The plan for today was to catch the train along the Kamaishi Line from Kamaishi to Morioka, then up the Hanawa Line to Odate, the Ou Main Line to Owani Onsen, the Konan Owani Line to Hirosaki and do a side trip on the other Konan Line and back, spending the night in Hirosaki. I’ve ridden neither the Hanawa Line or the Konan Lines and the latter’s Owani Line is scheduled to close next year.
I wake at 6.15 AM, get ready and go down at 6.30 am for my first “viking” of the trip. Supposedly inspired by Scandinavian smorgasbords, the viking is basically your standard hotel hot buffet breakfast with a Japanese twist. In other words, the sausages are really tiny.
Oh, and there’s usually miso soup, the salads are Japanese style with sesame dressing options, there’s grilled fish, melon pan (sweet rockmelon shaped buns), pickles, natto and a few other things, in this case apple and cream pancakes. I prefer it to your standard Australian hotel hot breakfast.
Then I check out. It’s snowing outside, flakes dancing in the gentle currents of the morning air, against the glow of the new day coming. The snow is not dense on the ground. I’m not outside long, for the JR station is next door. The Hamayuri 2 service to Morioka. This three car KiHa110 DMU has one car of reserved seats. It’s decorated with decals outside and, number 110-2, I suspect it’s the second car of the type in service.
Initially we follow the Kasshi River through a broad valley, the morning sun giving the diffuse snow clouds a golden glow. Then we head into the mountains, crossing the same range as yesterday, but further south. I don’t realize how high we go until I look down at one point and see a railway line far below in the valley. Where does that go, I wonder? It doesn’t look abandoned.
Then I realise that it was us. There is a big kink in the line and in that time it rises a huge altitude.
The land levels out as we approach Tono, town of the kappa spirits. We rode the train from Shin-Hanamaki to Tono long ago to explore the legends of the kappa. These water spirits like to eat children and cucumbers, but is you bow to them, they must bow back out of politeness, which spills the water from their bowl shaped top of their head, draining their powers.
I wanted to stay at Tono, in their Folkloro hotel at the station, but it is closed now.
The patches of blue sky give a different appearance to the thick fresh snow of the farmlands and the houses.
We pass under Shin-Hanamaki, the Shinkansen station in the middle of almost nowhere that I have a fondness after being stuck there with the others for an hour or so waiting for our ride. There’s a ramen restaurant in the station, a convenience store and another that sells rice crackers. Aside from the cafe across the road, nothing else.
But I am worried, distracted. The heavy snow falls mean that parts of the Hanawa and Ou lines are closed or delayed and the Koran Owani line is also shut for the day. There’s no guarantee that the latter will be open tomorrow either.
I check to see if I can bring my Chiba itinerary forward a day, but it proves unfeasible. Can I do the entire Sanriku Line, including the BRT down to Ichinoseki? Yes, but I don’t want to get in so late. I’m tired and it’s still early in the day.
What I can do is go up to Kuji via Hachinohe and travel from there down to Miyako and return to Morioka via the Yamada Line. Sure I just did that yesterday, but the timing works and I’ll have seen almost the entire Sanriku Line except for the bit between Kamaishi and Sakari.
Okay! I reach Morioka, cancel the Shinkansen from Aomori tomorrow, book the one to Hachinohe today. I haven’t got accommodation in Morioka yet. Maybe I want to go on from there somewhere? I don’t know yet.
I have a little time in Morioka, so I dump my big backpack in a locker and explore the station area, mainly the attached Fesen shopping area. There are so many nice looking omiyage snacks. I buy a couple, some bakery items from Vie de France, then jump aboard the Shinkansen north to Hachinohe, up through the snow and tunnels. We have to stop in one briefly, probably due to a snow related issue.
In Hachinohe I have to quickly change to the local train, a two car EMU, to Kuji on the Hachinohe Line. Lucky I get a good seat on the left facing forwards, because I know where the view is. I’m joined by a nice young couple from Guangzhou. He has a big Hasselblad camera, she has a DJI gimbal setup, but neither seem to use them much.
I just have my phones and a little Sony RX100-M3 with a dodgy lens cover.
We set out a little late. The first two stops are suburban Hachinohe, passengers stepping out into the thick snow, further snow drifting down. Then we are out towards the port, housing a chikuwa fish cake manufacturer and other industries.
The line now follows the coast, the big Kabushima shrine sitting upon a rocky peninsula. The coast is known for its large grey coastal rock formations. These can be glimpsed through the gaps in the pines and other trees that line the coast. They are all topped with the white of snow, stretching out on top of the sand, covering the beaches. The seas are flat and grey, the sky white with snow clouds. But it is still dramatically scenic.
By the end of the line at Kuji, the sky has mostly cleared. I cross over to the Sanriku Railway platform, board the train, taking a ticket from the box near the driver. The interior is the same bright red and wood as yesterday, a very cheerful and clean cabin.
The first part of the line is inland. The snow is lighter here, the sky mostly blue. The coast is hidden from the towns by great concrete sea walls, flood gates protecting the mouths of the rivers. Protecting them from a flood from the sea.
I wonder if this is our greenhouse future, though here it is protection against tsunamis. Many buildings look new, built post the 2011 disaster.
Then the coast comes properly into view and the tsunami is a visual one as we run right along the edge above the water, views of the bays, the beaches, the rock formations. The train stops on a couple of bridges, famous for their views, commentary provided in English as well as Japanese.
Now I do not regret the happenstance that prevented me from heading inland. All I regret is that I am not sharing this with the others.
At Miyako I pay the driver for my ticket before crossing the platform to the waiting set of two green and white JR KiHa110s. The same service that delivered me to Miyako yesterday is ready to return to Morioka.
The scenery of the Yamada Line is still spectacular in the waning light of day. The thin crescent of the Moon overlooks the mountains, sharp in the freezing skies.
The train sounds a shrill whistle before entering each tunnel, but also to warn off shika deer on the tracks. I have seen them a few times over the past couple of days. Bucks with huge antlers, does without.
There are a few loud clunks of snow being knocked off the roof as we pass through the tunnels.
Darkness falls as we rise into the mountains. Now and then the bright lights of a petrol station or a shop in a town. Once we pass the peak for our downhill run into Morioka, the weather turns nasty with a snow blizzard outside.
Inside, I am warm and rather sleepy. I nod off for a while, comfortable in this local train.
We make it to Morioka and I am ready to stop here. I can barely keep my eyes open. I have booked a hotel room close to the station, but I still need to brave the snow to reach it.
I drop off my bags, then head out for dinner. Might as well get it over and done with. I think I spot the Cantonese couple in the lift going down as I head up.
I’m too tired, too cold to go hunting through the city. The local all-you-can-eat Wanko Soba is not for me tonight. Instead, I find a Tsukemen Kazu restaurant and have a really nice bowl of their noodles.
Then back to the room. Recharge everything, talk to the family and take advantage of Chromecast on the Sony television. Disappointed they just decided to partner with TCL with televisions, another Japan brand losing to China, reducing the diversity of options.
I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bit later tomorrow. Now to have a rain shower and a bath. I’m liking this room!