A Guilty Viewing Pleasure: Japan Railway Journal

One of the things that my wife and I really miss from our life in California is watching Japan Railway Journal on NHK. Being lovers of both trains and Japan the show seemed a natural fit for us and we fell in love with it immediately. Over the couple of years that we watched it we learned so much about all the wonderful tourist railroads in Japan plus a great deal about the country itself.

Luckily for us NHK is now streaming the show via their website and on YouTube. The show was on hiatus for some time due to the Covid-19 pandemic but is back on the air with a new host Cathy Cat (an internet video personality) who is paired alongside longtime show commentator Takagi Ryo, Ph.D. (Professor at Kogakuin University).

Over the years the show has cycled through several hosts including Russell Totten, Sarah MacDonald and Nathan Berry. We watched a couple of episodes last night and in the first episode Cathy Cat seemed kinda wooden and out of her element, but in the second she seemed to have gotten her legs under her and performed quite well. I'm hoping that she grows into the show.

Cathy Cat (from NHK)

Cathy Cat is born and raised in Munich, Germany. She is fluent in Japanese, English, and German, and has been passionate about anime, J-pop, Japanese fashion, and culture since childhood. After graduating from the University of Chester in the UK, she moved to Japan in 2014. In 2017, she worked as a reporter on NHK WORLD-JAPAN's "NEWSROOM TOKYO" to introduce Japanese culture and trends. She also shares information about Japan on her Instagram and the YouTube channel "Ask Japanese." In 2018, she was an ambassador for Toei Transportation's TOKYO SURPRISE! campaign, where visitors from overseas can experience Japanese culture.

Check out the latest episode here - https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2049097/

Moka Railway: Pushing Forward with Steam

Moka Railway, which runs between Shimodate Station in Ibaraki Prefecture and Motegi Station in Tochigi Prefecture, began operating their tourist train, a Class C12 steam locomotive, in 1994, and opened the museum for retired steam engines in 2013. However, the cost to inspect and maintain the loco and facilities is expensive. Join us as we take a closer look at Moka Railway. See what they are doing to survive these difficult times and the challenges of preserving steam locomotives.