (Kitakami) were adopted to represent it.

There is a legend associated with Yuhazu-no-Izumi, the spring believed to be the source of the water. During the Former Nine Years' War, when Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Yoshiie advanced into Oshu, Yoshiie shot an arrow, and when he dug with the end of his bow, water gushed forth, quenching the thirst of his soldiers

The train travels north against the current of the Kitakami River and arrives in Morioka

Number 35: Morioka

Habutae silk cloth and iron kettles are known as products of the city. The name of the horses of Nanbu is more famous than the peaks of the Iwade Mountains

What kind of textiles are produced in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture?

Before explaining the "habutae-ori" (a type of silk fabric) mentioned at the beginning, there is something that needs to be made clear

  • It is true that textiles are among the crafts of Iwate Prefecture and Morioka City
  • However, that fabric is (most likely) not "habutae weave"

Iwate's textile industry was established in the early modern period, and includes cotton textiles such as "tsumugi" and wool textiles such as "homespun." The Iwate Prefecture website states that Nanbu tsumugi and Nanbu chirimen were highly regarded in Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the late Edo period, a little earlier than that. Among these, homespun, which is woven from wool spun and introduced from England, appears to be the textile for which Morioka is the main production area

On the other hand, Habutae weaving refers to a type of fabric where the warp threads are not a single thread of the same thickness as the weft threads, but rathertwo thinner threads. Although this weaving method has existed since ancient times, it seems that it came to be called "Habutae weaving" after the Meiji era.

The main production areas for Habutae silk fabricare Fukui Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, Kawamata Town in Fukushima Prefecture, Gosen City in Niigata Prefecture, and the Kiryu region of Gunma Prefecture. There were no instances (other than those based on the lyrics of the Railway Song) that listed Iwate Prefecture as a production area (although proving that something "doesn't exist" is difficult... it's what you might call proving a negative).

On a personal note, I had just visited Fukui Prefecture in August 2026, so when I saw these lyrics, my immediate thought was, "No, when you say habutae silk, you mean Fukui, right...?"

Furthermore, since the aforementioned Iwate Prefecture website makes no mention of Habutae silk fabric, it is highly likely that Iwate Prefecture, the party directly involved, does not consider Habutae silk fabric to be an Iwate Prefecture textile

Therefore, I believe the lyric "Habutae silk is a product of Morioka City" is highly likely to be incorrect. Following verse 32, this article has now pointed out two errors, but since this was not an era where fact-checking could be done quickly using the internet, it may have been somewhat unavoidable

(Of course, I have carefully checked the sources for this article, but I cannot rule out the possibility of errors.)

Nambu ironware

On the other hand, "iron kettle" almost certainly refers to " Nambu ironware ."

Nambu ironware is a type of ironware that developed under the protection of the Morioka Domain (Nanbu Domain) during the Edo period. While ironware developed in what is now Oshu City is also called Nambu ironware, it developed under the protection of the Sendai Domain (Date Domain) and therefore has a different origin. In 1975, Nambu ironware was designated a traditional craft by the Japanese government

Nambu ironware
Nambu ironware

The name "Nanbu" in Nanbu ironware originates from the Nanbu clan, which was mentioned in number 32. In particular,the Nanbu clan ruled over what is now Iwate Prefecture and eastern Aomori Prefecture as the lords of the Morioka Domain, making Morioka their base of operations. Furthermore, the famous Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933), who served as Under-Secretary-General of the League of Nations and the first president of Tokyo Women's University, was born in Morioka as the son of a Morioka Domain samurai.

Mount Iwate and Nanbu horses

Next upMount Iwate, located in the northwestern part of Iwate Prefecture. With an elevation of 2,038 meters, it is the highest peak in Iwate Prefecture. As evidenced by its other names such as Iwate Fuji and Nanbu Fuji, it is a symbolic mountain of Iwate Prefecture.

The Kitakami River and Mount Iwate flowing through Morioka City
The Kitakami River and Mount Iwate flowing through Morioka City

However, the lyrics state thatthe "name of the horse from Nanbu" is more important than Mount Iwate. The Nanbu region has long flourished as a horse-breeding area. It is said that the Nanbu clan, who came from Kai (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture), crossbred horses from Kai with local horses to create Nanbu horses, which were larger than horses from other regions.

