This month sees a collection of photos by Dave Fossett and Hiroshi Naito showing the great variety of rolling stock that can be seen in Japan today, from modern shinkansen and commuter trains serving the major cities to aged tramcars and electric trains still active in more rural areas.

A 2-car E127 series EMU arrives at Niigata station on a local service from Murakami. By Dave Fossett, January 2004.	Refurbished JR Freight locomotive EF65-1076 threads its container train out of Tabata Yard in Tokyo and onto the Joban Freight Line. By Dave Fossett, December 2003.	A Joban Line E231 series EMU rounds the curve to pass underneath the Keisei Railway just after Nippori station in Tokyo with a local service to Toride. The tracks behind the train are the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines. By Dave Fossett, December 2003.
A 2-car KiHa110 DMU approaches Niigata with a Banetsusai Line local service from Maoroshi. This type is the standard JR East new-generation DMU, introduced in the early 1990s and now widely used across the JR East area. By Dave Fossett, January 2004.	E2 series shinkansen set number N11 approaches Tokyo station with the Asama 514 service from Nagano. The 8-car Nagano Shinkansen sets are distinguishable from the 10-car Tohoku and Joetsu fleet by the red stripe separating the white and blue areas on the bodysides. By Dave Fossett, January 2002.	E4 series shinkansen set number P51 approaches Omiya station with the Max-Yamabiko/Tsubasa 126 service from Sendai and Yamagata. This particular set is one of two designed to cope with the steep gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen route, enabling it to be used on seasonal Max-Asama services. By Dave Fossett, June 2002.
Pulling out of Iida station on the Iida Line is a series 119 EMU, which is uniquely allocated to this rural line. The Iida Line is a secondary line, approximately 215 km long, connecting Toyohashi on the Tokaido Main Line and Okaya on the Chuo Line, and serving about 100 stations. By Hiroshi Naito, November 2003.	Takaoka, a medium sized city in Toyama prefecture, still operates a light rail system, named the Manyo Line. A 40-year-old tram car emerges onto the street running section. By Hiroshi Naito, October 2003.	A Toyama Regional Railway limited express passes through a loop. This stock was the railway's first modernized train with air conditioning, and was built in 1980. By Hiroshi Naito, October 2003.