The only train rides I’ve been on thus far mostly involved those on subways and metro transits, often packed and speeding through tunnels or in concrete jungles. Shinkansens or bullet trains in Japan are a whole other story, because they speed so fast and stealthy, and you’re boxed inside, unable to breathe in the air outside. It’s definitely nothing like those train rides we see in movies that are set, say, in some parts of the countryside, probably somewhere in Europe. Ya noe, those train rides that evoke… romance…?
I got a whiff of that during our day spent in Arashiyama. One of the more highly recommended activities to do when you’re in Arashiyama is to ride on the Sagano Romantic Train. Leaving a link to the official website here, just in case.
Another name that the Sagano Romantic Train goes by is “Sagano Scenic Railway”, and it is called as such because it is essentially a sightseeing train line, allowing passengers a pleasurable viewing experience of the Hozugawa River and its flanking ravines and mountains.
The train line’s route is 7 kilometers long, running alongside the Hozugawa River, and stopping at 4 stations: it starts at the Saga Torokko Station, then makes two stops at the Arashiyama Torokko Station (which is located in the heart of the sightseeing area of Arashiyama, close to the bamboo forests) and the Hozukyo Torokko Station, and its final stop, the Kameoka Torokko Station. From there, it will retrace its course to go back to the Saga Torokko Station.
The Saga Torokko Station is located beside the JR Saga Arashiyama Station, housed in a red brick building that screams quaint yet modern at the same time.
On particularly tourist-heavy days, it’d be hard to score tickets for the Saga Romantic Train. So making advance reservations is highly encouraged. Lucky for us, we took our chances, and were told that we just had to wait for the counters to reopen at 1:30 and we can purchase tickets right there and then.
If I remember correctly, they were also running a promo that time for foreign visitors, so we got round-trip tickets at discounted rates. Originally, one-way tickets cost JPY 620, with reserved seating. We got round trip reserved seating tickets at around JPY1,000 and our seats for the return trip was even on the “Rich Car”. We’ll get to that later. 🙂
And let me just say that the interior of the Saga Torokko Station building offers a wealth of art and confection, with paintings as well as souvenirs and sweet treats offered on sale.
Finally, we were ready to board, so we were finally allowed into the platform, where the Stationmaster and his staff were garbed in those uniforms that you can definitely associate with train stations of old.
How it works is like those hop-on hop-off buses, where you can get off at any of the stations, should you want to go around each area, then hop on again once the train returns on the same route, to proceed to the next station, and so on. Of course, once you get back to Saga Torokko Station and your ticket is surrendered, then… yeah. Get another one if you want to board it again.
Another key charm of the Sagano Romantic Train is its old-fashioned design, which harks back to how old trains used to look like: noisy, a bit slow, with actual smoke… and did I mention noisy?
It’s painted in red or, at least, the locomotive or railway engine (the first car, basically) is. And it indicates that it has been operational since 1991.
The Sagano Romantic Train has five cars, with the capacity of each car ranging from 56 to 64 passengers. The benches are wooden, intentionally so, since it aims to evoke the nostalgic trains from back in the day.
As I mentioned earlier, the Romantic Train has five cars. Technically, there are six, if you count the locomotive or railway engine. But for purposes of this discussion, let’s exclude that, shall we?
On our first trip from the Saga Torokko Station, our seats were in Car No. 3. These are enclosed cars, but with windows that can be opened if you want it.
Aside from wooden seats, the cars are also equipped with bare light bulbs, which are needed because there are parts along the way where the train would be moving through dark tunnels. Although they were not in use that time, coal stoves were installed in each car, to be used during the colder months.
On our trip back, however, our assigned seats were on Car No. 1, which is the “Rich Car”. Out of the five cars, it is the only open-air car, with no windows, so air circulates freely.
It goes without saying that I have a preference for the Rich Car, since there are no windows to obstruct the view.
We opted to just stay on the train as it went through the two other stations. Perhaps if we had more time, it would have been a good idea to stay at each stop for a while, explore the place, and so on.
Incidentally, visitors have the option to go on a Hozugawa River Cruise, where you can get off the train and proceed to the docks or departure point for these cruises. Of course, if you choose to go back to Arashiyama using the boat, that’d have a different rate.
From above the train, we spotted a few of these cruising boats.
The final stop of the 25-minute train ride is Kameoka Torokko Station. Yes, it takes 25 minutes on the 7.3 kilometer length of the train track because the train chugs along at the speed of 25 kilometers per hour. Which is the perfect speed, I must say, in order to take in the view unfolding before you and past you.
Kameoka was once a castle town, but is now mostly a tourism town known for activities in and around the Hozugawa River, as well as some hotsprings or onsens. Apparently, you can go around town on foot, or on a carriage, or on a rented bicycle.
We didn’t get off at Kameoka, though. We only made do with a view of the surrounding expanse of the station, then moved from Car No. 3 to Car No. 5 for the trip back.
And how was the ride, you ask?
It definitely lives up to its claim of being “scenic”. It was the height of summer when we were there and the burst of green on the countrysides was definitely a refresher for the eyes. Spring is also apparently a good time if you want to see the mountainside awash with cherry blossoms.
But I can definitely imagine how glorious this would look like during the fall, when the whole place would burst with autumn colors. I still cannot forget my hike to Minoh Falls in Osaka some years back. It was during the fall that time, and I was already overwhelmed by the autumn colors, so it’s definitely a given that this place would look just as breathtaking.
Of course, winter may mean the place looks bleak, with smatterings of snow in places. But that hardly matters because the Sagano Romantic Train stops operations during the winter months, usually from December 31 up until the end of February, resuming operations when spring comes.
Another thing I learned only recently, after doing some readings on the Sagano Romantic Train, is how the operators of the train – or the locomotive operators – are all women. I do remember seeing a women on the first car when we first boarded, but it did not register to me that it is a policy of this sightseeing train line to have only women as diesel locomotive operators.
Oh, and each car has crew members onboard shows you the Japanese brand of hospitality, or the “spirit of omotenashi”.
If I had one regret about my experience riding the Sagano Romantic Train, it would be not having enough time to explore each station. The ride itself, however, I was very satisfied with. I’d have preferred it to be much longer, because it felt so brief, I had trouble believing 25 minutes have come and gone.
If you ask me if you should try the Sagano Romantic Train…. I’d say definitely YES. It’s certainly a good rest (and contrast) to the too modern trains that subways in Kyoto serve. Mixing old with the new, and finding beauty in the combination. That’s something I won’t say no to.
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