in nearby nayoro, i had arranged to stay in a unique guesthouse. of his life. when he stopped working on the trains, he restored an old disused station house back to its former glory. so, this used to be a railway line here? in contrast to the japanese mainland, much of the urban life in hokkaido first developed around the rail infrastructure. some of the old local train routes closed, with a loss of industry. but for some people, like tomioka, this is not the end of the line. this is an incredible experience! on an old, disused railway line, very shuddery, but exhilarating. absolutely exhilarating! it's great, really good! it is a world away from this country's high—speed bullet trains, but what a way to experience the nature this island is famous for. i've got my sleeper carriage berth, so let's see where the night train takes me. when the japanese came to colonise hokkaido, they sent former samurai with a mission to cultivate this island. that is one of the distinct ways it has developed: miles upon miles of beautiful landscapes. one way to get