BBC article - younger Japanese people return to countryside

[miyakoji]

Interesting article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15914113 .  The first image of this woman makes me want to cry, it looks like life has really taken its toll on her.  These folks visit Nagano-ken, and I've read that Shimane will give you land if you commit to living on it for a certain period of time--not short, maybe 20 years.  Both locations offer some nice rural rail operations, in my opinion  .  Any Bataden or Shinano Tetsudo fans here?  In the case of Shimane, I recommend the videos of youtube contributor nimo5 for views of the landscape and its trains.  For a representative of Nagano, a quick search has turned up the user BesshoEnsenLife (the Bessho Line is the Ueda Dentetsu's only remaining line, "ensen" means "along the line").

nimo5: http://www.youtube.com/user/nimo5

His currently newest video, featuring none other than Bataden:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q1m-A3ZIJmw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Q1m-A3ZIJmw</a>

BesshoEnsenLife: http://www.youtube.com/user/BesshosenEnsenLife

some Shinano Tetsudo (ex-JRE) 169s at Yashiro Station:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/g8CDiiLcImo" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/g8CDiiLcImo</a>

Ueda Dentetsu Shiroshita Station:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/gpksVh8JmP0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/gpksVh8JmP0</a>

looking around Ueda City:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FtSPVHF-ZZ4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/FtSPVHF-ZZ4</a>

[scott]

Interesting stuff--thanks for posting that.

I've been interested in the Shinano and Ueda railways for a while now, but hadn't seen much about Ichibata before. Still, I don't think I qualify for the land deal, nice as it sounds. :-)

[keitaro]

may for me lol

does anyone have a link for info on this such free land i am interested.

like the vids btw

[miyakoji]

I'm actually looking around for this information on Nagano, which is not the free plot of land.  I don't know if that's fact or not.

[bikkuri bahn]

The first image of this woman makes me want to cry, it looks like life has really taken its toll on her

Or maybe she just got hit with the ugly stick (I will now duck for cover...)

*Shinano Tetsudo- worth visiting just to ride the 169's.

[scott]

The first image of this woman makes me want to cry, it looks like life has really taken its toll on her

Or maybe she just got hit with the ugly stick (I will now duck for cover...)

Yeah, I think that's a snap reaction of the type usually better thought than said. :-)

*Shinano Tetsudo- worth visiting just to ride the 169's.

Definitely a goal for me if we ever get over there.