EDITORIALS

The "black fluffy thing" standing in front of a railroad crossing near an abandoned station.

2024.01.10

A black creature that appears to be cowering in front of an already unused railroad crossing, this black fluffy thing found by X user "Stationmaster Tomekichi Yamamoto" (@Y_Tomekiti), who is it?

It's sleeping somehow.

Comments,

"What is this...?"
"There's a fluffy one!"
A raccoon?"

Many users were trying to figure out the true identity of the black fluffy thing. What in the world was it? We asked Tomekichi Yamamoto, the stationmaster who contributed this time.

What is the true identity of the black fluffy thing?

What in the world was this creature?

I could not see its face or tail because it did not move except for breathing during my stay at Mapu Station, but I think it was an Ezo raccoon because of its coloration and size.

Looking at your post, I see that you usually go to see stations. Do you have a particular favorite station?

I like the magnificent wooden station buildings of Tougeshita Station and Kitaichiyan Station on the Rumoi Line, which have already been discontinued, and Manbu Station, which seems to be a boarding and alighting place.

I also have a special attachment to "Ashimoi Station" (Ebishima Station), which is not the original station but was built as a set for the NHK drama series "Suzuran" (Suzuran).

Asumoi Station, which appeared in the NHK serial drama "Suzuran" (photo courtesy of Station Manager Tomekichi Yamamoto)

What is it about stations that attracts your interest?

There are many different types of stations, each with its own unique charm. Personally, I am particularly interested in stations with a sense of history, such as the period feel of the station building itself, or the fact that the ticket gates and small baggage window still remain even though they are unmanned. I also enjoy researching building property markers, so when I find one, I can't help but smile (laughs).

Also, in winter in Hokkaido, it is soothing to see a stove on in the waiting room.

Stove in the waiting room at Chichibubetsu Station (photo courtesy of Station Manager Tomekichi Yamamoto)

JR Manabu Station, which was closed in 2023

Incidentally, this Mabu station in Numata-cho was discontinued on March 31, 2023, when the JR Rumoi Main Line between Rumoi and Ishikari-Numata was abolished. The stationmaster who submitted this post, Tomekichi Yamamoto, together with the illustrator Hajimeki-chan, published a coterie magazine in August 2023 titled "Rumoi Honsen Koukoku Eki Stroll (Hajimeki-chan to Ekiman-san)," which is based on the Rumoi Main Line.

るもいせん各駅散歩

留萌線全駅を巡り制作『るもいせん各駅散歩』<h3 class="ptn_4"> Rumoisen Koukai Eki-San" (Rumoisen Station Stroll), produced by visiting all stations on the Rumo Line.</h3> <p class="sp_img_txt"><span class="sp_img"><img id="no_caption" src="/images/article/article_temp_q.svg" alt="Q"></span><span>Please tell us about your thoughts behind the creation of "Rumoisen Koukou Ekiman (Hajimotsu-chan to Ekiman-san)".</span></p> <div class="box_stroke"> Just the year before last, I heard from my friend Hajimete-chan, an illustrator, that she wanted to visit all the stations on the Rumoi Line before the line was closed, and I invited her to go with me because I was going back to Hokkaido at the beginning of the year. He also mentioned before and after that he wanted to try his hand at cartooning in addition to illustration, so I thought it would be a good idea for me to actually visit the area and write about the Rumoi Line in the form of a travelogue.</div><img id="30703" src="https://domingo.ne.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/850318a779430580a7a375d83e8ae358.jpg" alt="るもいせん各駅散歩"/><p class="imgcaption"> From "Rumoisen Koukoku Eki Stroll (Hajimechan to Ekiman-san)</p> <p class="sp_img_txt"><span class="sp_img"><img id="no_caption" src="/images/article/article_temp_q.svg" alt="Q"></span><span>How did you proceed with the production?</span></p> <div class="box_stroke"> We were trying to make it in time for the Summer Comic, so we worked together on the naming, etc., but I was in charge of the final dialogue and copying, so the character's personality became more like Hajiman-chan and myself (probably even more so than at the naming stage).</div><img id="30704" src="https://domingo.ne.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/84f2f16894e59cd0e7b19645b4ea0eab.jpg" alt="るもいせん各駅散歩"/><p class="imgcaption"> From "Rumojisen Koukoku Koukoku Stroll (Hajimete-chan and Stationmaster)</p> <p> Rumokichi Yamamoto, the stationmaster of the Rumoi Line, has been into Hokkaido for more than ten years and has been wandering around the island in his spare time. He used to visit the Rumoi Line about once a year. His vitality and love for the Rumoi Line is also reflected in this "Rumoi Line Station-by-Station Walk".</p><br><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ja" dir="ltr">Something is sleeping <a href="https://t.co/nenVHouWWl">pic.twitter.com/nenVHouWWl-</a></p> Station Manager Tomekichi Yamamoto (@Y_Tomekiti) <a href="https://twitter.com/Y_Tomekiti/status/1742428627076346226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h3 class="ptn_5"> Check it out as well!</h3>

The "black fluffy thing" standing in front of a railroad crossing near an abandoned station.

What is the true identity of the black fluffy thing?

JR Manabu Station, which was closed in 2023

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