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To do the three Fujis in the Frozen North in three days, on local trains only took some planning. I mean, just look:

After visiting Fujita, it was another few hours of riding the trains to Sendai, which was pretty much the end of the line – figuratively & literally. I stayed overnight there, then got up early the next morning to begin my westward journey, almost coast to coast. (Like Space Ghost.)

I arrive in Fujishima just after lunchtime, on a brand new GVE400, complete with that fresh new train smell. Not something you get to experience very often:

Surprisingly, Fujishima station was pretty new too:

(I’d guess that, in sunnier times of the year, the wisteria is quite charming. In the meantime, you’ll just have to make do with the painted variety, as seen on a bus stop in the gallery below.)

This is pretty much where signs of novelty & actual things taking place ends, unfortunately. It’s New Year in Japan, and we’re in rural Japan, on the 6th January. There are some sights to be seen in Fujishima!

They will turn out to be closed…

Oh well. So what else do people in this place do for excitement, you might ask.

I would answer that, seemingly, they go to the electrical substation for some photo opportunities:

Never mind. I had a (very cold, slightly damp) walk around the place, saw very few people and then just headed back to the station.

Got another inner 12 year old snigger in as well:

Back at the station, it would turn out that I was getting on the exact same train that had brought me here. It would be another four or five hours before I’d make it up to Akita, where I was staying that night.

I could not say it wasn’t worth it. Fujishima would have been a lot more interesting if it had been open, I’m sure of it. Add to that the views of the Sea of Japan from the coastal trainline between Sakata & Akita, in winter…

At this point, this Frozen North mission was even more fun than it was ridiculous.

(The next day would see a massive increase on both those fronts.)

FUJIS LEFT AT THE END OF JANUARY 6th, 2020:

15/60