Japanese Railway Photographer Arrested for Chainsawing Trees to Capture Sunset Norokko Train

Key facts

• Kodai Watanabe, a 23-year-old taxi driver from Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, was arrested by Hokkaido Prefectural Police.
• He trespassed onto JR Senmo Line property in Kushiro and used a chainsaw to cut down a tree, which fell onto a railway communication cable, endangering passengers.
• Watanabe's motive was to photograph the Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko-go (Sunset Norokko) sightseeing train, whose operations JR Senmo said are ending soon.
• He confessed to the allegations, saying, "The weather was great, and it was my last chance to shoot the train. I wanted to take a good photo. I wanted to improve the conditions, even just a little bit, so I cut the tree with a chainsaw."
• His case has been sent to local prosecutors under suspicion of endangering railway traffic; he could face a fine or years in prison.
• Japanese railway enthusiasts, known as "toritetsu," have been arrested for theft, violence, trespassing, and other offenses, and are sometimes seen dodging trains for photos.
• Last year, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) launched a public awareness campaign urging photographers to stop dangerous behavior.
• The Sunset Norokko train's upcoming discontinuation has attracted many railway enthusiasts to photograph it.