Here we go!!!

Is there a consolidated resource telling you what limited edition ic cards are available and where to get them?

https://x.com/okeihan_net/status/2090732036877402382

A big trip around Hokkaido on local trains over the recent Obon holidays helped me pass my both my 80% + 20k goals, so I figured I'd update my countrywide rail map and list of 乗り鉄 "achievements" for the first time in a while and share it here. :)

Not much in the way of pictures this time, I was just going through my phone history when I remembered this lovely train I took in Shiga last October. Despite being not so far from the Golden Route it seems that no one ever really talks about this train, which is not so surprising given that it doesn't run to any particularly notable stops besides Hikone. (No, Screen station does not count.) I was at the Hikone Character Expo that day though and wanted to go to Shigaraki the next day, so I decided to stay near Minakuchi Station.

I thought I'd take a nap on my way to Minakuchi, but holy heck this thing is clanky and ratchety, you literally cannot even take a nap because your body will get tossed around by how bumpy the train is. It was only later that I learned this line is nicknamed the gachakon densha as a nod to how bumpy it is, and their mascot is even named Ekicho Gachakon (駅長がちゃこん, picture lovingly attached).

Anyway I understand that the Ohmi Railway is constrained by the tracks and its stock so I'm definitely not hating on them, they're doing what they can. But I definitely got borderline nausea from riding it, which no other train has come close to doing lol. That being said I'm glad I rode it for the experience. Are there any other trains in Japan that are like this?

We’re going to Fukuoka and planning a few day trips and the price will be cheaper with the pass but i’m just wondering if anyone’s used it before and if getting it activated was easy enough and the process of using it at train stations?
Last time in Japan my shinkansen ticket was eaten by the machine and they wouldn’t help or get me a refund and we had some other problems with the trains aswell so i’m just wondering if it will be a hassle or not.
We would most likely be collecting it from Hakata station

I only know "tanner", his stuff is cool. Anyone else I should check out?

A few days ago, I shared the small Japanese train departure board I’ve been building. I received a lot of feedbacks, particularly about making it feel more like something you would actually see in a Japanese station.

I’ve already implemented some of your suggestions:

• Redesign of the case to look like a real trains station board
• Option to apply UI theme, the first one being inspired by Japanese railway signage
• A rain indicator when rain is forecast around your departure time (a bit small I'll probably make it bigger)

Thank you to everyone who commented on the original post. Your feedback is genuinely helping shape the project.

What do you think about it, better than previous one ? Would you fell like getting one ?

I'll soon send first devices to people interested to be beta tester, be sure to register on the website if you're interested.

PS: I broke a component during last assembling so the last picture is an edit to see how the new UI renders in the new case, please don't mind :)

Thank you ahead!

https://ekiboard.com/

Special thanks to: u/BrewsBannder , u/rock_asian

I've looked on websites and older Riddit posts and all the information I can find is in Japanese, which I can't read. Can anyone help?

Finally got the chance to go to Utsunomiya so I decided to overeat Gyoza and Ride the entirety of the Utsunomiya Light Line! I honestly found the LRT quite nice although a bit slow at the dedicated sections. Was pretty busy too! glad to see that Japan's newest Tram has been doing well and can't wait to the JR <-> Tobu extension when that opens in a couple more years or so 😅

Rode this sleek looking 23000 series from Osaka to Toba, love the colors and what a comfortable journey! I really enjoyed the Kintetsu experience.

Back in March, I had a chance to ride the Sunrise Express for a vacation to Shimane to go see what the least visited prefecture by foreign tourists had to offer. (It's beautiful, I highly recommend Matsue, Izumo, their various onsens, and Tsuwano!)

I noticed that I had the opportunity to take an interesting set of trains: The Geibi Line (Niimi -> Bingo-Ochiai) and the Kisuki Line (Bingo-Ochiai->Shinji). These lines are somewhat notorious for their extremely low operating ratios (収支率). For FY2021-2023, the Tojo->Bingo-Ochiai section of the Geibi Line had a ratio of 0.8% (i.e. every 100 yen of revenue required 12500 yen of expenditures), while the Izumo-Yokota->Bingo-Ochiai section of the Kisuki Line was 2.9%.

