Hakodate Motomachi again!

by Kazu

 I jogged around the bay area and Motomachi area  of Hakodate City. The area was shining with the illumination and the lighting up. We would have to get up early in the morning the next day.

 

The new cases of Omicron infection got on the upward trajectory after we came back from Hakodate City. I did not expect such  upsurge of the infection, so I was lucky to be able to jog around Motomachi Area again on that day.

The lighting of the former public house in Motomachi area  seemed to be brighter than the day before. 

I am wondering when we will be able to visit there next time.

 

Back to Hakodate!

by Kazu

 We were back to Shin-Aomori Station to take the bullet train to go back to Hakodate. Almost nobody was on the platform in the station. 

The same design as the Tohoku Bullet Train covers Hokkaido area. The spearhead of the locomotive like the beak of kingfisher reduces the impact of the against wind and cuts down the electric power needed for the driving force. 

We were a little bit tired of sitting on the seat of the train but my wife seemed to be so happy happy after the train trip to the main island of Japan. I  was also very happy to see her satisfied with the train trip.

 

Lunch in the diner of the local station!

by Kazu

 My wife chose "Nabeyaki Udon" , sizzling pot of udon noodle soup for lunch. I took the seat just in front of the stove but it was more comfortable after having lunch of spicy hot noodle soup and perspiration.

We took the stove train again to go back to the southern end of Tsugaru Railway and to take the local train for the bullet train station. It required us the same amount of power as to go to southeast Asia.

My wife asked me to take the  photos of the sign board of each station. It would take a little bit more for me to get used to the manner of the railway mania.

 

The northern end of Tsugaru railway!

by Kazu

In the station building of the northern end of Tsugaru Railway, there were the miniature locomotive and the lantern figure for famous Nebuta Festival held in summer.

 The motif is the famous author Mr. Osamu Dazai who was born in Aomori and killed himself.

The station building was very small but a variety of unique items were displayed in it. The history of the

railway company privatized and was cut out from the national railway company. 

The author Osamu Dazai seemed to have been a so-called playboy with lovers at the same period. One  of them died with him unfortunately. 

I chose hot spicy noodle soup as lunch. 

 

Popular local railway for the mania in Japan!

by Kazu

The names of the stations were what I was not familiar with. It seemed that the sign board of the station was written by the famous artist or author born in Aomori Prefecture. 

We arrived the northern end of the local railway after watching enough the while paddy field from the windows of the stove train.

The name of the station was Nakazato. It may be the ideal hometown for everyone. Yes, most of the Japanese people have the image of typical hometown in rural area like this place. 

 

Tsugaru Local Railway!

by Kazu

 My wife seemed to be really enjoyed the short trip by the stove train of Tsugaru Railway Company. I expected the fluctuation of the temperature in the train before hand but it was beyond my forecast. 

 

It was very very hot just in front of the coal stove just after the coal was put into the stove. I took off my downjacket but it was still hot there. My face turned red.

The stove was very small but

 

Coal Stoves worked wonders!

by Kazu

 The conductor of the old-type train grilled the dried squid called "Surume" in Japanese for the passengers. She put cotton gloves  on her hands and press the squid on the lid of the stove. 

 

I was so worried about her hands but she started to cut the squid with her hands after it was warmed up amply.  She put the pieces of the squid into the plastic bag and handed it to the passenger who bought it. 

Originally, I planned to ask to grill the dried fins of ray but they were too sticky to put on the lid of the stove. So I bought the squid in the train and savored it with cans of beer.