Hokkaido Train Offers Tourists Views Of Ice Floes
A railway operator on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido has started a service offering tourists views of ice floes that wash up on the shores of Okhotsk.
The first Ryuhyo Monogatari Train of the season departed from Abashiri Station on the JR Senmo Line after a ceremony on Saturday. About 20 people were on board, mostly tourists from other parts of Hokkaido.
The two-car train features a yellow car with pictures of ice floes and a green one showing a forest. Both have an image in front from a video game that was popular in the 1980's.
The passengers took photos of the snowy landscape and the foaming waves on the Sea of Okhotsk during their one-hour voyage to Shiretoko-Shari.
A young couple from Sapporo City said they were happy to take the first train.
A senior official from the tourism department of Abashiri City said that people are eager to see the ice floes reach the local coast as soon as possible. He said he hopes many people will enjoy the scenery of Okhotsk covered with drifting ice.
The train will make two round-trips a day until February 28.