A 23-year-old rail fan in Japan has been arrested and sent to prosecutors after police say he took a chainsaw to a tree beside the JR Senmo Line in eastern Hokkaido to get a clearer shot of a sightseeing train. The tree fell onto and snagged a railway communication cable, and he faces a suspicion of endangering railway traffic.
"I wanted to take a good photo," he was quoted as telling investigators, according to STV News, as reported by Tokyo Reporter. PetaPixel also covered the case. We are not naming the man, who has not been convicted.
What happened?
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 30, 2026 |
| Location | JR Senmo Line, Kushiro town, eastern Hokkaido |
| Allegation | Felled a trackside tree with a chainsaw; it caught a railway communication cable |
| Suspect | 23-year-old man from Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Police | Hokkaido Prefectural Police |
| Status | Arrested and sent to prosecutors (reported Oct. 14) |
| Suspicion | Endangering railway traffic |
He admitted the allegations, telling police, "There is no mistake that I cut a tree along the tracks with a chainsaw and knocked it down, catching the cable," according to the reports.
What train was he trying to photograph?
Investigative sources say he wanted to shoot the Yuhi no Norokko-go, or Sunset Norokko, a sightseeing train on the Senmo Line. Since August, when JR announced the final run of the Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko-go, crowds of rail photographers have descended on the line to capture the trains before they're retired.
Why does this matter for photographers?
Japan has a long-running debate about the conduct of a small minority of "toritetsu," or train-photography enthusiasts. There have been past reports of trespassing, crowding, and damage to plants along popular routes. Cases like this one feed calls for tighter rules at popular shooting spots.
How can you photograph trains responsibly?
- Stay off railway property, including embankments and access roads.
- Never cut, bend or remove trees, plants or fences to clear a view.
- Ask landowners before shooting from private fields.
- Arrive early and share space at busy spots instead of blocking others.
- Follow staff and police instructions, especially at final-run events.
