20141009-20141016 Japan : Location Hunt - Yuritetsu ゆりてつ


All the digital photos were taken with Canon EOS 5D Mk.II with EF 24-105 F4 L IS USM lens,
5616 x 3744 Fine Mode, scaled down to 786 x 524 for internet access, and 282 x 188 for thumbnails.
Please click on the thumbnail images to see the larger version.
 
Yuritetsu ゆりてつ
Yuritetsu ゆりてつ is the short form of Yuritetsu Shiritsu Yurigasaki Joshikou Tetsudoubu ゆりてつ 私立百合ヶ咲女子高鉄道部, a 4 volume manga series by Matsuyama Seiji 松山せいじ between Apr 2011 and Nov 2013.
In the last story plot of the manga, the club went to Yurikougen Tetsudou 由利高原鉄道, in which the short form is also Yuritetsu ゆりてつ.
The railway company join force with the manga and have one of their train cars wrapped in Yuritetsu ゆりてつ characters starting 19 Apr 2014.
The main characters are Hino Hatsune 日野はつね, Noto Mamiko 能登まみこ, Ishizuka Maron 石塚まろん, Tsurumi Hakutsuru 鶴見はくつる, Takizawa Konomi 滝沢このみ, and Kasuga Sakura 春日さくら.
Akita-ken Yurihonjou-shi 秋田県由利本荘市 - Yurikougen Tetsudou 由利高原鉄道
Yurikougen Tetsudou 由利高原鉄道 Choukaisanroku Line 鳥海山ろく線 is a 23km local train line connecting Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅 and Yashima station 矢島駅.
Each day, a particular train service called Magokoro Ressha まごころ列車 will have attendants called Obako おばこ wearing traditional local costumes manning the service.
This train line is one of the handful working train lines in Japan still using manual Railways Block System (safety system to ensure only 1 train exists in a particular section of the line) with Staff and Tablet as tokens.

The nearest train stations are Ugohonjou station / Yashima station 羽後本荘駅/矢島駅 of Yurikougen Tetsudou 由利高原鉄道 Choukaisanroku Line 鳥海山ろく線.
Magokoro Ressha まごころ列車 arriving Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅 The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car
The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car
The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car with Magokoro Ressha まごころ列車 head mark The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car Main characters in Obako おばこ costumes
Hino Hatsune 日野はつね and Noto Mamiko 能登まみこ Yuritetsu ゆりてつ Ishizuka Maron 石塚まろん
Tsurumi Hakutsuru 鶴見はくつる Kasuga Sakura 春日さくら Takizawa Konomi 滝沢このみ
The Yuritetsu ゆりてつ wrapping car The Magokoro Ressha まごころ列車 Interior
Interior Interior Interior
Interior Interior Interior poster introducing the Staff and Tablet the railway line used
Interior display of the manga cover Interior display of the manga cover Interior display of the manga cover
Interior display of the manga cover Interior Interior display introducing the characters - Kasuga Sakura 春日さくら
Interior display introducing the characters - Hino Hatsune 日野はつね and Noto Mamiko 能登まみこ Interior display introducing the characters - Takizawa Konomi 滝沢このみ Interior display introducing the characters - Tsurumi Hakutsuru 鶴見はくつる
Interior display introducing the characters - Ishizuka Maron 石塚まろん At Maegou station 前郷駅 (Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅 to Yashima station 矢島駅 direction), Station Master retrieve the Staff (the smaller loop in his right hand) and deliver the Tablet (the larger loop in his left hand) to the train driver Interior display showing all the manga volumes written by Matsuyama Seiji 松山せいじ
Interior display promoting manga volumes written by Matsuyama Seiji 松山せいじ Interior : numbered ticket 整理券 issue machine Interior : Obako おばこ Yuritetsu ゆりてつ head mark
Obako おばこ attendant manning the service Obako おばこ attendant manning the service Train arrived at the Yashima station 矢島駅, with the head mark changed back to the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ one.
Obako おばこ attendant in front of the Magokoro Ressha まごころ car The other side of the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ car The other side of the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ car
The other side of the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ car The other side of the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ car The other side of the Yuritetsu ゆりてつ car at Yashima station 矢島駅
At Maegou station 前郷駅 (Yashima station 矢島駅 to Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅 direction), Station Master retrieve the Tablet from the train driver At Maegou station 前郷駅 (Yashima station 矢島駅 to Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅 direction), Station Master deliver the Staff to the train driver Obako おばこ attendants at Ugohonjou station 羽後本荘駅. This is not the Magokoro Ressha まごころ service, but a special service to a Chinese speaking tour group