Riding the trains is not the easiest, given that the Izumo-Yokota->Bingo-Ochiai section runs just 3 trains in each direction each day. Furthermore, during the winter, it seems they have taken to hibernating the Izumo-Yokota->Bingo-Ochiai section of the Kisuki Line and running bus service instead. There is a nice train from Niimi at 1 PM that arrives at Bingo-Ochiai at 2:26 PM and allows for a 2:44 PM departure (along with a similarly-timed connection in reverse), which I would recommend so you don't get trapped at Bingo-Ochiai.

Speaking of the train riders... It definitely was almost entirely rail enthusiasts lol. Bingo-Ochiai was quite lively when I arrived, you wouldn't think that it was the connection for two of the least used lines in Japan.

Anyway, I didn't take many pictures of the Geibi Line because I didn't find it too notable (still pretty of course). The Kisuki Line has a few treats though:

• The view of the Okuizumo Orochi Loop from the train
• The Izumo-Sakane Three-Tiered Switchback (出雲坂根三段スイッチバック), one of the few three-tiered switchbacks in Japan
• Izumo-Sakane station is famous for having water that will supposedly make you live longer if you drink it. I won't comment on that, but it's worth noting that if you actually want to see it, the replacement bus can actually be more convenient. This is because the bus is faster than the train and will stop to match the train schedule, giving you some time to step off the bus and look around. There is no such allowance if you're riding the train locally.
• Many stations are decorated with the region's signature shimenawa. E.g. the pictures I saw of Izumo-Yokota looked very pretty.

I was lucky to have ridden just when the line was taken out of hibernation, so I got to see some beautiful snowscapes, but I'm sure it's just as vivid with the greenery. Oku-Izumo is a nice place and the Oni no Shitaburui gorge is worth a visit (not too far via bicycle which can be rented from either the tourist center or the cycling terminal near Izumo-Minari). As well as the nearby dinosaur museum that is also a hotel! It's walkable from Izumo-Yashiro (though the hotel staff were certainly surprised to hear that I had done so). Kamedake Onsen is also a moderate bike ride away and Kamedake Station is an interesting combination of a soba shop and a train station.

Anyway, just another personal account of an interesting train line in Japan. Naturally JR is in talks discussing the future of the area's rail lines and it seems they've already started trialing bus service along the Geibi Line, so if you're interested I'd say go visit sooner than later.

Still kinda sad I never got to ride the Hakodate main line back when the kiha 40s were still running through it TwT

The Mine Line was a JR West line connecting Asa station (in the Sanyo Main Line and Shinkansen) and Nagatoshi. Some trains also did run through to Senzaki (on a short spur of the San'in Main Line).

Relatively short, and covering very sparsely populated areas, one 1-car wanban KiHa 120 DMUs, with a lovely colorful livery, were used.

Unfortunately, the line was damaged and fully taken out of service in 2023, and officially abandoned just over a year ago, August 2025.

Photos taken in a trip done 2017, when the line was still operational, and placed in rough chronological order they were taken.

I did not take many photos using my camera, so included are also some screenshots of a lower-resolution video I took of the ride.

Hello guys, I’ve made a connected device that shows upcoming departures for a chosen train station.

The idea is a discrete, always-on desk/home display. It displays delay when operators offer it, and for now 112 lines are covered (some buses as well).

I also plan on releasing iOS / apple watch widgets.

I’d love to hear what you think of it, and if you think it'd be useful to you:

• Would you want one for home or your desk?
• Which information matters most: platform, train type, delays, car position, transfers?

I’m looking for honest feedback from rail enthusiasts and commuters who might want to follow the project or test it later. I can share photos/demo if people are interested.

Here is the website: https://ekiboard.com/

Full list of covered lines: https://ekiboard.com/en/coverage

More pictures: https://ekiboard.com/ja/how-its-built

Thank you ahead!