During the Edo period, several ranches operated by the Morioka domain were established within the domain. By thoroughly managing bloodlines and restricting the outflow of high-quality horses and the influx of horses from other domains, the Nanbu horse brand was preserved

However, the ranches that raised these Nanbu horses were mainly located in the Kuji area of ​​northeastern Iwate Prefecture, or in Aomori Prefecture. It is important to note that Morioka was merely the central city of the Morioka Domain during the Edo period, and not a place where famous horses were produced

With the arrival of the Meiji era, the demand for Nanbu horses increased for farming, carriages, and military purposes. In particular, the army used horses for cavalry and transportation, so the production of military horses became a national policy, and the Nanbu region became a major source of military horses

However, in order to improve the breed to make them suitable for military service, crossbreeding with foreign horses was carried out, and purebred Nanbu horses became extinct around the early Showa period

The connection between the Nanbu region and horse racing

The culture of the Nanbu region, which was a horse breeding area, also shows connections to the origins of horse racing.Western-style horse racing began in Iwate Prefecture in 1884,making it the third prefecture in Japan to host it, after Yokohama and Tokyo.

And the Koiwai Farm , which spans Shizukuishi Town and Takizawa City in Iwate Prefecture and is still known today as a tourist destination and dairy product production area , was a major producer of thoroughbreds before the war. In particular, the name of "Saint Lite" (1938-1965), born at the Koiwai Farm and the first Triple Crown winner in Japanese horse racing history in 1941 , shines brightly in the history of Japanese horse racing.

Saint Lite, the first horse to win the Triple Crown in Japanese horse racing (Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain)
Saint Lite, the first horse in Japanese horse racing to win the Triple Crown (Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain)

The Koiwai Farm was established in 1891as compensation for the destruction of much farmland due to the construction of railways such as the Tohoku Main Line. The farm was created by reclaiming barren land. The combination of a ranch born out of railway construction and the traditional culture of the Nanbu region resulted in the birth of the first Triple Crown winner in history. It makes us realize once again that history is woven together by the intertwining of various elements.

Koiwai Farm and Mount Iwate
Koiwai Farm and Mount Iwate

No. 36: Kōma, Kawaguchi (present-day Iwate Kawaguchi), Numakunai (present-day Iwate Numakunai), Nakayama (present-day Okunakayama Plateau), Kotoriya, Ichinoto (present-day Ichinohe)

Kōma, Kawaguchi, Numakunai, Nakayama, Kozuya, Ichinohe, the local dialect changes as time goes by, and it's fascinating

The current Morioka-Metoki section is operated by the third-sector IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway

The section of the line beyond Morioka Station is no longer part of the JR Tohoku Main Line, but is operated by a third-sector company called IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway (a company jointly funded by local governments and private companies) . The original JR Tohoku Main Line terminated at Aomori Station, but when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended from Morioka Station to Hachinohe Station in 2002, the section of the Tohoku Main Line from Morioka Station to Hachinohe Station was separated from JR and transferred to a third-sector company.

IGR stands for the initials of "Iwate Galaxy Railway ," not "Iwate Ginga Railway"! The name "Galaxy Railway" naturally comes from "Night on the Galactic Railroad," written by Kenji Miyazawa, who was from Iwate Prefecture

Currently, the IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway line runs from Morioka Station to Metoki Station in Aomori Prefecture, while the section from Metoki Station to Aomori Station is operated by a different company called the "Aoimori Railway."

Kōmo Station

The current Iwate Galaxy Railway line has stations spaced approximately 2-4 km apart after leaving Morioka Station. However, back then, the next station after Morioka wasKōma. Although Kōma is now a station served by the JR Hanawa Line, the Hanawa Line opened in 1914, so at that time it was a station solely on the Tōhoku Main Line.

One of the stations between Morioka and Kōma that was not yet open at the time was Shibutami Station, which opened in 1950.In the first article, I mentioned that there is a monument to the poet Ishikawa Takuboku (1886-1912) on the ground-level platform of Ueno Station, and thearea around Shibutami Station is Takuboku's hometown. Since 2019, Shibutami Station has been given the sub-station name "Takuboku's Hometown." It is also the closest station to the Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum.

Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum

However, Shibutami Station opened afterTakuboku's death. The station Takuboku used during his lifetime was the neighboring Kōma Station to the north.

Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum<Information>

  • Name: Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum
  • Address: 9 Shibutami, Shibutami, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture 028-4132
  • Phone number: 019-683-2315
  • Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)
  • Closed days: Every Monday (or the following weekday if Monday is a public holiday), New Year holidays (December 29th to January 3rd), and occasional temporary closures for facility maintenance and inspections
  • Official URL:Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum / Morioka City Tamayama Historical and Folk Museum

Google Map

Kawaguchi, Numakunai, Nakayama, Kotoriya, Ichinoto

After Kōma, the route continues through Kawaguchi (present-day Iwate-Kawaguchi), Numakunai (present-day Iwate-Numakunai), Nakayama (present-day Okunakayama-Kōgen), Kozuya, and Ichinohe (present-day Ichinohe). Although it's just a list of station names, all the stations that were already in operation at the time, from Kōma to Ichinohe, are included without being omitted.Why didn't route 34 even list these station names...?

