鉄道は、たくさんの人たちをつないでくれる「道」だと思います。 This is a blog about railways in Japan and around the world by an enthusiast.
Railway literature in Japan: achievement of Miyawaki Shunzo 宮脇俊三 (1926- 2003)
Miyawaki Shunzo is a famous writer in Japan to develop railway travelogues into the sphere of literature.
In 1978, he debuted to write a novel “時刻表2万キロ Timetable 20,000 kilometers” describing his experience to ride all the rail lines of former Japan National Railways (JNR, 国鉄).
As a same railfan, I respect him very much. More personally saying, Miyawaki is a mentor of my life. I have read all his books since young age and learned the pleasure of railway riding, writing travelogue, how to enjoy train timetables and so many things from him. When younger, I dreamed that I would be like Miyawaki to be independent as a rail novelist in the future, although I now recognize it is so unrealistic thing.
He was addicted in the interests of train timetables, bought them every month and “read” (not just search) them thoroughly till midnight. He even wrote a book to plan a virtual train timetable of constructing and unopened lines.
In older celebrated novelists in Japan about railway novels are Uchida Hyakken (内田百閒, 1889- 1971) and Agawa Hiroyuki (阿川弘之, 1920- 2015). Miyawaki was strongly influenced by Uchida and Agawa.
