By Alex
Is Studio Ghibli planning a live-action movie? Check out this short video shared on Twitter below – a car with just one or two passengers, the shining summer sea under the bright sun, and the slowly shifting shadows through the window. It’s hard to believe this isn’t a scene from a film. But in fact, photographer Maeyama (@xxakaxxv) stumbled upon this rare sight completely by chance. At the time, he only had a GoPro action camera with him. Although he felt the footage was a bit shaky, it didn’t detract from the beauty of the scene.
The Kagawa braid train is just too overpowered. pic.twitter.com/rydM87gATP
— Maeyama (@xxakaxxv) August 16, 2020
Maeyama revealed in the comments that he was riding the Yosan Line railway, passing near the Tokudani Station coastal track in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. He also agreed with netizens that the view inside the car was “completely surreal,” “like a game’s VR scene,” “the train on water in Spirited Away,” and some even thought the “train was flying over the sea”!
The nearly 300-kilometer-long Yosan Line starts and ends at Takamatsu Station in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, and Uwajima Station in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture. Most of the route runs along the western and northern coasts of Shikoku. Actually, during this trip, Maeyama also visited another very famous station on the Yosan Line – Shimonada Station.
Japan’s closest train station to the sea.
— Maeyama (@xxakaxxv) August 17, 2020
This place is packed with summer charm. pic.twitter.com/VakVugUtwN
This rural little station is located in Futami Town, Iyo City, Ehime Prefecture, just across the road from the sea. But because it's situated on higher ground, photos taken toward the sea create the illusion that the station is right on the waterfront. The simple platform at Shimonada Station has a nostalgic charm, and with the blue Seto Inland Sea outside, it gives off a refreshing vibe. No wonder it has become a popular spot for influencers and hipsters to take photos in recent years.
▲ One of the features of Shimonada Station is the Seto Inland Sea as its backdrop. (Photo by xxakaxxv @Twitter)
▲ The station platform at Shimonada Station has only a small shelter and no railway staff on duty. (Photo by xxakaxxv @Twitter)
▲ Shimonada Station is separated from the Seto Inland Sea by a road, but due to the elevation difference, it creates the illusion that the station is right by the sea. (Photo by xxakaxxv @Twitter)
▲ Shimonada Station in the lens of other photographers. (Photo by sanamaru @Twitter)
▲ Shimonada Station has become a popular photo spot for influencers and hipsters in recent years. (Photo by daiki.324 @IG)
▲ (Photo by masa.a_photo @IG)
▲ Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun and evening glow, Shimonada Station takes on a completely different feel. (Photo by masa.a_photo @IG)
▲ (Photo by minamii0425 @IG)
▲ (Photo by yukit1156 @IG)
▲ (Photo by yusuke73btb @IG)
▲ (Photo by kaz.craft @IG)
Source: Maeyama @Twitter