Launching Over Japan

If you happen to be a fan of the Japanese railways, then you should  know about what is coming up on March 18, 2007. This is what they call the ダイヤ改正（daiya kaisei), or “The Annual Schedule Change” as it is known in English. It appears to be the day when JR changes their train schedules. This year, they are also making all of the shinkansen cars non smoking. This is pretty ground breaking for Japan and something I welcome.  There is nothing worse than walking through a smokey shinkansen car on the way to your seat. It’s akin to being in a narrow bingo hall.

March 18th also has some local ramifications in my area. My local line, the Hanawa line, is changing the train it uses.  Up until the change, I had the luxury of riding on the Kiha 52 and Kiha 58 trains; both of which have their origins in the late 50’s to 60’s.  They are big and loud, but when you ride on them, you can feel the history. I’m a little saddened to announce that JR is switching to the Kiha 110. This puke green wonder has it’s origins in the early 90’s and was the train I used to ride when I lived in Senmaya. I’m sure JR has it’s reasons for the change. I can bet those older models are getting really expensive to maintain.  Still, I feel privileged to have been able to ride those classic engines.

On a final note, if you are living in Japan, and want to see what March 18th has in store for you, be sure to head to your local train station and ask. They have all the information on the change.