A psychiatric hospital in Tokyo plans to revive a fondly remembered train for tours and lectures on the premises in hopes of shedding negative perceptions about mental health institutions.

The operator of Tokyo Satsuki Hospital in Chofu bought a carriage of a 10-car 8530 train under the 8500 series, affectionately called “Hachigo.” (“Hachi” means eight in Japanese while “go” implies five.)

The silver, stainless steel train with a red stripe on the front connected Shibuya Station in Tokyo and Chuo-Rinkan Station in neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture on Tokyu Railways Co.’s Denentoshi Line.

The train ran from 1979 through 2022 primarily for students and commuters.

Measuring 20 meters long and weighing 30 tons, the train car left Tokyu Railways’ plant in Yokohama on a trailer for another factory in late April. The destination display on its face stated “Tokyo Satsuki Hospital.”

Hospital officials said mental health science is often associated with negative words, such as “isolation” and “restraint.” They hope the Hachigo Project will change people’s thinking.

‘AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE’

The institute plans to have the carriage available for public viewing in October on the former site of an agricultural field linking a hospital ward and a day care facility.

The train is expected to be exhibited free of charge under the concept of being “available anytime for anyone.” The institute is considering using the car as a cafe or for lectures.

The seats, speakers, interior lights, fans and crew cab of the car will not be altered. The carriage-mounted broadcasting equipment and other systems are also still operational.

In October 2021, Shinichiro Ishizaka, 40, vice chair of a medical corporation that manages the hospital, came across an online notice that Tokyu Railways was selling a decommissioned train car.

The company could not find another rail operator that wanted the carriage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, in a first, Tokyu Railways decided to put the car up for public sale for 1.76 million yen ($12,000).

“Making effective use of the train may encourage people to stop at our mental institute since that type of vehicle was popular among both children and adults,” Ishizaka said. “Allowing nearby residents to take advantage of it will contribute to the local community as well.”

Ishizaka was familiar with Hachigo because he had used the train from his childhood. He proposed the Hachigo Project to management, and the reply was, “Give it a try.”

After a hospital-wide meeting was held to gain consent of all employees, a social welfare corporation affiliated with the Tokyo Satsuki Hospital signed a sales contract with Tokyu Railways in October 2022.

The carriage purchase price plus fees for transportation and maintenance at the installation site came to 75 million yen. A crowdfunding campaign raised 50 million yen for the project.

RECOVERY OUTSIDE

The predecessor of Tokyo Satsuki Hospital opened in Chofu in 1957. Due to the building’s age, the hospital was relocated to the current address in June 2020 and renamed.

Since 2017, the medical center has promoted a community-based care policy to help patients establish life foundations in local communities.

Nearly 200 of its patients have started living in apartments, group homes and elsewhere.

Tokyo Satsuki Hospital closed down its 23-bed ward in November 2022 to forge ahead with its community-based policy, which falls in line with the government’s course of action.

“Hospitals should be used only when one is sick,” said a representative of the center. “It is natural for people with disabilities to live in local communities.”

This thinking was inspired by regrets over the facility’s previous practice of increasing bed numbers under a national policy and prioritizing prolonged hospitalizations.

Tokyo Satsuki Hospital currently has 156 beds to handle patients of all ages in acute stages of mental illness, including dementia. The hospital is also open to outpatients with psychosomatic and pediatrics problems.

The center, located in a residential area, has no surrounding fences or walls. Families can enter its grounds for strolls. Some drop in at an adjoining cafe, according to the operator.

The Hachigo Project is another way to make the hospital more easily accessible to those in the community.

The health ministry estimated that 6.15 million people nationwide were troubled by mental disorders in 2020.

Ishizaka said anyone can develop psychological issues, and early treatment can often help to prevent the conditions from worsening.

“We will be making good use of the train to change public views about psychiatric hospitals so that individuals hesitant to receive therapy or share their problems will be able to identify with mental centers, even just a little bit,” he said.