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Since 1982, JR has been offering the "Youth 18" slow train ticket, which is mainly for student vacation travel, in three windows each year: February, July, and December, corresponding to spring, summer, and winter vacations, and each time a preview of the ticket goes on sale, it is accompanied by a poster, the Youth 18 poster. The "Youth 18" posters were released in February, July and December.
The style of the "Youth 18" posters has not always been the same, but has gone through a process of changing from "people" to "landscapes".
Early "Youth 18" posters, with today's aesthetics, do not have a sense of travel, or even more like ordinary family pictorials, most of the posters are portraits of people, such as some student groups, or mothers traveling with their children, or photos of the station or port.
These early posters could only be perceived as being related to family life, and the expression of train window views, plus the atmosphere of train travel, could only be described as rather thin.
This situation continued until 15 years later, in the summer of 1997, when the "Youth 18" posters finally began to change and gradually stabilized, forming another style of travel atmosphere that continues to this day - basically a distant view of the station, or overlooking the train traveling on the way and the railroad tracks extending into the distant landscape, the sky and earth in nature became the main characters, and the occasional characters were mostly shadows in the landscape.
Summer 1997, Shiretoko Shari Station, Kushina Main Line.
The "Youth 18" posters gradually turned traveling landscapes into a theme, and the world in the posters also revealed a sense of indescribable leisure, so that the moment one glanced at the posters, it was as if one could take a break from the busyness of everyday life and turn one's head to enter the world in the posters.
This change in style was probably due to the fact that JR began to use one photographer regularly after the 1990s. This photographer was Tomohide Gomeyama, whose famous quote in the Chinese world is: "The meaning of 'Youth 18' is to make people realize the existence of 'distance', and when you first see the scenery on those posters, you can't help but start to think about the way you want to look at it. can't help but start wondering how to get there."
Looking back at the posters now, the changed style did achieve the effect that Tomihide Gomezan had described. He has been the photographer for "Youth 18" since 1990, and the style of the posters has continued to this day.
In addition to the scenery on the poster, there are some unexpected beauties when traveling by slow train in Japan. For example, some of the Japanese countryside station platforms, repair has been used, can see the traces of age, and because Japan is a mountainous country, or island, these small stations often may also come with mountain or sea views, for travelers who have been living in the big city, this kind of small station travel atmosphere, will indeed give a person a kind of otherworldly beauty of the abstraction.
Winter 2000, Iuzan Line, Shimotan Station
Even if it is a small train station with a dilapidated appearance, the restrooms may have just been updated with automatic toilet doors and standard smart toilets, and there are most often convenience stores near the small stations.
Under the outdated appearance, the functionality of the station is seamlessly integrated with the convenience and comfort necessary for modern life, and I have to say that this is also the reason why most international tourists traveling by Japanese slow train get off at small stations in the countryside and walk around casually with a better impression.
🤗 Tohoku, Japan: Around Aomori
Gono Line 3 times
Ominato Line 2 times
Kitakami Line 2 times
Hanawa Line 2 times
Hachinohe Line 1 time
Spring 2002, Goneng Line, HORSEWOOD Station
The "Youth 18" poster route in Tohoku, in a word, is basically centered around Aomori.
The most famous of these routes, the Gonen Line, appears three times in the posters, the Ominato Line, the Kitakami Line, and the Hanawa Line twice each, and the Hachinohe Line once.
From Sendai to Aomori, if you take the "Youth 18", you can only go from Sendai to Akita on the Sea of Japan side, and then from Akita to Aomori, which is quite a detour. At that time, we thought of going to the Pacific Ocean side, and then from Sendai to Morioka (click here: Crossing Morioka), and then from Morioka to Miyako on the Yamada Line, and then to JR's national railroad, and then back to Tokyo. From Morioka, take the Yamada Line to Miyako, then take the private railroad to Kuji, then transfer to JR's national railroad, and go all the way to Aomori, and then take the Sea of Japan side south to Tokyo.
The private railroad to Kuji mentioned above is the Sanriku railroad that we've talked about a few times before in the Japanese morning drama "Haikyuu", and from Kuji to Hachinohe is the Hachinohe line that appears in the poster for "Youth 18".
Hachinohe Line
Summer 2019, Hachinohe Line, Sailor Station - Ruo Shirahama Station
Hachinohe is a seaport town known as a breeding ground for seagulls, and the local seafood market is one of the largest in all of Japan, with some nice scenery along the waterfront.
