solo travel japan

Walking the Abandoned JR Shihoro Line: Horoka Station Ruins & the Phantom Bridge of Taushubetsu in Hokkaido Old JR Shihoro Line – Horoka Station Ruins These are the remains of the Horoka Station platform, where the old JR Shihoro Line tracks—last used in December 1978—are still visible. The old tracks, now overgrown with green, instantly brought the *Stand by Me* soundtrack to mind. You can follow the tracks all the way to the station ruins—but I stopped short after seeing a warning sign about bear sightings. Too scary to continue alone... I only walked a little way down the track ...

Visiting the Taushubetsu River Bridge Observation Point｜A Vanishing Bridge Beneath the Lake & Encounters with Wildlife Taushubetsu River Bridge Observation Point I stopped by the observation point where you can view the Taushubetsu River Bridge from about 750 meters away. This area is dotted with remnants of the old JR Shihoro Line—like an open-air museum of railway heritage. Getting up close to the bridge is apparently difficult, so there were many photographers with DSLR cameras lined up at the lookout. The gentle flow of the river, the surrounding grasslands, and the bridge that looks like ancient ruins—it all felt like ...