Botchan Ressha, the first railway in Shikoku

The first railway in Shikoku was opened in 1888, only 16 years after the first railway was inaugurated in Japan. It was owned by the Iyo Railway company, the third private railway in Japan after the Nippon Railway and the Horonai Railway in Hokkaido.

The original locomotive was imported from Germany, from the Krauss & Company in Munich, and because the train was small even by narrow-gauge standards, it was always considered a sort of de toy train.

Since 2001, a replica of the original train runs through the center of the Matsuyama city, reviving the charm of steam trains...