Day 4. A bit more of a look around Osaka

Today is Sunday and I want to travel on the Mizuma Railway. Another small independent railway south of Osaka. I don't have the TV crew with me today so I can run my own race so to speak. I catch the Nankai network again and alight at Kaizuka. A little gunzeling as a variety of Nankai sets pass through before I head over to the Mizuma platform.

Nankai set at Kaizuka

Another Nankai set at Kaizuka

Rapid set express through Kaizuka

A two car set is waiting and to keep things simple I purchase an all day ticket so I can come and go as I please. I travel to the half way point and alight for a small walk around. Its a grimy little place but I spot a lovely garden being attended by an old lady. I ask in very limited Japanese if I can take a photo. She's OK with that but wants to have a chat. At times like this I really wish I had a little understanding of the language.

Beautiful garden

I make my way back to the station and return to Kaizuka for a toilet stop, (yep no western toilets here, when in Rome...). Then feeling a bit relieved I head back along the line to photograph the train squeezing through the houses. No one seems to take any notice of the gunzel taking shots. 

Squeezing through the houses

Back to the station and board the next service that I ride to the end of the line. When I arrived at the station another set was in the other platform and community market was being held inside. It was a fund raiser for Relay for Life so I purchased some items and lunch and had a great chat to the ladies running the stalls, really good fun and one of those situations that just happen. I had a small walk around the area and photographed all the trains I could find.

Mizuma set at Nagose

The other Mizuma set in service that day also at Nagose

Relay for Life fundraiser at the Mizumakan-non terminus

Lovely ladies running the stalls

Static preservation of historic set

Stabled set 

Signal panel for Mizuma Railway at Kaizuka

Signal panel at terminus including Nagose

Mizuma set at Mori

Travelling back towards Kaizuka I alighted at Mori for another small walk through the streets and alleyways to see some typical suburban scenes. Temples, houses and small shops in a very peaceful setting.

Beautiful house and garden, Mori

Some details of the Mizuma Railway are as follows: Gauge 3'6", length 5.5km, 10 stations.
As you can see a very small affair but a very professional outfit. I travelled back to Kaizuka and farewelled this railway and headed back towards Osaka.

Station staff bowing as train departs.

On my way back to Osaka, I rode the Takashinohama branch line. The lines name is about as long as the line itself. A two car shuttle provides service on the two station branch with a travel time of about 3 minutes. Very novel but I suspect an interesting history to this line.

Two car shuttle at Takashinohama.

Nankai set back to Osaka

After my short excursion on the branch line I continue towards Namba, but alight at Kishinosato-Tamade and take the back way into Osaka. Once again a two-car shuttle is operating the service across to Shiomibashi. I get the feeling that this line was part of a network that served freight areas in times past and the terminus seems to be in a dead end part of town. I start heading of in the direction of the subway station when I realise that the Hanshin Railway station entrance is right in front of me. A quick check of my map and I realise I can continue my exploring via the Hanshin network. Into the station I descend and soon board a train bound for Amagaseki. I can't resist the photo opportunity and alight at FUKU.

Apparently its pronounced Foo-koo (sure).

The light is fading but since I am now on the Hanshin line new trains present new photo opportunities, so I try and grab some shots.

A Hanshin set at Fuku

I continue west heading towards Kobe after a change at Amagaseki. I am intending to ride the Rokko Liner, another automatic people mover. Transferring at Uozaki I make my way through the network of walkways to the Rokko Liner. I get a front row seat and ride to the northern terminus before changing ends and making my way all the way south. It is dark and the lightscape is nice but it would be better during the day. As with the Newtram people mover, photography is difficult due to enclosed platforms but my efforts are shown below.

Rokko Liner people mover.

Absolute front seat position

After traversing the whole line, I start looking for somewhere to have tea. Looking at the map I see another station called "Oishi". Once again another opportunity. I choose to have a meal on the platform at Oishi watching trains, a salad from Lawson (similar to 7/11). The play on words: Oishi is Japanese for delicious!

Oishi at Oishi!

After dinner I head back to the hotel in a round-a-bout route nearly getting lost in the great expanse of Umeda station. Tomorrow I move to Matsusaka for two nights so I have some organising to do tonight. Oyasumi Nasai (goodnight).