It seems that during the Meiji Restoration, "civilization and legend still coexisted." There's even a legend about a badger that, disguised as a train, got hit by a real train!
　 I heard that the badger's grave still exists, so I went to visit it.　(Nihedon @ KesaranPasaran Lab)

It was 1896 (Meiji 29), and while a railway line had apparently been built from Tabata to Tsuchiura, trains were still running only about once an hour. This story takes place in that era.

One day, conversations among local residents became noticeable, with people saying things like, "I've been seeing a lot more trains lately, have they increased the number?" However, inquiries to the railway bureau only yielded the answer that nothing of the sort had happened.

Then, one day, the carcass of a badger was found beside the tracks.

After that, the number of trains returned to its previous sparse frequency. Naturally, rumors spread among the local residents that "the badger must have been disguised as a train."