[Newsletter] Eggs & sake on a neglected train line (Patreon)

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I'm back exploring Nara this week. Specifically, a seldom-used train line called Man-yō Mahoroba. It's known for, if anything, its historical sites. But unlike every other train line in Nara, I saw no other tourists whatsoever the entire day.

Before I go into that though, a couple of channel-related things to mention:

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So! This week's video

I've had my eye on the Man-yō Mahoroba Line for a while now. It's a sort of forgotten little JR line south of Nara that you never really hear about. So I went to ride it and check out some of its stations.

There was a lot of drama at first because several trains around Nara station were delayed for a variety of reasons. Unusual, and it threw off the entire day.

You have to roll with these things.

Return to Ōmiwa
The first thing I did along the train line was step off the train to visit Ōmiwa Shrine. But in fact, although it's not mentioned in the video, I'd been there before.

In 2009, I visited the shrine. I don't even remember why, but I know that I was driven there instead of taking the train. It was nice to see it again now, and learn a little more about it.

Like, the eggs and sake. People who visit bring bottles of Japanese rice wine, and raw eggs in their shells, as offerings to the shrine. I know every Shinto shrine is a little different, but it was pretty weird to see eggs and bottles of sake everywhere!

Me at Ōmiwa Shrine, 2009

On this recent wander, I also visited the line's least-used station, Kaguyama. The area was quiet and attractive. Plus, I got lunch there – in the form of a piece of chocolate. Fate wasn't into giving me a real meal today.

Lots to see on this little train line. Despite the heat, the humidity, and the train chaos, I had a great time exploring something that felt like it was there just for me.

More stuff

No extended version this week. However:

• Blooper reel from this video: https://www.patreon.com/posts/132576159

• My ChatGPT-planned trip in 2023 included bits of this train line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8tckFQbdMg

Thanks for watching. Everywhere is worth exploring!

–Jeremy