The Kominato Line in Ichihara Metropolis, Chiba Prefecture, which has been working since 1917, is certainly one of Japan’s most well-known native railway strains. It makes use of vintage-style diesel vehicles all manufactured within the 1960s and 70s, and the trains have one carriage, at most two, excluding the Satoyama Torokko, a reproduction of a steam locomotive which consists of 4 carriages.
For a comparatively brief distance of 39.1 kilometers, the Kominato Line runs by 18 quaint stations, a lot of them unmanned and fairly outdated. In truth, the Kominato Line and plenty of of its stations have been named a Registered Tangible Cultural Property and have additionally gained a Good Design Award in 2017.
An fascinating little bit of trivia: In case you’re a karaoke fan and frequent karaoke institutions in Japan, you might acknowledge the Kominato Line’s attribute pink and cream-colored carriages for the reason that line makes frequent appearances within the background of karaoke movies to evoke nostalgia for outdated instances or nation life.
As we have launched earlier than in grape Japan, the Kominato Line gives an exquisite day-trip from Tokyo. Not solely are you able to go to such locations as Takataki Lake, the Ichihara Lakeside Museum, or the attractive Yoro Ravine, it’s also possible to see the discovery site of a geological stratum known as Chibanian, which will get its title from Chiba Prefecture, and is accessible from Tsukizaki Station.
The world’s largest outside rest room
Whether or not you are headed all the way in which to Yoro Ravine or to see the Chibanian discovery web site, one cease we suggest alongside the way in which is Itabu Station 飯給駅 (the one earlier than Tsukizaki Station). Why? Properly, you might discover it handy for a loo break, however earlier than you roll you eyes and marvel why we’d even point out that, it is the toilet itself that deserves your consideration. That is no peculiar rest room.
Located simply minutes from Itabu Station, this rest room, designed by architect Sou Fujimoto, is in actual fact a lush however secluded backyard measuring 200 sq. meters, and surrounded by a 2-meter-tall log roll fence for privateness.
Inside, the bathroom itself is inside a glass field, which you’ll be able to entry by the use of a small pathway. You possibly can benefit from the lush greenery of the backyard, which is especially scenic in Spring when yellow canola flowers bloom, or should you choose extra privateness, you’ll be able to shut the curtain throughout the bathroom.
Picture: Picture reproduced with permission from © Tetsuya Kazamatsuri 風祭哲哉 | travellovers.jp
The doorway to the enclosure surrounded by the log roll fence has a lock, so for all intents and functions, it has the identical privateness as a traditional rest room. Furthermore, this specific bathroom is just for girls however males are free to step contained in the backyard when it’s not occupied. There’s a multi-purpose bathroom which males can use at a separate however close by location.
Another excuse you will wish to cease by Itabu in Spring is that the unmanned station is known as a scenic spot for the above-mentioned canola flowers carpeting the bucolic fields on both aspect of the tracks with sunny vivid yellow. And should you’re actually fortunate, you’ll be able to even seize the double deal with of sakura timber bursting forth with gentle pastel pinks blooms in opposition to the backdrop of the Kominato Railway and the canola blossoms, as you’ll be able to see on this inventory picture beneath:
Picture: Yocchan hissatsu shigotonin | © PIXTA
To entry the location, take the JR Uchibo Line to Goi Station, switch to the native Kominato Line and get off at Itabu Station.
Picture: © DAJF / Wikimedia Commons
From Itabu Station, the toilet is lower than a minute’s stroll away.
Photographer Tetsuya Kazamatsuri
Photographs of this artwork set up / rest room have been graciously offered by photographer 風祭哲哉 Tetsuya Kazamatsuri, who focuses on journey images and writes for LINE Journey.jp. The pictures have been taken on Oct 24 with a SONY DSC-HX99.
If you would like to get pleasure from extra of his images, see the next hyperlinks:
Mr Kazamatsuri’s web site Travellovers.jp
Complete profile at Travellovers.jp (in Japanese)
Profile on LINE Journey.jp
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