The Iron Road to the Deep North: Japanese Railways of Hokkaido, Then and Now

Victor Hand traveled to Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, in 1966 and 1971 in search of steam locomotives.

Scott Lothes lived in Hokkaido from 2005 to 2007 where he taught English and rode trains all over the island. His presentation uses Hand's photography, which is now part of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art's collection, as well as Lothes's more recent views, to explore Hokkaido and its fascinating railways. The tracks cling to rugged coastlines, climb spectacular mountains, and have undergone many changes in the decades between Hand's and Lothes's visits.

Lothes, President and Executive Director of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, joined the Center’s staff in 2008. He is a regular contributor to Trains, Railfan and Railroad, and other railroad publications, with more than fifty bylined articles and some 500 photographs in print.

**Due to technical malfunctions during the recording, there is no presenter cam and no footage for the Question & Answer portion of the program. Thank you for your understanding.


The Center for Railroad Photography & Art is a membership-based organization. Support our mission today: https://railphoto-art.org/support/