{"id":4419,"date":"2020-12-28T17:53:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T08:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/holistic-hobbies-in-japan-railfanning\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:34:14","slug":"holistic-hobbies-in-japan-railfanning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/holistic-hobbies-in-japan-railfanning\/","title":{"rendered":"Holistic Hobbies in Japan: Railfanning"},"content":{"rendered":"

This another in a series of wellness articles we\u2019re producing in order to both introduce some new ways to enjoy Japan while keeping social distance during these times as well as help keep mental well-being.<\/em><\/p>\n

No doubt you\u2019ve noticed the many<\/a> articles<\/a> in<\/a> this<\/a> publication<\/a> explaining how to use Japan\u2019s very convenient and sometimes extremely complicated public transport systems. At the heart of that network are the rail lines that fan out from most major cities into a spiderweb of steel rails and electrical overhead lines. The backbone of this network is, of course, are the famous Shinkansen \u201cBullet Train\u201d lines, the world\u2019s first and still safest (by record) high-speed train network. Backing them up are hundreds of smaller local, commuter, and interurban lines that run a slower pace, but are equally dependable and used daily by millions of people every day. The operations of which are wildly variable, from the maybe few times a day one-car, \u201cwanman \u30ef\u30f3\u30de\u30f3<\/em>\u201d (one-man) operated trains that are found in the countryside<\/a> that are little more than a long bus route on rails, with stations that are little more than a signpost, a vending machine and a concrete pad, to the 15-car heavy commuter trains that include Green Car<\/em> reserved seating double-decked carriages<\/a> and of course must be operated with both an engineer, a conductor and porters, calling on Shinjuku, Tokyo, Ueno and Shinagawa stations around Greater Tokyo. In both cases, my fascination comes from how these lines are kept running in down-to-the-second precision. It also helps me with my photography hobby as well as understanding where life in my part of Japan is headed because Japan depends on its passenger trains in the same sense that the United States depends on its Interstate highways and passenger airplanes to move people and cargo around.<\/p>\n

What is \u201crail fanning\u201d then?<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The official definition from Wikipedia:<\/p>\n

\u201dA railfan, rail buff or train buff; railway enthusiast or railway buff; trainspotter or ferroequinologist, is a person interested, recreationally, in rail transport\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2026But my definition would also include:<\/p>\n

\u201danyone who goes out of their way to understand how rail transport systems work, is in awe of their design, and would like to document their travels around and aboard them.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However you approach the hobby \u2014 taking photos, modeling the railroads, reading and watching rail-related media \u2014 you can get into the hobby pretty easily, and Japan is perhaps the best place in all Asia to do it. If you\u2019re here already, then no doubt you\u2019ve seen random people standing at the ends of platforms or at railroad crossings all with expensive camera gear in tow. They\u2019re gathered for the sighting of a rare train, or just because the season is right and it\u2019ll make for a good photo. And hey, that photo might just end up in the official calendar next year because most rail companies have photo contests for that very reason.<\/p>\n\n

What can you learn from the hobby?<\/h3>\n

I suppose the answer to that question is as varied as the individual it\u2019s posed to. I<\/em> have learned specifically how many of Japan\u2019s cities were reshaped when railroading came to Japan from the UK and US in the late 1800s and how they were used as a tool to spur rebuilding after WWII and ushered in the concept of \u201csuburban living\u201d in the same vein as how the Interstates did the same to 1950s and \u201860s America. I also see how they are creating new ideas around \u201cdestination stations\u201d and \u201clive\/work\/play\u201d areas<\/a> in the metropolitan areas. There\u2019s also kind of a really good feeling I get to see big changes happen, like the whole Shibuya Station complex I\u2019ve been able to photograph over the past almost-decade. I feel more connected to this area even though I\u2019m a foreigner because I\u2019m able to share in this experience literally millions of native Tokyoites are going through at the same moment.<\/p>\n

How easy is it to get into rail fanning in Japan?<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s super easy once you stop thinking about the imaginary barriers; You really only need to have a very rudimentary knowledge of Japanese since the
\ninternet and Google Translate<\/a> will help you out these days. You can even check out the most official railfan club in Japan<\/a> as they always make a concerted effort to reach out to English speaking train nerds. There\u2019s also a burgeoning community of expats and Japanese rail fans who gather online to swap stories and talk about upcoming events and sightings; a list of which is appended to the end of this article. You also don\u2019t need expensive camera equipment (though it does help in some cases.) I get by with using my 3-year-old iPhone to snap many of the photos you\u2019re seeing in this article. A better camera will have better \u201cglass\u201d and faster speeds to get better snaps when in questionable lighting scenarios like station interiors and nighttime of course.<\/p>\n

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\"\"But what about social distance, avoiding enclosed spaces, and so on?<\/h3>\n

Of course, all through the current COVID-19 crisis, special precautions must be taken for almost every aspect of public life, and railfanning is no exception.<\/p>\n