Kosaka Railroad: A Second Chance for a Discontinued Railway

This station is located in Kosaka Town in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan.

Welcome!

People standing on the platform, taking commemorative photos in front of a train seems like an ordinary scene for a rural railway.

But it's actually a tourist spot, developed around a discontinued railway.

Here, visitors can enjoy rides on "trolley trains" and "rail bikes" using the rails left on site.

It's also a popular place for school excursions.

Today, students from a local elementary school are here on a field trip.

Visitors can enjoy various attractions in the park, and learn about the history of the discontinued railway by checking out the preserved trains on display.

In today's program, we are taking a look at the former Kosaka Railroad in Akita Prefecture, that's using a discontinued railway as a tourist resource.

Kosaka Railroad was a private railway company that operated on the 22.3km line between Kosaka Town and Odate City in Akita Prefecture.

The railroad itself was run by a mining company that transported silver and ore from the Kosaka Mine since the 1800s.

Opening in 1909, Kosaka Railroad operated both freight and passenger services for the employees of the mine and local residents.

Hitting its peak in the 1970s, ridership began to decline as more and more people opted to drive.

This continued until 1994, when Kosaka Railroad finally suspended passenger operations.

The line continued to run freight operations, transporting concentrated sulfuric acid from the mine's refinery.

But when the production came to an end, so did the freight operation.

Kosaka Railroad was discontinued in 2009.

The mining company gave the abandoned facilities and all of the rail to the local governments of Kosaka Town and Odate City, which were served by the railroad.

Then, in 2014, five years after the line's closure, Kosaka Town opened a tourist facility, Kosaka Railroad Park, at the former Kosaka Station.

Kosaka Town, which is facing a declining population, decided to use the remaining railroad to attract tourists and revitalize the town.

The wooden station building, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan, is the park's entrance.

It's almost exactly the same as it was when the station first opened in 1909.

In the waiting room, a timetable and a list of fares from when the train was in service hangs on the wall.

Visitors purchase admission tickets at the old-fashioned ticket office.

At the ticket gate, a staff member clips the sturdy ticket.

On the roughly 35,000 square meters of park, vehicles that tell the history of Kosaka Railroad are on display.

This steam locomotive was
used on Kosaka Railroad.

It was in operation until around 1962.

This 1926 steam locomotive is coupled to a passenger car that was used exclusively by noble guests.

It was used even by the Japanese imperial family when they visited Kosaka Mine in 1921.

This Russell Car was manufactured in 1935.

It is an essential vehicle for the snowy Kosaka Railroad.

Currently preserved in moving condition, the vehicle is used to clear snow from the rails.

This vehicle was used mainly
for freight transportation.

Currently, there are three of them on display.

This diesel locomotive remained in service until the railway was discontinued.

The triple coupled locomotives pulled the long tank cars.

All aboard!

Visitors can also try driving this diesel locomotive, an experience that's been popular since the park opened.

After a brief explanation from the driver, participants can start driving right away on the 500m track.

It's a unique experience. It's not something
you can do every day.

Unfortunately, the vehicle used for the driving experience went without maintenance from April 2020 to February of this year because the park was closed due to the pandemic.

On July 8th, a test run of the locomotive was being conducted to check its maintenance status.

Thankfully, no defects were found.

Kosaka Town is home to historical buildings built during the prosperous mining era.

This building is the former Kosaka Mine Office.

Built in 1905, it has been preserved as a museum.

This playhouse was built in 1910 to entertain the mine workers.

Plays are still performed here every month.

Both have been designated Important Cultural properties of Japan.

Kosaka Town has been using these industrial heritage sites as tourist facilities to promote tourism.

However, there was only one hotel in town so most tourists coming on bus tours or by car could only visit for the day.

Kosaka Town wanted to encourage tourists to stay longer.

They came up with the idea of using a disused "Blue Train."

The plan was to use the sleeper train as a hotel.

The "Akebono" was a sleeper express train that operated between Ueno in Tokyo and Aomori Stations, and between Ueno and Akita Stations.

The famous train carried many passengers over the years.

However, it ended regular service in 2015.

The town purchased four cars that were a part of the "Akebono" sleeper express from JR for 2.6 million yen.