The Kitakami River, which runs parallel to the Tohoku Main Line from around Hiraizumi Station, separates from the current Mido Station and Okunakayama Kogen Station

It's probably well-known that there's a city called Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, and earlier we mentioned the station name Ichinohe. Other place names in this area include Ninohe, Sannohe, Shichinohe, and Kunohe. However, there is no Yonnohe (at least not in current place names)

Are the dialects of Morioka and Ichinohe different?

The lyrics list train stations and theninteresting the changing local dialects are. I agree with this idea.

When I was younger, I used to travel long distances using the Seishun 18 Ticket (a ticket that allows unlimited rides on JR local and rapid trains). Long-distance local trains like those of the era of the Railway Song no longer exist, so you have to change trains one after another to get around

Then, the language spoken by the surrounding passengers began to change to the local dialect . Although I was traveling a long distance, most of the passengers on the local train were locals (of course, during the season when the Seishun 18 Ticket is valid, there would be many passengers using the 18 Ticket), so it was only natural that the passengers would speak the local language. However, experiencing it firsthand, I realized that this was an experience that you could never get on a Shinkansen or airplane trip

However,the distance from Morioka Station to Ichinohe Station is only about 65km. If Morioka and Ichinohe were separated by mountains, like Miyako on the Pacific coast, then I could understand the difference in language, but is it really possible that the language spoken by passengers in Morioka and Ichinohe would be so different?

I wondered if perhaps Morioka was part of the Morioka Domain, as its name suggests, while Ichinohe was part of the Hachinohe Domain, which was established during the Edo period, and that's why the names are different. I looked into it, but that wasn't the case;Ninohe District, to which Ichinohe Town belongs,was also part of the Morioka Domain throughout the Edo period. However, when Mutsu Province was divided in 1869, Morioka became part of Rikuchu Province, while Ninohe District became part of Rikuo Province.

According to the dialect division map of Iwate Prefecture, Morioka City belongs to the "Central Dialect District," while Ninohe District belongs to the "Northern Dialect District," meaning they are in different divisions. The Northern Dialect is said to be a mixture of the three dialects, possessing elements of the Central Dialect while being influenced by the dialects of neighboring Aomori and Akita Prefectures

However, the differences between the central and northern dialects of Iwate Prefecture seem to be small compared to other dialects within the prefecture. I think the differences are so subtle that even locals might not notice them

Alternatively, the lyrics of song number 36might be telling completely different stories in the first and second halves. The first half simply lists station names, while the second halfexpresses how interesting it is that the way people speak has changed compared to when the train was running through Utsunomiya, Fukushima, or Sendai. The feelings expressed in the second half are exactly the same as those I had during my own 18-ticket journey.

I've come up with a somewhat forced interpretation, but since it says "as time passes by the first door," itthe first and second halves of the lyrics are connected. I'd really like to hear the true intentions of the lyricist, Kenki Owada.

You cannot ride the IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway with the Seishun 18 Ticket

As a side note, I mentioned earlier that I use the Seishun 18 Ticket for travel. However, the section from Morioka Station to Aomori Station, passing through Ichinohe Station and Hachinohe Station, is currently operated by the IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway or Aoimori Railway, in other words, it is not a JR line, sothe Seishun 18 Ticket cannot be used there, with a few exceptions. For example, please note that you cannot use the Seishun 18 Ticket to travel from Morioka to Hachinohe, or from Hachinohe to Misawa.

The exception iswhen you travel via the Aoimori Railway line between Hachinohe and Aomori, and then transfer to JR lines. For example, if you travel on the JR Hachinohe Line from Hon-Hachinohe Station to Hachinohe Station, the Aoimori Railway line from Hachinohe Station to Aomori Station, and the JR Ou Main Line from Aomori Station to Hirosaki Station, you can use the Seishun 18 Ticket. However, youcannot get off at any stations on the Aoimori Railway line other than Hachinohe, Noheji, and Aomori.

Reference:Discount tickets: JR East

Finally, we're heading to Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost point of Honshu

The train runs through Iwate Prefecture for quite a distance beyond Ichinohoe Station, and there was also a station called Fukuoka, which corresponds to the current Ninohe Station. However, it doesn't appear in the song, and the lyrics of verse 37 suddenly begin with a song about Aomori Prefecture

That's all for today

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