美作國より因幡國へ
2022年4月21日に岡山県の津山から智頭経由で鳥取迄に旅行した際に因美線の3つの駅を訪問した記録です。
This is a brief record of my visit to the following three stations of JR Inbi Line 因美線 on 21st April 2022 when I travelled from Tsuyama 津山 to Tottori 鳥取 via Chizu 智頭.
Nagi Station 那岐駅
Chiwa Station 知和駅
Mimasaka-Kawai 美作河合駅
Inaba Province and Mimasaka Province (因幡國と美作國)
Inaba 因幡 and Mimasaka 美作 are names of the old provinces. The former is the old provincial name of Inaba Province (the eastern half of modern-day Tottori Prefecture) and the latter Mimasaka Province (modern-day northern Okayama Prefecture).
Although the White Hare of Inaba (因幡の白兎, Inaba no Shirousagi) is so famous, and I was aware of Commemorative Events Marking the 1300th Anniversary of the Founding of Mimasaka Province back in 2013, I have to admit that I know very little about the history of these provinces.
Inbi Line (因美線)
In the past, the entire line, together with the Tsuyama Line 津山線, served as an In-Yō connecting line 陰陽連絡路線 between Okayama and Tottori. However, after the opening of the Chizu Kyūkō Line 智頭急行線, trains connecting Tottori and Okayama began to run via the Chizu Kyūkō Chizu Line, and the role of the In-Yō connection became only north of Chizu Station, where trains via the Chizu Line run, and the role of the line became different from that of the line south of Chizu Station.
This line was fully completed on July 1, 1932.
Here's comparison of number of passengers between Tsuyama ~ Chizu and Chizu~ Tottori:
It's obvious that the portion of JR Inbi Line between Tsuyama and Chizu is "doomed" owing to fewer passengers…🤔
On stations names (駅名について)
The name Inbi 因美 is obviously derived from Inaba 因幡 and Mimasaka 美作, similar to Hakubi Line 伯備線, Geibi Line 芸備線, and Bantan Line 播但線 where
Haku 伯 ⬅️ 伯耆 Hōki
Gei 芸 ⬅️ 安芸 Aki
Bi 備 ⬅️ 備前 Bizen or 吉備 KIbi
Ban 播 ⬅️ 播磨 Harima
Tan 但 ⬅️ 但馬 Tajima
respectively.
It is always intriguing to see the "prefix" of train station names transition during a trip such as from Mikawa 三河 to Owari 尾張 in Aichi Prefecture.
One of very interesting station name is 備前福河 Bizen-Fukukawa of JR Akō Line in Akō City, Hyōgo Prefecture 兵庫県赤穂市.
The prefix "Bizen" shows the history - this area belonged to Wake district of Okayama Prefecture when Bizen-Fukukawa Station was opened on March 1, 1955. The village was transferred to Hyōgo Prefecture on September 1, 1963.
Location
Itinerary (旅程)
Nagi Station 那岐駅 (再掲)
The above two images were used in the following article "なぎコレクション":
This ⬆️article was inspired by an article relative to Nagi Shrine 那岐神社⛩️
with Izanagi 伊邪那岐命 &Izanami 伊邪那美命 enshrined near Nagi station.
Walking from Chiwa Station 知和駅 to Mimasaka-Kawai Station 美作河合駅
I walked for 4.1 Km under the rain from Chiwa to Mimasaka-Kawai.
[Header Image Credit] 諸国六十八景 美作 (左) 因幡 (右) by 歌川広重 (二代)
"Shokoku 68 kei" by Utagawa Hiroshige II
国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション
National Diet Library Digital Collections
(via Wikimedia Commons)
🟪