Transportation costs were covered by government subsidies.

In May 2015, the hotel "Blue Train Akebono" opened at Kosaka Railroad Park.

One benefit of being a guest at the hotel is a short ride on the sleeper train, displayed in the exhibition hall during the day, to the platform where they will stay that night.

Although the trip is only 300m, riding on a running "Akebono" is a rare experience.

There are two types of guest rooms available.

Type A is a private room that can accommodate two people.

A bunk folds down making two beds.

Type B is a smaller, one-person private room.

A former JR conductor makes onboard announcements to create the atmosphere of a sleeper train, just like back in the day.

"For passengers traveling on to Hokkaido, the boarding list for the Seikan Ferry
will be distributed after departure."

It was so much fun. A dream come true.

I was nervous at first but
I got a good night's sleep.

They played the sound of
the train running, so it really felt like we were
on a sleeper train.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the hotel suspended service in April 2020.

Currently, the train is undergoing maintenance in preparation for its reopening.

We are in the process of maintaining the
cars, but they are old so it takes time.

We hope to reopen the hotel soon.

We asked someone from the Tourism Industry Division of Kosaka Town for their thoughts.

Kosaka Town will continue to embrace the modernization
heritage left by the Kosaka Mine, including Kosaka Railroad, making
it a mainstay of tourism.

To that end, we will maintain and preserve the
town's heritage sites for as long as possible.

Blue Train Akebono as a hotel, and then the diesel train driving experience- those ones are bound to be highlights at the Railroad Park.

Now Ryo, 22km of the track has been preserved, right?

Usually they would take out the rails and sell them, is that correct?

Yes, that's right.

The rails are usually sold and also the track bed will be converted to something else, like a foot path or bicycle road or something like that.

But removing the rails and maintaining the sites in such a way will also cost money, so, the mining company that used to operate the Kosaka Railroad decided to make an offer to the local governments:

- to give the entire railway facility free of charge.
- Free of charge?

Yes, and Kosaka Town and Odate City, which are the two local governments along the railway, decided to accept the offer in the hope of utilizing the railway for the benefit of the local communities, somehow, someday.

And so, they kept the entire 22km— Yes, and this decision by these local governments made it really really easy to open this Kosaka Railroad Park.

So Kosaka Railroad Park is also maintained and preserved with the help of supporters.

So, let's find out what these supporters are doing.

Kosaka Railroad Park attracts many railfans and families, especially on holidays.

Around the park, people in uniform can be seen providing hospitality to tourists; working at the ticket gate, guiding passengers, and taking commemorative photos.

Watch your step.

Thank you.

This is the accelerator, just like in a car.

Turn it this way and the train accelerates.

While they appear to be park staff, they are actually volunteers from the Kosaka Railroad Preservation Society.

The preservation society, which now has 25 members, were originally fans of Kosaka Railroad.

One year, they helped organize an event that took place after passenger services were discontinued.

This led to the association forming.

Since some of the members are railroad workers, they help maintain the preserved cars, teach driving lessons,

and guide visitors around the park on a voluntary basis.

There's a changing room inside the park for members of the Railroad Preservation Society.

Today, eight members from across Japan have gathered to help maintain and clean the premises before the summer holidays, when the tourists come.

They split up into groups and go to work.

Here, members are cleaning inside the train depot.

They clean the exhibits and other items that visitors can touch with their hands.

Out on the track, members remove the rust from the manual points.

And paint is reapplied on the buffer stops.

Vehicle restoration is another important activity of the preservation society.

This freight car, built in 1962, had been left as it was since the railway was discontinued.

The preservation society spent six months restoring it to its original condition by removing rust and repairing the window in the conductor's compartment.

As a final touch, the vehicle is numbered and adorned with the newly made plate.

It's vital for the region to preserve
and utilize our industrial heritage.

The trains are already old by the
time we start working on them.

The challenge is preserving
them in that condition.

So the Preservation Society members are volunteers, but it's thanks to them that the railway is preserved a long time after the line has been discontinued, right?

Yes, and utilizing these used railways is being done in many different places in Japan, for example, the walking tours along the former track beds are really popular.

But in the case of Kosaka Railroad Park, the facility is very large in scale and also the station buildings, vehicles, etc. are really well preserved.

