Tetsuko no Tabi

Tetsuko no Tabi (鉄子の旅, lit. 'Tetsuko's Travels') is a Japanese non-fiction manga series authored by Hirohiko Yokomi [ja] and illustrated by Naoe Kikuchi [ja]. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki between 2001 and 2006. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by Group TAC was broadcast in 2007.

Tetsuko no Tabi
First tankōbon volume cover
鉄子の旅
Manga
Written by	Hirohiko Yokomi [ja]
Illustrated by	Naoe Kikuchi [ja]
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Monthly Ikki
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	November 30, 2001 – October 25, 2006
Volumes	6 + 1 extra
Anime television series
Directed by	Akinori Nagaoka
Studio	Group TAC
Original network	Family Gekijo
Original run	June 24, 2007 – September 23, 2007
Episodes	13
Manga
Shin Tetsuko no Tabi
Written by	Hirohiko Yokomi
Illustrated by	Kanoko Hoashi
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Monthly Ikki
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	May 25, 2009 – January 25, 2013
Volumes	5
Manga
Tetsuko no Tabi 3-daime
Written by	Hirohiko Yokomi
Illustrated by	Akira Kirioka
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	Monthly Sunday Gene-X
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	May 19, 2016 – January 19, 2019
Volumes	4

Overview

Tetsuko no Tabi is a non-fiction series. It is inspired on the book Getting On and Off of JR’s 4600 Stations by Hirohiko Yokomi [ja], published in 1998, which chronicles his experience visiting all of Japan rail's train stations.^[1][2] The editor in chief of Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki, Hideki Egami [ja], wanted to recapture Yokomi's experience in manga. Masahiko Ishikawa, Shogakukan's editor and a railfan, recruited Naoe Kikuchi, a new manga artist who worked with Shogakukan on a number of shorts, and this would be her first serialized work.^[3][2] Tetsuko no Tabi is about Kikuchi herself, traveling with Yokomi and Ishikawa, illustrating a manga based on their experiences.^[2]

Characters

Hirohiko Yokomi [ja]

Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama

The travel-writer, who turns out to be a huge train-fan. He has a lot of energy and passion for trains, and sometimes girls, but also micro-manages all their trips, planning every detail down to the second. He cares mostly about following the schedule and successfully achieving his planned goals (e.g. visiting all stations on a line in a completely bizarre order to accommodate infrequent trains).

Naoe Kikuchi [ja]

Voiced by: Akira Tomisaka

A manga artist. She has no interest in trains whatsoever, and she keeps getting freaked out by Yokomi's antics. She is also cynical, sarcastic, and rather lazy, mainly looking forward to the next ekiben.

Masahiko Ishikawa

Voiced by: Tokuyoshi Kawashima

Kikuchi's editor, another train geek.

Masaki Kamimura

Voiced by: Tetsuharu Ōta

Kikuchi's second editor.

Media

Manga

Created by Hirohiko Yokomi [ja] and Naoe Kikuchi [ja], Tetsuko no Tabi debuted in Shogakukan's Spirits Zōkan Ikki^[a] on November 30, 2001.^[4] The series finished on October 25, 2006.^[b] Shogakukan collected its chapters in six tankōbon volumes, released from November 30, 2004, to February 28, 2007.^[7] The series was again intermittently serialized from 2007,^[8] with chapters collected in a single volume, titled Tetsuko no Tabi Plus, released on February 25, 2009.^[9]

A sequel, titled Shin Tetsuko no Tabi (新・鉄子の旅), illustrated by Kanoko Hoashi, was serialized in Monthly Ikki from May 25, 2009,^[10][11] to January 25, 2013.^[12] Shogakukan collected its chapters in five tankōbon volumes, released from February 25, 2010,^[13] to March 29, 2013.^[14]

Another manga series, titled Tetsuko no Tabi 3-daime (鉄子の旅 3代目), illustrated by Akira Kirioka, was serialized in Monthly Sunday Gene-X from May 19, 2016,^[15] to January 19, 2019.^[16] Shogakukan collected its chapters in four volumes, released from February 17, 2017,^[17] to July 19, 2019.^[18]

Anime

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation, animated by Group TAC,^[19] was broadcast on the cable television station Family Gekijo from June 24 to September 23, 2007.^[5][20][21]

Notes

1. Re-branded as Monthly Ikki in 2003.
2. The series finished in the magazine's December 2006 issue,^[5] released on October 25 of that same year.^[6]

References

1. 乗った降りたJR4600駅 (日本語) 単行本 (in Japanese). Shin-Jinbutsuoraisha [ja]. 1998. ASIN 4404026870.
2. Chavez, ED (December 1, 2008). "Tetsuko no Tabi". Otaku USA Magazine. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
3. ［鉄子の旅］菊池直恵＆横見浩彦. IKKI Paradise (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
4. ＩＫＫＩ（イッキ）２００１年７号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 2, 2003. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
5. 作品紹介. tetsuko.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
6. 月刊ＩＫＫＩ. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
7. 鉄子の旅 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
8. 月刊ＩＫＫＩ ２００７年４号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
9. 鉄子の旅プラス (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015.
10. Yokomi, Hirohiko (May 25, 2009). 新企画スタート. Hirohiko Yokomi's recent report! (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
11. 【IKKI】IKKI イッキ 7月号、5月25日発売!!. manganohi.com (in Japanese). May 25, 2009. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
12. 月刊IKKI 2013年3月号. Neowing (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
13. 【2月25日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 25, 2010. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
14. 【3月29日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 29, 2013. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
15. 鉄子の旅 三代目：流行語大賞ノミネートの鉄道ルポマンガが“復活” ファンの後押しで新連載スタート. Mantan Web (in Japanese). May 19, 2016. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
16. 月刊 サンデーGX 2019年2月号. Book Shop Shogakukan (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
17. 鉄道オタクに連れ回される「鉄子の旅」シリーズ新作、過去2作のセレクションも. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 17, 2017. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
18. 「鉄子の旅」18年間の旅、ついに終着！描き下ろしMAP配布や写真集の発売も. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 19, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
19. 鉄子の旅. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
20. 第1旅「久留里線全駅乗下車」 2007.6.24 OA. tetsuko.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 26, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
21. 第13旅（最終旅）｢これが北海道だ!｣ 2007.9.23 OA. tetsuko.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2021.

Further reading

• Shinbo, Nobunaga (January 16, 2005). 鉄子の旅　[著]菊池直恵. book.asahi.com (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on November 25, 2005.

External links

• Official anime website (in Japanese)
• Tetsuko no Tabi (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia