Gonosen is extremely popular among the Japanese as a local train to ride at least once in a lifetime. Here are its appeal and recommended tourist spots.
1. Tsugaru Railway s Stove Train (Aomori)
True to its interesting name, the carriages of Tsugaru Railway s stove trains are heated with daruma stoves, a nostalgic relic from Japan s past. These traditional space heaters rely on the burning of coal to perform their function, and the stove trains only run during the winterseason in Aomori Prefecture.
Stove trains were first deployed in 1930, and the trains currently running are fourth-generation ones! Still, the train decor sticks to its traditional roots, with floors and seats all fashioned from wood. What really gives you that vintage mood, though, is the daruma stove installed in front of the carriage for passengers to warm themselves up with.