Mabi, Kurashiki City, is an area where agriculture flourishes.
The rice paddies were also badly damaged by the July 2018 Heavy Rains, and it is said that in fiscal 2018, only half the expected rice harvest could be gathered.
About a year and three months have passed since the July 2018 Heavy Rains, when reports showed fields strewn with mud and disaster debris.
In October 2019, we introduce “Mabi today,” where golden rice ears sway in the breeze, and the trains of the Ibara Line running through the area.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in October 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Ibara Line
The Ibara Line began operations on January 11, 1999.
The railway runs 41.7 km from JR Soja Station in Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, to Kannabe Station in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
The journey from Soja through Mabi, Yakage, Ibara, and Fukuyama takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
It connects southwestern Okayama Prefecture with the Bingo region of eastern Hiroshima Prefecture.
The views from the train windows are outstanding!
Rather than a train made up of several cars, the service mainly consists of single-car trains.
You can enjoy the rural scenery at a leisurely pace.
The railway is used mainly by students and older people, and is an essential part of daily life for Mabi residents.
On weekends and holidays, there are discount tickets such as the “Super Holiday Pass,” as well as events such as the “Ibara Line Tokutoku Market” on the mornings of the first, second, and third Sundays of each month.
▼The stations on the Ibara Line are as follows:
| Izue Station | Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Komoriuta no Sato Takaya Station | Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Goryo Station | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Yuno Station | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Kannabe Station | Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
When the July 2018 Heavy Rains occurred, all Ibara Line services were suspended from July 6, 2018.
For about two months after the heavy rains, replacement bus services were provided, and the entire line resumed operations on September 3, 2018.
When services resumed and the Ibara Line began running through Mabi again, I woke early one morning to the “ka-tan, ko-ton” sound of the train and felt so relieved that “everyday life had returned” that tears nearly came to my eyes.
The appeal of endless rural scenery: Kawabejuku Station
I have ridden the Ibara Line many times, and I especially recommend the view from the train window as it crosses the Takahashi River.
You can gaze out at the Takahashi River sparkling in the sunlight, a soothing sight that will put your mind at ease.
Kawabe, on the eastern side of Mabi, takes its name from its location along the banks of the Takahashi River.
The area around Kawabe flourished as a post town on the Sanyo Road, which is said to be why the station was named Kawabejuku Station.
North of Kawabejuku Station, golden rice ears stretch into the distance, making for a truly spectacular view at sunset!
I was so captivated by the beauty of the orange sun setting behind the mountains, the softly reddening sky, and the golden rice ears that I lost track of time.
About Kibinomakibi Station, in the heart of Mabi
Around Kibinomakibi Station
Kibinomakibi Station is the central station on the Ibara Line through Mabi.
The station is named after the renowned historical figure Kibi no Makibi, who is said to have given Mabi its name.
Kibinomakibi Station is in the Yata area of Mabi, just north of places at the heart of Mabi such as Life Town Mabi and the Mabi Branch of Kurashiki City Office.
There is a Chinese-style building on the north side of Kibinomakibi Station.
Look closely and you’ll spot a sign that reads “Waiting Room / Station-front Library”!
As of 2019, there were no books in the library, but the building is used as a station waiting room.
Makibi Park, with its row of similar Chinese-style buildings, as well as Makibi Memorial Hall and Takenoko Chaya, are also about a 15-minute walk from Kibinomakibi Station.
A “Sunday Morning Market” is held around this waiting room from 8 a.m. on the second Sunday of every month.
During the season, you can find bargains on local specialties such as bamboo shoots and grapes (Pione), making it well worth a visit.
The local specialties, bamboo shoot croquettes and Mabi okowa, are highly recommended, so why not visit on the Ibara Line?
Remembering the heavy rains: the Orange Line
Can you see the orange line marked beneath the station’s elevated tracks?
The “Orange Line” is about five meters above ground, at the same height as the embankment of the Oda River, which flows from west to east through the town.
Taking past flood damage into account, members of the Yata District Community Development Council warned, “In the worst case, the water will reach this point,” and painted the line two years before the July 2018 Heavy Rains.
In fact, the floodwaters reached the “Orange Line” during the July 2018 Heavy Rains.
As of 2019, the area is surrounded by peaceful scenery, but I was reminded once again that “we must never forget efforts to keep the disaster from fading from memory.”
A spot to see Ibara Line trains up close: Bitchu Kurese Station
Next, we head to the Kurese area on the western side of Mabi.
The Ibara Line through Mabi runs mostly on elevated tracks, but at this spot the tracks run almost at road level, allowing you to see the trains up close.
On October 5, 2019, the day of our visit, rice harvesting had just begun, and we were able to watch a combine harvester cutting the rice.
The ears of rice, heavy with a rich harvest, droop as they eagerly await the time to be gathered.
During the upcoming autumn sightseeing season, why not take a leisurely ride on the Ibara Line to Mabi, then take your time admiring this scenery and enjoying the fresh air?
Mabi as seen from the Ibara Line in July 2019
There is also a video showing Mabi as it looked in July 2019, filmed from the train window of the Ibara Line. Be sure to watch it.
Scars from the heavy rains of July 2018 remain, but you can see that recovery is gradually progressing.
From the Writer
We asked Toshiyuki Sasaki, who helped with photography for the article “Kurashiki Shunsho Akari 2019: 13th Edition”, to take the photos for this article.
After I shared my thoughts and requests with him, he took the photos. Seeing the gentle scenes of Mabi in the finished pictures moved me deeply.
Immediately after the July 2018 torrential rains, piles of disaster waste lined the area beneath the Ibara Railway viaduct.
Now, thanks to the help of many people, Mabi is gradually regaining its original appearance.
Ibara Railway trains pass by, their “ka-tan ko-ton” rumble echoing through the area.
Seasonal flowers bloom in the flower beds planted by community builders and volunteers, and the rice paddies are full of ripened rice ears.
May the beauty of autumn in Mabi in 2019 reach many people.
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Photography: Toshiyuki Sasaki (Instagram)