*Tweets are embedded in this article.
Railway enthusiasts in Japan, especially trainspotters have been accused for years of often being overexcited and causing troubles. Some of them have been aggressive especially since mid-2010s, and they are repeatedly criticised by media. Many popular trains, such as those introduced by Japanese National Railways (JNR) have been targets (or victims) of such people. It must be borne in mind that they are in a minority and 95% of the enthusiasts are well-behaved. Even so, many railway companies in Japan are, understandably, no longer tolerant to them, as the companies have been struggling to deal with whom could be called "hooligan-like train geeks".
This article describes examples, backgrounds and consequences of those delinquencies, and argues that each innocent enthusiast can still enjoy his/her hobby if avoids risks. There are several notorious people who frequently cause serious troubles, but this article does not aim to accuse specific individuals. Readers are reminded that this article is merely on a personal blog, meaning that some contents may be subjective and thus not as trustworthy as academic essays.
The most common troubles reported are as follows:
Overcrowding and Booing
Popular trains often cause overcrowding. They are mostly brand new trains, those in special livery, old ones that are about to retire, or trains marked as "run as required". For example, this pink locomotive is one of few JNR Class EF81 locos that JR East owns, which is painted into its original livery, mainly used for ad hoc engineering work and expected to be withdrawn within three years. Hundreds of geeks have gathered at one station to take photos of it in spite of social distancing instructions.
It is easy to imagine that overcrowding is the main reason of troubles. Some jump the queue, go out of yellow lines and inadvertently obstruct others, then a quarrel begins. In other cases, enthusiasts effectively occupy the whole train or coach, making it impossible for other passengers to board or alight the train.
Too many cars in rural areas also cause troubles with local residents, as trainspotters often block streets and roads.
Intrusion
Regrettably, taking photos at off-limit areas is not uncommon. Unsurprisingly, such a crime leads to service disruption as train drivers stop their trains, just like when Odoriko limited express was about to retire in Tokyo. Some trainspotters intrude into not only railway tracks but also private properties, to take photos as well as to remove some obstacles such as weeds and trees. For example, Kanagawa Prefectural Police has commenced legal proceedings in January 2021 against teenagers, who entered railway land without permission, to take photos of trains being moved to a museum. In June 2020, several trainspotters in Niigata Prefecture allegedly filled up a paddy field without permission of the owner, to take "magnificent" photos.
Not only young but also elderly people commit crimes. They mostly justify themselves that it was not a problem in the past. It is true that most people in the 1960s and 70s, including non-enthusiasts, paid less attention to laws and rules than we do today. However, things have changed in the last decades; there are far more houses and buildings than before, "unwritten norms" have been lost as the time went by, and thus laws and rules have become more important than the past. Even so, those elderly people are so stubborn and regard themselves superior to others that they ignore or even do not understand that circumstances have already changed dramatically.
Furthermore, not a few people secure spaces for trainspotting in advance, by putting personal belongings hours or even days before the train comes. Presumably, they can do such a thing because the crime rate in Japan is still very low, but those bags, tripods, stepladders and placards cause troubles. They often put their belongings in a private land as well.
Removal of Railway Signs
Astonishingly, a few cases have been reported in rural areas, where trains do not come as frequent as in cities. In 2017, railway signs on Yamaguchi line were reportedly removed by trainspotters who were waiting for a famous steam train. In 2015, a university student was arrested on suspicion of Damage to Property, after he removed ropes and stakes in Fukushima Prefecture which are essential for engineering workers' safety.
Needless to say, removing railway signs or facilities is literally a crime. Railway companies do not hesitate to ask police to investigate incidents, and the authorities apply relevant laws when necessary, such as the Railway Operation Act 1900 and the Penal Code (e.g. Art. 261 for Damage to Property, Art. 124 for Obstruction of Traffic and Art. 125 for Traffic Hazards).
Disturbing Other Enthusiasts
It is profoundly regrettable that it has been common since the 2010s that delinquents disturb other trainspotters, mostly by holding hand-made placards. In February 2021, many delinquents boarded front coaches of Odoriko limited express trains and showed many placards, some of which were the Swastika and a photo of the Twin Towers of World Trade Center being destroyed by terrorists. Unlike Germany, displaying Nazi symbols is not a crime in Japan, though absolutely unacceptable.
Such delinquency has been observed especially since 2011, when JNR 201 series on Keiyo line was about to retire. Some of them were allegedly students at a railway school in Tokyo. Surprisingly, even some railway staffs engage in such activities outside where they work.
There should be various reasons why such outlaws have been active for years. Following three backgrounds are certainly contributing to "hooliganism".
