[Newsletter] A train line, a river, a belly button - Kakogawa!

▶︎ Watch the new video → https://youtu.be/Ik5pg8nfTEk

Oh boy I've got a really good video for you this week, if I do say so myself. Another train line that turned out to be highly unusual and full of fascinating stops. This time, it's the JR Kakogawa Line.

Thanks for joining the live stream

Before we get into that, though, let me thank everyone who tuned in for my live stream last week (whether during the stream or afterwards). It was fun talking with everyone and I really enjoyed everyone leaving comments.

At one point I was talking about how I need to transition into sometimes making shorter, more simple videos, just to keep up my sanity and not feel so exhausted all the time. I got many supportive comments about that.

I really appreciate it – it has already directly led to me planning some fun but smaller-scale things and has helped me relax a lot. I know I give myself a lot of pressure, so it was nice to hear feedback about rougher edits and shorter videos being a-ok.

The JR Kakogawa Line

As for this week's video, from Japan Rail's Kakogawa Line. This is not a short, simple video! (The extended cut is an hour long.)

The Kakogawa Line is one of those whose trains don't run that often, especially in the remote northern section. So I had to do the thing where I zigzag back and forth to see the stops I wanted to see.

It was partially these stops that led to my thoughts on making shorter videos – I could have easily made three or maybe even four videos out of my experiences this day.

In other words, this video is packed with fun stuff.

The two most unusual things are the "belly button of Japan", a crossroads of certain lines of latitude and longitude in the middle of Hyōgo Prefecture. There's a whole "Belly Button Park" near the hardly-used station.

As you'll see, the park is full of crazy old infrastructure from decades ago. You'll also see the adventurous method I found to quickly scoot down from the hilltop. Well, let me candidly say to you now that yes, a little seat cushion would have been a good idea.

Ouch. Feeling better now though!

Another highlight from the day was "Fighting Dragon Shoals", a series of rocks and rapids in the middle of Kakogawa (the Kako River). Gorgeous, dramatic, almost completely empty of other people, and with no restrictions about where you can climb around.

An amazing, hidden place, and one that easily could have been its own video, to be honest.

I wandered around a couple of the other station areas as well, getting to know the small communities along a train line that JR would like to destroy half of. But so far hasn't.

Like my recent video from the JR Meishō Line, this one is, for me, one for the ages. Hope you enjoy it too.

And by the way – here is my leftover paper ticket that I should have returned when paying for the final ride on the Kakogawa Line. Not usually a souvenir you return home with. But if no one wants to take my money... 🤷‍♂️

▶ TRAVEL LOVERS, PARTNERS, AND MASTERS: Watch the extended 60-minute ad-free version, including extensive walks around both Yashirochō and Tanikawa, info about other stations, a look at the tricky train schedules, a close-up look at the Kakogawa river, more from Nishiwakishi station, and many more details and scenes from this ride → https://patreon.com/posts/140424862

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Everywhere is worth exploring!

–Jeremy