Abandoned railway tracks exist in cities too! Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukuoka… Uncover the “why” behind the disappearance of railway lines! “Abandoned Urban Railway Tracks Research Reader” goes on sale October 17th.

[Abandoned railway tracks exist in cities too!] Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukuoka… Uncover the “why” behind the disappearance of railway lines! “Abandoned Urban Railway Tracks: An Investigative Reader” goes on sale October 17th.
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Kawade Shobo Shinsha Press release: October 17, 2025 To Members of the Press [Abandoned railway tracks exist in cities too!] Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukuoka… Uncover the “why” behind the disappearance of railway lines! “Abandoned Urban Railway Tracks: An Investigative Reader” goes on sale October 17th. Redevelopment, construction of new lines, a shift in logistics, war… have all created amazing landscapes! Uncover the unknown history and mystery of the “railway remains” buried in the city!!
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Kawade Shobo Shinsha Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director: Masaru Onodera) is pleased to present “Abandoned Urban Railways” by Masahiro Ishikawa. “Discovery Reader” (list price: 1,892 yen including tax) will be released on October 17, 2025. When people hear the phrase “abandoned railway lines,” many of them likely think of local train lines. However, abandoned railway tracks can also be found right next to cities, blending into our daily lives. This book focuses on abandoned railway tracks that can be found in cities, explaining the history leading up to their closure, what the tracks are like today, and what to see. ◎The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Port and Harbor Bureau Dedicated Line Supported Freight Transport in Tokyo Bay ◎Even after its closure, the station buildings of the Hankai Electric Railway Kamimachi Line remain as they were when the line first opened. ◎The Japan National Railways Chikuhi Line, which disappeared after handing over its role to the subway. ◎The Keisei Shirahige Line, whose life was cut short by the opening of a new route to the city center ◎The Meiji Jingu Construction Bureau’s siding line, deeply involved in the creation of the “Eternal Forest”
◎Unprecedented! The Meitetsu Seto Line, which ran along the remains of Nagoya Castle’s outer moat ◎The abandoned Hankyu Kamitsutsui Line helped with “recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake” — and other unknown histories of 59 abandoned railway tracks remaining in cities across the country will be revealed with abundant maps and photographs. ■The hidden charm of abandoned urban railway tracks Excerpt from the author’s “Preface” There are many different types of railway-related hobbies, but “walking along abandoned railway tracks” is a particularly unique genre. Despite being a railway enthusiast, I’ve never ridden a train, let alone seen one. It’s a hobby that pursues memories of railways of the past, so to speak. The allure of this lies in the mysterious excitement of discovering traces of trains that once ran along the area. Even if the rails have been completely removed, there’s the joy of retracing them, using old maps and historical documents as clues to imagine what the railroads once looked like. Through this process, you can gain a deeper understanding of the area’s history. This hobby is of interest not only to train enthusiasts, but also to those interested in history and geography. When you think of abandoned railways, many people think of local lines in rural areas, but there are actually surprisingly many abandoned railways in urban areas as well. Urban railways are abandoned for a variety of reasons, including elevated or underground construction to avoid urban congestion, route changes for convenience, and a decline in freight traffic. Many urban railways, built to transport supplies during wartime, were abandoned after the war when demand disappeared. Of course, just like abandoned local lines, there are also abandoned urban railways that were closed due to declining passenger numbers. Abandoned urban railway tracks are closer to home than you might think. Looking at old maps, you may discover the existence of railways you never knew existed. It’s not uncommon for the roads you walk on every day to actually be the remains of railways, making them easy to discover, which is another appealing aspect of this hobby. One of the joys of this