Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/10 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Eizan Train Line's “Fall Foliage Tunnel” Evening Lightup
Kyoto, Japan

The Eizan Train Line (eizan dentetsu, or eiden for short) is a little train line that runs from north-east Kyoto up into the mountains to the village of Kurama, just past Kibune. I've posted about Kibune many times, most recently a week ago when I visited with Thomas, although the area is known more for its summertime dining over the river and, er, noodle fishing. Anyway, despite having gone up that way many times, I'd never taken the train, until today.

Fumie's been under the weather for the last week or two, but felt good enough today that we all went on a ride through Eizan's “Fall Foliage Tunnel”, a section of the track through a mountain forest of colorful trees that's lit up by rows of floodlights during the evening.

Japanese love their lightup events — fall colors, cherry blossoms, and no particular reason – and I love them too, because they're really pretty. The train's “tunnel” lightup is part of a larger “Kibune Lightup”, which runs in the evenings from the 13th to the 30th this month. I've never seen it, but it looks extremely photogenic.

Anyway, we took a taxi the one mile to the start of the train line, and took a train that left at 5pm, a few minutes after the 4:49pm sunset...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/100 sec handheld, f/4.5, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ready to Depart
we just need a driver

Twenty minutes later it was pretty dark, especially in the mountains under the trees. As we approached the “tunnel”, the driver slowed down and turned off all the lights in the train.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/13 sec handheld, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Momiji Tunnel”
( “fall-foliage tunnel” )

It was very nice, but it would have been nicer had people who had been sitting for the whole trip not come rushing up trying to take a picture in front of me, some using their flash (which turns the window into a mirror). Sigh.

But it was nice for the minute or so that it lasted. A bit later, we got off at the end of the line, Kurama, one stop past all the lightup stuff at Kibune. Kurama has a big shrine and apparently can hold its own fall-color wise during the day, but at night it was more or less deserted. Luckily, we found a small restaurant that was still open, and had dinner.

Heading back, we happened to catch one of the special “kirara” trains that has a few sideways-facing seats, although we opted for regular seats. The train wasn't that full from the mostly-deserted Kurama, but it filled right up at the next station, Kibune.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/100 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Loading Up at Kibune

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/60 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Short Pause at Ninose Station

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/40 sec handheld, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Flying Through the Tunnel
at 12 kph (7mph)

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
All Done

It was really nice, and now I'm itching to go up and explore that Kibune lightup....