Apparently up until 1997 or so there was a small railbus running back and forth along a single track between Noheji station and Shichinohe called The Nanbu-Jukan Railway. I'm not sure if it was actually an old bus that had been converted into a train, or just a tiny train that looked a lot like a bus. I get the impression from all the pictures around town and online of this cute little train that at one time this line was fairly famous among rail fans. Anyway, since this service ended, Shichinohe has been inaccessible by train and will continue to remain that way until the new Shinkansen line to Aomori opens in a few years. In addition to my contest with Luke Elliot to find and photograph a wild bear in Japan, I think I'll also try to see if I can track down the old Noheji railbus. This might be an impossible task since for all I know the railbus has long since been turned to scrap iron. If that turns out to be the case, then perhaps I'll consider plan B: find a model of the Noheji railbus, or at the very least a copy of Train Simulator: Collector's Edition which must be the only time Noheji has been featured in a video game. Now before you ask, no there really isn't much else to do with your free time in Noheji. Wish me luck!