After arriving in Aomori, you can take a train northward, cross the Tsugaru Strait through the undersea tunnel to Hakodate, and then take a boat from Hakodate to the Shimokita Peninsula, where Aomori Oma is located. From Hakodate, take a boat to the Shimokita Peninsula, where Aomori Oma is located. Once on the Shimokita Peninsula, take a bus to Ominato Station, which is the starting point of the Ominato Line, and take it all the way to the final station, Nobeji Station. You can transfer to the Aomori Railroad and return to Aomori Station.
Ominato Line
Spring 2010, Ominato Line, Arato Station - Fukikoshi Station
If you take a train from Aomori Station and head towards Hirosaki, where cherry blossoms are famous, you will arrive at a station called "Kawabe", which is the starting point of the "Youth 18" poster Gono Line, which runs along the Sea of Japan and ends at Higashi Noshiro Station.
If you take the Gono Line, you can get off at Goshogawara Station in the middle of the Gono Line, and then take a round-trip ride on the private railroad's winter sightseeing train, the Warming Train, to experience grilled squid on the train and enjoy the winter atmosphere of the North, and then go to Noshiro!
Take the Gono Line, Kawabe to Goshogawara.
Gono Line, from Goshogawara to Tonnoshiro
Winter 2011, Gono Line, Fujisaki Station - Kawabe Station
Looking back at the three "Youth 18" poster routes along this section of the road, I think the ideal time to experience them is still in the fall. At this time around Aomori, whether it is the Japan Sea side of the port along the Gono Line, or Oma, Tsugaru Strait side, there will also be some out to sea tuna fishing boats, out of the sea, but also cozy.
If you are obsessed with seeing the leaves and want to take the above line, then wait until mid to late October, when the leaves are at their peak in the Oirase area.
Hanawa Line
Winter 2017, Hanawa Line, Goodmore Station - Odate Station
North on the line, from north to crosshanded
Summer 2007, Northbound Line, Yuda Kinju-ko - Hot Yuda Station
Hanawa Line, which is a section of railroad that runs from Morioka Hama Station to Akita Odate Station. The good thing about taking this line is that it passes through the famous Towada Hachimantai National Park in Tohoku, Japan, making it another fall foliage-viewing railroad line.
The Kitakami Upper Line is the line that runs from Kitakami Station all the way to Yokote Station in Akita. Walk this line, one is the spring north to see cherry blossoms, another is to go to Yokote in winter to experience the "Yukiya Festival", in Japan's national winter activities, Yokote, that is, the "Yukiya Festival" is the most famous.
🤗 Hokkaido: National Park Feeder Trains
Kushina Main Line 4 times
Nemuro Main Line 3 times
Hakodate Main Line 2 times
Furano Line 2 times
Muroran Main Line 2 times
Ishiboku Main Line 1 time
River valley rice paddies seen on the Furano Line
Of all the "Youth 18" posters, Hokkaido is the other region that appears most frequently, in addition to Kyushu. It is not difficult to see that the lower the population density of the place, the more likely the poster. After all, it is a train related to travel, the higher the population density, the more instrumental the train ride in the region to which it belongs, and naturally, the sense of comfort and slow travel during the journey will be less.
Nishinaka, a small station on the Furano Line
The railroad lines in the entire Hokkaido area have been featured on the "Youth 18" poster 14 times.
These are the Kushina Main Line 4 times, the Nemuro Main Line 3 times, the Hakodate Main Line 2 times, the Furano Line 2 times, the Muroran Line 2 times, and the Ishiboku Line 1 time.
In contrast, as a territory fully developed only during the Meiji period, Hokkaido's main orientation is agriculture, and in the entire Hokkaido region, in addition to a handful of major cities, it has large tracts of land that, if not used for farming, are pristine forests, plus world-class wetlands. It really is also one of the best destinations for long-distance travel when put in the context of Japan's domestic travel market.
Assuming you know Hokkaido relatively well, take the poster routes above and you'll feel as if they are feeder bus routes connecting several large national nature parks. Coupled with the low population density, many of the stations in Hokkaido are unmanned, and as long as it's not a particularly high season, traveling slowly in Hokkaido is more like a leisurely nature theme park walk.
Let's start from the southernmost point, the Hakodate Main Line, which starts from Hakodate, passes through Otaru and Sapporo, and ends at Asahikawa.
Onuma National Park Loop on the Hakodate Main Line
There is an Onuma Station on the Hakodate Main Line, and from Onuma Station towards the sea, there is an Onuma Kokusai Park Branch Railway that circles around Komagatake, which is also on the Hakodate Main Line. You need to be aware that if you take an express train and go to Sapporo from Hakodate, the express train will skip this section of the Komagatake loop.