hobby is that by actually visiting and investigating the reasons for the closure, you can get a glimpse into the history of the city. I have spent many years visiting abandoned railways all over the country, but while writing this book, I realized that there are still many abandoned railways in urban areas that I have yet to discover. This is truly urban history and mystery. I hope this book will help you explore abandoned urban railway tracks and provide you with new discoveries and enjoyment. A must-read for railway fans, this book also explores the history of mysterious cities. Be sure to check out the release of Masahiro Ishikawa’s latest book, “A Reader’s Guide to Investigating Abandoned Urban Railway Tracks”! ■Table of Contents for “Abandoned Urban Railway Tracks: A Reading Guide” Chapter 1: Exploring Abandoned Railway Tracks in Central Tokyo Toden Shibaura Line / Tokyo Market Freight Line / Keio Line / Meiji Jingu Construction Bureau Siding Line / Toden Line 13 / Chuo Main Line / Explosives Transport Track / Tokyu Toyoko Line Chapter 2 Exploring Osaka’s Abandoned Railway Tracks Sakuranomiya Line / Umeda Freight Line / Nankai Tennoji Branch Line / Nankai Hirano Line / Hanwa Freight Line / Osaka Rinko Line / Hankai Electric Railway Uemachi Line / Sanpo Line (Osaka City Tram Hankai Line) / Keihan Main Line / Osaka Ichiba Freight Line Chapter 3: Exploring Tokyo’s Abandoned Railway Tracks Tokyo
Metropolitan Government Bureau of Port and Harbor Private Line Toyosu Lines and Harumi Line / Toden Sunamachi Line (Jyoto Electric Tramway) / Tokyu Kinuta Line / Keisei Shirahige Line / Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway Shin-Okusawa Line / Shimogawara Line / Musashino Stadium Line / Tobu Keishi Line / Tokyo Army Arsenal Depot Line / Tokyo Artillery Arsenal Electric Tramway Line / Kita-Oji Line and Suga Line. Chapter 4: Exploring Abandoned Railway Tracks in Nagoya and Kyoto Nagoya Port Line / Southern Freight Line / Meitetsu Seto Line / Meitetsu Komaki Line / Tokadai New Transit Tokadai Line / Kyoto City Tram Fushimi Line and Horikawa (Kitano) Line / Keihan Keishin Line / Former Tokaido Main Line. Chapter 5: Exploring Abandoned Railway Tracks in Eastern Japan Jozankei Railway Line / Senseki Line / Shinetsu Main Line Freight Branch Line / Army Railway Regiment Training Line / Seibu Abina Line / Keikyu Daishi Line / Odakyu Mukogaoka-Yuen Monorail Line / Tokyu Toyoko Line / Yamashita Rinko Line / Yokohama Port Mizuho Pier Freight Line / Yokohama City Tram Honmoku Line Chapter 6: Exploring Abandoned Railway Tracks in Western Japan Kintetsu Nara Line (Old Line) / Amagasaki Port Line / Hanshin Mukogawa Line / Kobe Rinko Line / Hyogo Rinko Line / Hankyu Kamitsutsui Line / Himeji Municipal Monorail / Ujina Line / Okura Line / Chikuhi Line / Katsuta Line
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1072/12754-1072-04cdf4e3736652955fefa777c7b527f0-1978×1462.jpg Toden Shibaura Line
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1072/12754-1072-46756b3ceaab0cb281b7fd76c2507771-1965×1447.jpg Tokyu Kinuta Line
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1072/12754-1072-407a3a02ce9b61c9eca4a88ac3f909ff-1977×1459.jpg Keihan Keishin Line
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1072/12754-1072-907359835cced5ad08027ea3398fa10d-1989×1455.jpg Kintetsu Nara Line Old Line ■Author Profile Ishikawa Masahiro Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1968. Currently living in Kyoto Prefecture. From an early age, his father’s job transfers led him to travel around the country, and he developed a love for train travel, geography, and history. After coming across the works of travel writer Miyawaki Shunzo, he made investigating abandoned railway tracks his life’s work. He has explored abandoned railway tracks all over the country not only by train, but also by motorcycle, car, bicycle, on foot and even electric kick scooter, and he presents the records of his investigations on his own website, “Abandoned Railway Journey, Railway Journey.” https://jidolmagazine.com/ ■ Bibliographic information
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/12754/1072/12754-1072-214afc859e1b4ffa81dfd8ef0c0a6734-1764×2591.jpg Title: Urban Abandoned Railway Tracks: Research Reader Author: Masahiro Ishikawa Specifications: 46-size paperback / paperback / 200 pages Release date: October 17, 2025 Price including tax: ¥1,892 (¥1,720 excluding tax) ISBN: 978-4-309- 29545-9 Binding: Studio Fam URL: https://www.kawade.co.jp/np/isbn/9784309295459/ For more information about this release