The Botchan Ressha Train is a replica of the original Iyo Railway locomotive of 1888 which had been imported from Germany and became the first railway in Shikoku. While the original locomotive was steam powered, the replica in use today is diesel powered. You can board the Botchan Ressha Train in Matsuyama city, Ehime Prefecture. It is used in alternation with other trains and has become a tourist attraction. The name Botchan is a reference to the novel by Japanese writer Natsume Soseki which mentions the train.

Photograph provided by IYOTETSU Group Co., Ltd.