Tuesday 6 January 2015

Nostalgic Station on the Enoden Enoshima Line

EMU Enoden 2000 series travels on the Enoshima Line
 
After joining the public event, "Tankoro Festival", which was held in Gokurakuji Rail Yard, I returned to Gokurakuji Station on the Enoden Line.

Gokurakuji is a small station located in the valley of the Gokurakuji River. If you come from Kamakura boarding on a westbound train, it appears just after passing through Gokurakuji Tunnel. Gokurakuji is normally a quiet station, which has a daily ridership of only about 500 people, but I saw many passengers who joined the Tankoro Festival at the rail yard on that day. This lovely station was opened in 1904. The design of the green colored station-name signboard is quite nostalgic. The station square is also antique. You can see a vermilion-colored old post box on the right hand side of the station building. It is said that cherry trees in full bloom are seen in spring there.

Since it was a sunny afternoon, I changed my mind and enjoyed a stroll for a while instead of going back home directly by train. When I walked along the Enoden's railway track, an EMU 2000 series passed me by. The 2000 series is my favorite, as it has a large window and a destination display for all four seasons on the front. It was launched in 1990 and a total of 3 sets, 6 units have been manufactured so far by Tokyu Sharyo. Its matcha (a kind of Japanese green tea) colored body matches the scenery of historical green Kamakura City.

 
Gokurakuji Station on the Enoden Enoshima Line
 
More information about the Enoden 2000series (in Japanese):
http://www.enoden.co.jp/train/tra_2000.htm