Of course, it's natural for the average international traveler to skip Komagatake; after all, if you take the Hakodate Main Line to Sapporo, you'll also be attracted to the more famous Noboribetsu and Toya along the way. However, if you want to experience traveling in a slower state of life, and feel the roaming of slow train travel, Komagatake Loop Line, this train line, is also worth a ride.
In addition, the Hakodate Main Line itself, as a Hokkaido mainline railroad connecting Hakodate, Otaru, Sapporo, and even Asahikawa, is in itself a more complete experience of Hokkaido's nature and city life. Theoretically, in wintertime, if you skip Toya and Noboribetsu, and instead go skiing along the line to Niseko, and then to Otaru's Tengu Mountain to hit "Love Letter," plus Hakodate's snowy scenery of Goryeongguk and a slow train ride around the Onuma Kokusai Park Loop, the richness and uniqueness of the trip is also quite enough.
Hakodate Main Line, from Hakodate to Nagawanabe section
Summer 2015, Hakodate Main Line, between Onuma Station and Inzan Station
Next is the Muroran Main Line.
The Muroran Main Line starts at Nagamabe Station in Yamakoshi-gun, Hokkaido, and passes through Muroran, Tomakomai, and Iwamizawa Station in Iwamizawa City, and the key point of the line is that it passes by Cape Earth in Muroran City, which is the number one tourist spot in the "Hokkaido's Top 100 Natural Sites" and the "Top 100 Sightseeing Places in New Japan" polls. It is the number one tourist spot in the "Hokkaido Nature 100" and "New Japan Tourist Attractions 100" polls.
For photographers, the Muroran Main Line takes you to a place called "Nagato Station", where there is a train photo spot called "Nagato Overlook" on the high ground. Behind the train that passes through the paddy fields, there is the blue sea and Komagatake Mountain. Behind the train passing by Mizuta is the blue sea and Mount Komagatake on the other side of the sea.
Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line
Summer 2008, Muroran Main Line, Arisu Station - Nagato Station
Plus the Furano Line, which is a route that starts from Furano and eventually reaches Asahikawa.
The Furano Line is also one of the most popular train lines in Hokkaido during the lavender season every summer. Of course, it is popular not only because of the lavender fields, but also because of the hilly farmlands and pastures in the Biei area. The train has a wide view of the farms and the farmland looks like a patchwork, which has earned Biei the nickname "Patchwork Hill".
In fact, when the rice was ripe in the fall, the scenery of the Furano Valley area that I saw from the train was quite beautiful because it was all golden outside, and that scene on the train at that time still seems like yesterday when I recall it.
Furano Line, from Furano to Asahikawa
Winter 2006, Furano Line, Mimabu Station - Kamifurano Station
Nemuro Main Line Takikawa Station to Furano Section
Shinde to Nemuro section of the Nemuro Main Line
The Nemuro Main Line departs from Takigawa Station in Takigawa City, Hokkaido, and travels through Furano, Shintoku, Obihiro, and Kushiro before arriving at Nemuro Station in Nemuro City. This route is the main tourist route that transports tourists to the Kushiro Wetlands. And in between, because it passes through Shintoku and Obihiro, it is also possible to get off at these two stations and change to local buses to go deeper into the Lake Ranbetsu area south of Daisetsuzan National Park.
Kushina Main Line, from Kushiro to Abashiri
The Kushnet Main Line departs from Kushiro and passes through the Kushiro Wetlands, which is called "Wetlands Station", and also passes by the beautiful uninhabited Lake Mashu. Getting off at Mashu Station, you can not only take a stroll around the lake, but also go next door to Lake Kussharo, where you can enjoy hot springs with swans in the winter.
Going further north on the Kushina Main Line, it connects to Shiretoko's Shari, and from Shari to the east, that is, to Shiretoko's five lakes, which is one of Japan's World Natural Heritage Sites, Hokkaido's most famous, and an existence of natural secrets. As for the final destination of Abashiri, it is still the main area for viewing drift ice in winter.
From Asahikawa, take the Ishiboku Main Line to Abashiri.
There is also the Ishikita Main Line, which also ends in Abashiri, but it starts in Asahikawa and connects the Ishikari and Wakkimi areas of Hokkaido. In fact, it is quite clear that the Hokkaido lines that appear on the poster of "Youth 18" are essentially a railroad network that connects the most interesting sightseeing contents of the whole of Hokkaido. You can't go wrong with these routes from Hakodate!
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/traffic-4
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