Ryu Takahashi

The Ikoma Cable Car — Japan's Oldest Commercial Funicular Opened in 1918, the Ikoma Cable Car is Japan's oldest commercial funicular railway still in operation. The line connects Kintetsu Ikoma Station with Hozanji Temple and...

Issued: July 2026 Contents Editorial, Chairman’s Chat, Letters ················ 3 Great Japanese Railway Journeys ·················· 5 News Update ·········································· 7 The JRS Presented an HO Layout at Shizuoka Granship ············ 14 Type 129 EMUs ···································· 16 Notes on the History of Kyoto Narrow...

The Enoden — A Railway Woven into Everyday Life The Enoshima Electric Railway, affectionately known as the Enoden, has connected the coastal communities between Fujisawa and Kamakura for more than a century.Despite its modest length...

The Iida Line — A Railway Through Quiet Valleys Running for nearly 200 kilometers through the mountains of central Japan, the Iida Line connects small communities across Aichi, Shizuoka, and Nagano Prefectures.Known for its dense...

Issued: May 2026 Contents Editorial, Chairman’s Chat, Letters ················ 3 News Update ·········································· 6 ‘Hakobyun’ Freight Shinkansen ················· 11 10 Years of the Shinkansen from Hakodate to Tokyo ·········· 12 Update on Sendai Area Trains ···················· 16 KiHa 40 Ride on the...

KiHa 40 DMUs on the Yamaguchi Line The KiHa 40 series diesel multiple units, introduced by Japanese National Railways in the late 1970s, remain in regular service on rural lines across Japan. On the Yamaguchi Line—an...

The Freight Trains of Tōkaidō Main Line On the Tōkaidō Main Line in the early morning, just before it gets crowded with commuter trains, freight trains arrive one after another from the west.These trains head...

SL 'Taiju' During the New Year holidays, 1st to 3rd January, the Tobu Railway made eight runs (four round trips) of its themed steam special named 'SL Taiju' ('SL' denotes Steam Locomotive and 'Taiju' denotes...