I think these are great.

So Ryo, in theory, if the tracks are still preserved, could we in the future revive the railway?

Well in theory, yes, but considering all the legal and technical requirements, it's not as straightforward as one might think.

But it's much much easier if there is the preserved infrastructure in such a way.

I think, this is actually keeping the dream alive, if you like.

Keeping the dream alive, I like that.

Now let's have a look over at Odate City, a neighbor of Kosaka Town, and they're using the remaining rails for a tourist attraction.

From Kosaka Station, just over the mountain pass and 10km into Odate City, another section of the discontinued line is being used as a recreational facility.

This is Odate-Kosaka Railroad Bike.

A rail bike is kind of like a regular bike, but on rails.

This facility was started by local volunteers in 2011, two years after the entire line was discontinued.

They established a non-profit organization, in an effort to revitalize the community and to utilize the railway heritage.

There are pedal-powered bikes for two or four people and an electric-assist bike like this.

This is a trolley type pulled by a motor car.

It's a fun attraction that people of all ages, from small children to the elderly, can enjoy.

Visitors listen while a staff member gives instructions, then they take a commemorative photo.

At the sound of the whistle, it's time head off.

All aboard!

The two 2km, one-way courses take visitors through a forest tunnel and across a steel bridge more than 10 meters high, overlooking a beautiful river valley.

Currently, there are only two courses but the volunteers plan to add new courses in the future.

The scenery was amazing. It was
more fun than I expected.

We came here just for this.

It was worth coming.

It was quite fast. I thought it would
be hot but the breeze was lovely.

It was nice!

10km west of Odate-Kosaka Railroad Bike is the former Kosaka Railway's Odate Station, which used to connect to the JR Ou Main Line.

The "Akita Dog Visitor Center" is a tourist facility that opened in 2019.

The Akita dog breed is a national treasure.

The most famous is Hachiko, whose bronze statue stands in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo.

This old vehicle was also located in front of Shibuya Station.

It was used as a tourist information center before it was relocated here, passed on by Shibuya City because of its connection to Hachiko.

This facility has also turned the old tracks into a tourist attraction.

Here, visitors can experience riding a handcar.

Facing each other, two people work the lever up and down to move the vehicle forward.

Although this section of track is only 500m long, it's a fun ride for kids with some bumpy sections and crossings.

It was fun!

So much fun!

I enjoyed the ride. I want to go again.

This kind of thing is quite rare.

We asked Odate City's tourism manager about using the discontinued railway line.

Odate City is making the most
of the abandoned line left by Kosaka Railroad by operating
"rail bikes" and "handcars."

It costs money to preserve these legacies.

We hope by using them, we will be
able to continue maintaining them.

That looked like a fun experience! I would love to visit one day.

Well, looking at railways as the valuable industrial heritage, I think it's best if they are preserved in running order just like many heritage railways in the UK are successfully operating.

And the second best will be to preserve it in the museum of some kind.

But I think this is also really nice because you can feel it, you can touch it, and this experience will give you the memory that you can take back with.

Thanks to that, new generations can make new memories in those areas, right?

But also at the same time, I personally hope that Japan's railways will continue to run strong.

I couldn't agree more.

Railway Topics.

On June 11th, JR Hokkaido's tourist train "Furano Biei Norokko-go" began operation on the Furano Line.

At 10:00 a.m., the train departs from Asahikawa Station, pulled by a lavender-colored diesel locomotive.

The "Norokko-go" runs through Furano City, famous for its lavender fields, and the beautiful hills of Biei Town.

The train slows down as it approaches scenic spots along the way.

I've ridden it many times.
I can't get enough.

The breeze is nice.

Furano Biei Norokko-go is scheduled to run until August.

On July 4, Tsugaru Railway, which runs through Aomori Prefecture, began running a "Wind-chime Train" to welcome the arrival of summer.

Tsugaru Railway installed wind chimes made of local ceramics inside its trains so passengers could listen to the cool, soothing sound during the hot summer months.

The ceramic wind chimes make a gentle sound as the train moves.

It's very summery.

The wind-chimes compliment the scenery.
They make the trip even more special.

Passengers enjoy views of the countryside while listening to the wind chimes.