A Conversation with a Railway Enthusiast

When I caught up with someone I hadn’t seen in a while yesterday, I told them, “I’m actually a big fan of the Porsche Panamera, and I write a blog about it.” They replied, “I’m a railway enthusiast, actually… Maybe I should start a railway blog, too.”

I’m not quite knowledgeable enough about the Panamera to call myself an enthusiast—I simply love the car. But I want to learn much, much more about the Panamera and get to know Porsche inside and out.

During our conversation, they also said, “I went to the Hara Model Railway Museum the other day, and it was incredible.” Incredible is an understatement. What they told me was truly something to admire.

Shintaro Hara

I knew nothing about the museum, so I looked it up. It was founded by Shintaro Hara, a former executive vice president of KOKUYO. This article offers a closer look at Hara and the museum.

Hara was passionate not only about railway models but also about collecting the first tickets issued for newly opened railway lines. These tickets are usually available only to people who queue at the front on opening day. The museum displays dozens of them—a testament to extraordinary dedication. Among them is the first reserved-seat ticket for the Tokaido Shinkansen, which opened in 1964. Hara’s ticket was for Hikari No. 1, Car No. 1, Seat No. 1.
* Article source: The culmination of an unparalleled life’s passion: Shintaro Hara and the Hara Model Railway Museum

That’s incredible…

He sometimes took time off work to queue for those first tickets, and invested his own money in an enormous collection of rare models. The museum was eventually established, and even after his death, it continues to bring joy to countless visitors.

He was far more than a railway enthusiast. “Incredible” is truly the only word for it.

The Porsche Enthusiast Who Comes to Mind

When I think of someone whose passion for Porsche goes far beyond a hobby, one person comes to mind: Satoshi Hoshino of D’station Racing. I first heard of him when I went to watch the Carrera Cup at Okayama International Circuit. (The Super GT race was the main event, but I wasn’t interested in that—I went just to watch the Porsche Carrera Cup support race.) What an amazing guy… He even has a Wikipedia page.

As a business leader, he is CEO of NEXUS, the company behind D’STATION, a chain of pachinko parlors operating mainly in the Kanto region. As an athlete, he is a racing driver who competes in the very motorsport series his company supports.

He was born into a family that ran a transport company in Katashina Village, hauling maitake mushrooms and lumber from Mount Tanigawa. After taking over the family business, he entered the gaming industry in 1995, opening the first D’STATION location in Numata City (now Numata Sohonten). He went on to expand into new areas, growing the company into a major enterprise with dozens of locations, primarily in the Kanto region, and annual sales of more than ¥200 billion (fiscal year ending June 2016). Alongside his role as team owner of D’station Racing, he competes as a driver in the Super Taikyu Series and Porsche Carrera Cup.
*https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%96%A2%E6%9D%B1

Hoshino began competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup after turning 40. He has trained and practiced seriously, winning the Gentleman class several times, and now races in the overall class. On his company’s website, he says:

“When we enter a series, we aim for top results in Super GT300, starting from our first season in 2017. In the near future, I hope D’station Racing will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France and the 24 Hours of Daytona in the U.S., with an all-Japanese driver lineup.”

W-wait, seriously?! He’s got Le Mans in his sights!
…Actually, how much does all that cost?!

A Porsche Garage Someday

Now that really is something. My husband once told me, “I’ll never build a house, but I’d love to build a garage just for cars.” So yesterday I said, “There was this former KOKUYO executive named Hara who loved trains so much that he built a museum. Wouldn’t it be great if we could build a Porsche garage someday?” He seemed to like the idea more than a little, and replied:

“To do that, we’d have to make a fortune, so I’d better earn a lot more!”

I’d love to build a Porsche garage, too! Though before we get to that, I’ll have to start by buying a Porsche of my own. Dream big—and let’s make it happen!