VOL.215 MAY 2026
[SPRING SPECIAL ISSUE] ENJOYING JAPAN’S SPRING BY LOCAL TRAINS
Enjoy Good Old-Fashioned Steam Train Travel with Great Scenery on The SL Yamaguchi
The SL Yamaguchi hauls passenger cars in beautiful form with a spectacular billow of smoke. Pictured is the C57 class, affectionately known as Kifujin, or the “Noble Lady.”
Photo: Courtesy of West Japan Railway Company
Steam locomotive (SL) played an active role in the early days of railways. Today, the SL Yamaguchi still billows out smoke and white steam from its beautifully glossy black body, a sight that captivates visitors. Step abroad the train and immerse yourself in wood-paneled passenger cars and spacious box seats, evoking the feeling of traveling back in time.
Route map of the SL Yamaguchi
SL are popular not only with railway enthusiasts but also with many tourists. Riding an SL train transports one back to a more leisurely and luxurious era of travel, with its distinctive, heart-stirring whistle at departure, the comforting rhythm of its rolling wheels, and the slight scent of coal drifting through the air. Even today, it is possible to come across several of these majestic locomotives on Japan’s railways. Especially popular among them is the tourist train SL Yamaguchi, which connects Shin-Yamaguchi Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture to Tsuwano Station in Shimane Prefecture.
The SL Yamaguchi is hauled by steam locomotives of the C57 class —affectionately nicknamed as the “Noble Lady” for its beautifully balanced form — and the D51 class, renowned for their large, powerful, and commanding presence. The passenger car designs have been recreated based on the trains in use during the golden age of steam around the late 1930s to the 1940s, blending a retro look with comfort. Car 1 (the front car) has an observation deck that lets passengers directly experience the billowing smoke and wind while enjoying the sound of the train in motion more intensely.
Photo: Courtesy of West Japan Railway Company
What makes the journey on the SL Yamaguchi even more special is the scenery along the way. ISHIMURA Tatsunori, Community Engagement Manager of Hiroshima Branch Office, Chugoku Headquarters, West Japan Railway Company, says, “In 2026, the SL Yamaguchi starts to run in May, and the fresh greenery at this time of year is beautiful. I think the countryside scenery around mid-June is also impressive.” Between Tokusa Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture and Tsuwano Station, young rice seedlings sway in the breeze above water-filled paddies, creating a scene that resembles a vast green carpet. With the SL passing by, it feels like a condensed view of a primal Japanese landscape.
Photo: Courtesy of West Japan Railway Company
In 2026, SL Yamaguchi service is scheduled from May to August, but in some years, it starts running in March, allowing travelers to combine the journey with cherry blossom viewing. Yamaguchi City was selected for the New York Times “52 places to go in 2024.” At Rurikoji Temple,1 which is featured on the list, one can enjoy a scene like a painting: cherry blossoms in full bloom elegantly framing the five-story pagoda.
Other highlights are the Ato area and its beautifully flowing clear streams; and Taikodani Inari Shrine, whose roughly one thousand vermilion torii gates form a tunnel-like pathway. Why not hop aboard the SL Yamaguchi, the only regularly operating steam locomotive in Western Japan, and embark on a journey to explore the region’s famed sights?
- 1. A temple in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The five-story pagoda on the temple grounds is a designated National Treasure (see 2.) of Japan and considered a tangible cultural property of high value from the perspective of world culture. Its beauty is praised as one of the Three Famous Pagodas of Japan and it is regarded as the most outstanding architectural work of the mid-Muromachi period (15th century).
- 2. Tangible cultural assets such as buildings, crafts, sculpture, and historical materials are designated Important Tangible Cultural Properties. Items of particularly high value in terms of world culture are designated as National Treasures and are protected accordingly.
By YANAGISAWA Miho
Photo: Courtesy of West Japan Railway Company; PIXTA
Railway Photographer NAKAI Seiya on the Appeal of Railway Photography
Photo: NAKAI Seiya
In Japan’s photography scene, there is a genre known as “railway photography,” which focuses on capturing trains. Photographer NAKAI Seiya stands apart from railway photography that places the train itself at the center. He is known for a style that captures railways within the unique landscapes of each region, and sometimes deliberately blurs the train to let the scenery take the lead, conveying the sense of travel and the atmosphere woven by the train and the landscape.
Why is railway photography so popular in Japan? NAKAI explains, “We have so many railway enthusiasts here, and I think that is a unique form of Japanese culture. It shows how railways are inextricably linked to daily life in Japan.”
He highlights steam locomotives: “Their appeal lies not in beauty of their design, but in functional beauty that comes from the pursuit of performance. In particular, the SL Yamaguchi was revived as a tourist train. It makes an outstanding subject for photography, showcasing the sheer power of the large C57 or D51 locomotives as they haul the passenger cars.” He adds that the wealth of shooting locations, including Chomon Gorge1 and mountain passes, where the train can be captured billowing steam and smoke and running powerfully, is another reason he is drawn to photograph the SL Yamaguchi.
Capturing beautiful railway images requires not only favorable weather and other conditions, but also skill. This is exactly why the joy of capturing a fleeting moment is so immense, and why it has the power to move the viewer.
- 1. A gorge along the midsection of the Abu River in central Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is distinguished by its long stretches of cliffs and dramatic rock formations.
By YANAGISAWA Miho
Photo: NAKAI Seiya
