The Upside-Down Train Vlog — Shonan Monorail
An incoming train and view of the Shonan-Machiya Train Station and its surroundings on the Shonan Monorail in Kamakura, Japan.
There are a lot of unique trains in Japan, suspended monorails, which there are only 2 operating left in the country, was one I got to ride during my vacation. Watch my video detailing the experience, and how you can ride one, too!
AI Disclosure
I believe that AI-use should always be labeled and disclosed. In this article;
Generative AI was used to:
- Nothing — No Gen AI, in any level or capacity, was used in writing and creation of this work (article and video). This includes providing feedback, making influence, nor rewriting any parts of this story.
Machine Learning was used to:
- Perform a grammar and spell check
Railfan, a term that I just learned from researching and writing a short narrative for this story, apparently exist and is the perfect way to set a tune for my fascination for trains — because of course, such a word exist.
I don’t recall how my love for trains, specifically passenger trains, started. My theory would be because the side of the city I live in Manila don’t really have a rail system that is convenient and accessible. So I often look forward to riding one as a kid when we get to travel somewhere farther than usual, and trains being an affordable and easier way to commute, is a no-brainer.
Trains are emissions friendly and extremely efficient from moving people compared to cars. I also like the game of chance whether I’d be able to sit depending on the ridership that day — which is a small thought I equip to make a frustrating situation flipped around.
Of course visiting Japan which is known for trains, I made sure to ride plenty and different kinds of trains as possible for the week I was there. This is one of those trips — the Shonan Monorail. You can learn more about Shonan Monorail in the video below, and why I specifically wanted to ride it.
This was the very first full-length video I published on YouTube. Hope you learn something new!
Watch on YouTube
Fun fact: Railfan actually has a Japanese equivalent called densha otaku lit. “train nerd”.
Shonan Monorail was only one of the many trips I went to when I was in Japan, detailing my very first winter experience. The full Story linked below: