| Kumagera KiHa 48 4-car DMU passing thru Mutsu-Iwasaki Station near the Sea of Japan.. The Resort Shirakami is a limited-stop "Rapid" service operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) as a sightseeing train along the scenic coastal Gono Line in the north of Japan since March 1997. The train service operates between Akita and Aomori via the Ou Main Line and Gono Line, with the journey taking approximately 5 hours. Three return services run daily, with one service operating between Akita and Hirosaki only, and the other two reversing at Hirosaki. This was the third Resort Shirakami trainset to be built, entering service on 18 March 2006. The name Kumagera is the Japanese name for the black woodpecker, which lives in the Shirakami-Sanchi area, a World Heritage Site. This train was initially formed as a 3-car set as shown below. Car KiHa 48 1521 was originally included in the Aoike trainset. I have rode this train several times and it is very nice. |