Wind Chime Train Heralds Summer In Aomori
Train passengers in the northern Japanese prefecture of Aomori are enjoying the sound of wind chimes, which heralds the arrival of summer.
The Tsugaru Railway runs a train adorned with wind chimes every summer so that visitors can hear the sound and feel relief from the summer heat.
The rail operator started the service in 1982, when its trains were not air-conditioned.
It hangs 10 earthenware wind chimes from the ceiling of each car.
Short poems calling for avoiding heatstroke are written in a local Tsugaru dialect on strips of paper attached to the chimes.
Passengers were seen enjoying the countryside landscape while listening to the chimes' sound.
A woman in her 50s from Tokyo said it was the first time for her to ride the wind-chime train. She said it's nice to travel while listening to their sound.
A local tourist guide said she hopes people riding the train have interest in the chimes made of local Tsugaru Kanayama pottery and are encouraged to tour the area.
The train runs through August 31.