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Japan's hardcore train fans accused of going off the rails
Japan's railway system has long inspired envy around the world, but a small group of train enthusiasts is gaining surprising notoriety.
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This picture taken on February 28, 2022 shows enthusiasts taking pictures of luxury charter train service Cassiopeia, hauled by a class EF81 dual-voltage electric locomotive, near a railway track in Hasuda, Saitama prefecture. (AFP/Philip Fong)
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rowding, confrontations and full-on attacks. Japan's many train fans are mostly mild-mannered enthusiasts passionate about the country's famed rail system, but a small group is gaining surprising notoriety.
Japan's railway system has long inspired envy around the world, with its famed punctuality, cutting-edge technology and meticulous timetables.
So it's no surprise that the country is home to a diverse landscape of train buffs, from those who enjoy poring over timetables to others who adore and even record the rumbling sound of passing trains.
Perhaps the best-known group, however, is a tribe dubbed "toritetsu" (train photographers), who strive to take perfect photos of approaching trains.
They have been around for decades, but in recent years, reports of shouting matches, trespassing and even violence at stations have turned toritetsu into the bad boys of Japanese trainspotting.
Some argue the out-of-control behaviour isn't entirely new, citing frenzied farewells for retiring steam locomotives in the 1960s and '70s.
But recent incidents, including the harassment of a photobombing cyclist and an assault that left a teen with a fractured skull last year, have some enthusiasts worried.