Population "Growth"
Trainspotting has become popular in the last 10 years, as cameras have been affordable for more people than before. Film cameras had been expensive and uneasy to deal with, given the fact that it costed considerably to get films developed. Digital cameras had been unreliable until mid-2000s. Now, good digital SLR cameras are quite reasonable so that they are widely used.
It made more people, especially teenagers, to be able to engage in trainspotting. Today, it is not uncommon to see children around ten years old having good cameras which are worth 1,000-2,000 USD, or even higher. Population "growth" leads to overcrowding, resulting in troubles that were mentioned in the previous section.
Widespread Use of SNS
Since the 2010s, Social Networking Services like Twitter and LINE have been used by enthusiasts, to share their information. Not only reports of trains uploaded by witnesses but also timetables of special empty coaching stock movements, which are not supposed to be shared by others, go viral.
Railway companies are partly responsible for it, as most companies have not restricted their employee or even part-time workers to access to "confidential" information. Sharing such information has been common for decades, but it could be a contemporary issue as people can easily and swiftly share it more than ever.
Modernisation of Rolling Stock
Generally speaking, railway enthusiasts are interested in trains being withdrawn. Furthermore, they tend to chase trains whose features (designs, sounds etc.) are not used on newer trains. For example, trains introduced by JNR have many features that JR trains in the 2010s do not have, such as destination blinds, traditional liveries and unique front end design. Train replacement in these days often means that trains of "good old days" are being lost. It is not hard to imagine a considerable number of people gathering in front of such trains.
Railway companies always have to provide services safely and without disruption as much as possible, so they have been taking measures to prevent trains from being ruined by enthusiasts. Typically:
Restriction on Trainspotting
It is not surprising that railway companies and even local authorities have been restricting trainspotting on platforms. In urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, railway companies install warning signs that no dangerous trainspotting is allowed. Many companies have banned use of stepladders and tripods on platform, which are obviously danger and obstruct other passengers. JR East has taken a radical measure: building a large fence on the platform.
Restrictions are not limited to platforms. In January 2021, Tsuwano Town in Shimane Prefecture deployed a guard to a level crossing on Yamaguchi line, to deal with reckless trainspotters.
Event Cancellation
Until early-2010s, companies held various events such as rail tours, decorating trains in commemoration of anniversary or retirement. However, as such events repeatedly resulted in a mess, companies do not hold them in these days. In 2020, when TRTA 03 series of Hibiya line retired, Tokyo Metro decided not to do anything in commemoration of withdrawal as it deeply concerned about violent geeks.
JNR and six JR companies have not set any steam rail tour in major cities since 1976, after an eleven-year-old boy in Osaka attempted to take a photo of a steam locomotive inside railway land. He was hit by the train and died.
Enthusiasts have been endlessly debating about the issue, but it is impossible to eliminate such hooligan-like geeks. Since they do not even recognise that their activities are disturbing, nobody can change their minds through any means of dialogue.
Therefore, the only possible way to deal with the problem is self-defence, such as:
Preparation in Advance
Rare trains were not actually rare in the very beginning. It is therefore important to enjoy taking photos of or getting on every one of trains as much as possible. Even common types such as JR East E233 series or Electrostar trains in Britain will surely be old, decrease and thus become "precious" within 10-20 years. Therefore, it is important to take action in advance.
It is also worth noting that old trains do not disappear at once. Each railway company announces its long-term plan regarding its rolling stock. Introduction of new trains might simply mean withdrawal of old trains. Hence, it is essential to keep your knowledge up to date, particularly with regard to older trains (see also this article about endangered trains in Tokyo).
If you prepare in advance, you will not have to be in a hurry when the train is about to retire, and thus you will not see anything obnoxious.
Trainspotting on Street
In general, platforms are much busier than outside station when it comes to trainspotting, because getting out of a ticket barrier costs more than staying on a platform. Unlike Oyster, there is no strict time limit on Suica or PASMO cards in Tokyo area, which allows enthusiasts to enjoy trainspotting at stations for hours. However, when something popular is coming, one should consider trainspotting on street rather than platform, to avoid overcrowding.
Even level crossings and streets by track could be busy, but they should be far better than on platforms.
Most railway enthusiasts are good citizens, and trainspotting can be done without any trouble in most cases, but hooligan-like geeks do exist. Violent railway enthusiasts have been a serious issue for years, especially since the 2010s. Some of them are not delinquency but a crime. To enjoy watching, taking photos of or getting on trains, it is vital to follow the latest updates and take action in advance. It is also important to find places to see trains where less people gather than station platforms.
