In tandem the train has played a role in speeding up depopulation in rural Japan, according to Hood, leaving many elderly people isolated. "People would rather live in the big cities ...

Because of the high frequency of train departures, the melody has to be short, but in rural areas of Japan with less frequent trains, melodies can be as long as 20 or 30 seconds, some stations ...

Stroll through fragrant lavender fields. From late June to early August, Hokkaido's countryside transforms into a sea of ...