#3124

Old Saidaiji Railway

Move along the Hyakken River

Saidaiji is well-known for its Hadaka Matsuri or Naked Festival but few people, even locals are aware that there was once a light rail line that ran to central Okayama City. Saidaiji Railway was in operation from 1911 to 1962 and provided transport along the 11.4 kilometers between what was then Saidaiji Station (currently Ryobi Bus Terminal) and the terminus at Kourakuen Garden.

The typical car held a maximum of sixty passengers including a space at the outside front and rear for those with bicycles. The course of the train line followed that of the Hyakken River which curves around several low mountains before reaching the city.

While the actual working train line has moved into history, there are remnants worth seeing. One of the old cars from the line has been restored and put on display outside of Ryobi Bus Terminal. Nearby is an authentic rail switching mechanism, with an explanation of how it was used. If you walk the course of the old line you will find a few markers indicating former station stops. Navigating is breeze even if it is your first time in Saidaiji.

The path of the railway was converted to walking and bicycle paths which are divided into three sections. The first runs from Ryobi Bus Terminal to the pedestrian bridge that passes under Route 2. The second section starts at the end of the bridge and continues until it intersects with the Hyakken River. The final section of the course is the path along the river itself which has riverside and elevated paths.

The Hyakken River is an artificial waterway initially developed during the Edo era as a way to decrease flooding on the Asahi River. After roughly fifty years as a train line it has blossomed into to a popular parkway complete with athletic fields, exercise courses, remote controlled car circuits, playgrounds, tennis courts and basketball courts.

It takes about two hours to walk the old Saidaiji Railway from beginning to end and you could probably do the trip in forty minutes by bicycle. The most interesting thing about the path that remains is that it still allows you to make contact with nature and friendly people along the way.

Kenji image

Kenji

Japan

Kenji's other advice

Ushimado Olive Garden images

Ushimado Olive Garden

When you think of Japan olives might not be the first thing that comes to mind but in fact they are widely produced in the south western part of the country. The Olive Garden in Ushimado, Setouchi …

Bizen Osafune Sword Museum images

Bizen Osafune Sword Museum

Japan is synonymous with master sword-making. This status has been cultivated through popular culture with the myriad of samurai and ninja movies that have been made over the years. While Hollywood o…

The Birthplace of Yumeji images

The Birthplace of Yumeji

Do you know Yumeji Takehisa? Even if you don’t know the name you are probably familiar with the work of this artist from the early 20th century. Sometimes referred to as Japan’s Toulouse Lautrec, Y…

A Car License the Old-fashioned Way images

A Car License the Old-fashioned Way

After being in Japan a while you might feel the need to drive, especially if you live outside a big city. Getting a car license if you are from abroad can be a daunting task for some people but there…

Getting your Motorcycle License images

Getting your Motorcycle License

There are a few ways to get a motorcycle license in Japan. If you have a license from your home country you can go through the process of having it transferred to a Japanese one. This process differs…

The Saga of the 50cc license (2007) images

The Saga of the 50cc license (2007)

I've been struggling to get a 50cc motorbike license since May. You would think it would be easy but the thing is that I was determined to take the test in Japanese like all the other Japanese people…

You might also like

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette images

What to do at a Japanese Funeral | Funeral Etiquette

Attending a Japanese funeral can be stressful, even shocking, if you don't know what to do. The more you know beforehand the better, as you'll be able to comfort and support mutual friends and their …

Former Deep Japan Writer image

Former Deep Japan Writer

Don't Wear Black in Japan images

Don't Wear Black in Japan

In Japan, the color white is attributed to happiness and good times. Death is a time of mourning and so people must dress in the color of depression, black. Men usually wear a black suit with a black…

GenS image

GenS

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene images

Yurei, Yokai and Obake: Japan's Very Busy Ghost Scene

Ghosts and spirits hold a place in the folklore of many cultures around the world. In the western world, Halloween, observed on October 31st, is a time for scary, spooky tales, while Latin America…

jdlawrence image

jdlawrence

Enjoy bath, Japanese style images

Enjoy bath, Japanese style

Enjoy taking bath with Babu(Bub), a popular Japanese bath tablet to Relax after Exploring Japan on Foot.All travelers know how sight seeing can be exhausting. Especially walking around on foo…

mimichan image

mimichan

Ride The Tokyo Metro Like A Boss With These Apps images

Ride The Tokyo Metro Like A Boss With These Apps

To people new to Japan, the Tokyo subway system, stylishly called "Tokyo Metro" is a confusing labyrinth of lines going every which way. Orderly thought and planning, it would appear, seem to be the…

jdlawrence image

jdlawrence

Why Do Japanese People Call Mt. Fuji, Mr. Fuji? images

Why Do Japanese People Call Mt. Fuji, Mr. Fuji?

If you wondered why Japanese people refer to Mt. Fuji as Mr. Fuji, you are not alone.When I first came to Japan, and actually until about two years ago, well okay, actually it still happens a lot…

5@example.com image

5@example.com