2x4 - Shikoku Railroad Wonderland - Part 1

June 14, 2014

"Train Cruise" is a program taking you around Japan on train trips. The stage of this episode is Shikoku. In Shikoku, made up of 4 prefectures, there are many trains running that have distinctive characteristics. They are fun both to ride on and to look at. An American, Michael Rivas will take a 4-day trip on such trains. In Takamatsu City in Kagawa Prefecture, Michael rides on the oldest streetcar in Japan which is hugely popular among railroad fans. And he rediscovers the charms of a retrospective train. On the Dosan Line running through a valley known as a difficult place for traffic in Shikoku, Michael enjoys the dynamic scenery to its fullest. In the warm southern prefecture of Kochi where he visits in the middle of his trip, Michael gets to eat the local specialty bonito, and is captivated by its delightful taste! Michael then uses the Yodo Line to head to the trip's final destination, Ehime Prefecture. There, he encounters a train modeled after Shinkansen bullet train which can be said the symbol of super-fast trains. There, Michael learns that the Yodo Line has other trains running that are fun to ride on, such as an original tram on which you can enjoy the surrounding scenery filled with great nature. On the trip this time, our American traveler, Michael Rivas introduces not only how to use trains for going from one place to another, but also to enjoy the train themselves as you ride on them.