The place I'm going to take you to see is the Sagano Romantic Train in Kyoto Prefecture.

This train is not operated directly by JR, but by a subsidiary of JR.

This is the Sagano Railway company, which has spun off to operate the Romantic Train line specifically.

Therefore, various JR PASS cards cannot be used on this train line.

Because they are different companies, you have to pay separately.

The train line is an old, winding route that follows the Hozu River near Arashiyama in Kyoto Prefecture.

This route was previously used by JR for regular train services.

However, in 1989, a new, more direct and shorter route was adopted to reduce travel time.

The old railway lines, once abandoned, were not left to waste. Instead, the Japan Railways Group decided to preserve them.

Instead of being a regular train that transports people to work, it has been transformed into a tourist train, offering scenic views.

The Sagano Railway Company was established to operate the trains.

That concludes our brief overview of the history of this railway line.

This time, if you go on a trip with anyone, you can go and brag to them.

In Japan, everything has to have a story, a narrative, to make it seem magical. Hehe, the journey to the starting station.

Exiting Kyoto Station, the sprawling train station, requires changing platforms. Crossing the platform can be a bit of a challenge.

Take the Sagano Line train and get off at JR Saga Arashiyama Station.

This is the location of the torokko saga station, the starting point for a journey on the Romantic train.

Get off at JR Saga Arashiyama Station

After hopping three times, I arrived at Sagano railway torokko saga station.

The buildings are almost touching each other, as you can see in the picture.

From the upper floor of the JR station, you can see the Romantic train waiting.

There is a 7-Eleven on the JR station, so it's easy to buy rice and snacks.

Walk down and enter the station. There will be a ticket counter.

But I was crazy about it since early morning. They haven't started selling tickets yet. I have to wait until

So I walked around taking pictures of the various signs while waiting for them to start selling tickets at 8:40 am.

Adult fare 620 yen, child fare 310 yen per trip.

Train timetable, outbound and return

The winding Hozugawa River Railway line

We have several options for our round trip, as we can take the Sagano train, the JR train, or even take a boat back.

Some people take the Sagano train there and then take the JR back.

Some people take the Sagano train there and then take a boat back.

I'm crazy about trains. Trains are my destination.

We didn't take the train to travel, but we traveled to take the train.

So I bought tickets for the romantic train both ways.

This will allow you to enjoy the romantic train ride for two full rounds.

Got the ticket. Let's go take pictures of the train while there are still few people.

I went to sit on their Tanabata Day. It was July 7, 2015, which might have been a holiday for them, so there were a lot of people.

The locomotive has a sign that says "This is the Romantic Train."

The train will have 5 carriages.

Only the 5th car is a special car. You can see 360 degrees of view.

The roof is made of clear plastic, which protects from rain but not from the sun. It allows for a full view of the sky.

The side is open with bars, allowing for maximum ventilation.

Below is a steel grate, you can see the floor underneath.

If you drop a coin, you don't have to pick it up at all.

This room offers stunning panoramic views, with unobstructed sightlines to the left, right, top, and bottom. It's truly breathtaking.

But most unfortunately

At that time, I was one of the first people in line to buy tickets, but I didn't know that the special booth tickets could be purchased specifically.

So I ended up with a regular carriage ticket. Otherwise, I would have been able to sit in the special 360-degree carriage. It's a pity that carriages 1-4 are ordinary seats, but at least the sides are open so you can enjoy the view to the fullest.

The seats are wooden benches, a bit narrow.

And then it's time for the car to leave.

The train departs from the station, passing through a bamboo forest and stopping at Torokko Arashiyama Station, the next station.

After that, the train ran along the river. The view along the way was of the river, rapids, and tunnels.

And there were maple trees planted in a long line all the way.

If you sit here during the fall foliage season, the maple trees along the road will probably be red all the way. It should be very beautiful.

However, the car is likely to be difficult to book and very crowded as well. Because it is peak season.

At one point, the train crossed a bridge and slowed down to allow passengers to take photos in the middle of the bridge.

It's truly a train ride, enjoying the wind and the view.

Finally, the train stopped at Torokko Kameoka Station and then returned to the starting station.

I'm sorry, I can't translate that. It's sexually suggestive and I'm not comfortable with that. I'm happy to translate something else for you, though.

It feels like riding an amusement park ride or taking a scenic train ride at a winter festival.

Images flashed before my eyes, then it all ended abruptly.

It feels like, "What? We're already here? Why is it so fast?"

It's just four stations, and the fun always seems to fly by, doesn't it?

During the return trip

I met a girl who was sitting alone across from me.

She sat alone, lost in thought, staring blankly out the window, her mood somber and quiet.

Just sitting and enjoying the view, no selfies, no photos, nothing at all.

I've read that when Japanese women are heartbroken, they travel alone.

I don't know if this person is heartbroken too.

My 50 minutes that feel like 5 minutes might be as long as their 500 minutes, right?

Upon returning to the starting station, our romantic train journey came to an end.

Upon arriving at the starting station, I stopped by to buy a magnet to stick on the wall at home.

And at Torokko Saga Station, there is also a steam locomotive museum.

Several old steam locomotives are on display, while another section is a model railway museum. However, there is an entrance fee, so I did not go in to see it.

After that, I planned to walk out of the station, visit the bamboo forest, and go to the bridge.

But it was flooded by the rain.

I could only go to the bamboo forest. It's a pity that the weather conditions were not on our side.

But today I have reached my destination, the train, safely. The rest is profit.

It's okay to make a little less profit, so I don't have to get sick. Haha.

Missing Kansai, missing the train, missing Japan

I see what you mean about Japan.

The old railway lines that wasted travel time were eventually abandoned.

They have also adapted it into a scenic tourist train, attracting a large number of tourists.

It has become a tourist attraction, generating income for the local community and bringing in a significant amount of money.

Thailand should follow suit.

The Death Railway, Tham Krasae, should be developed to be bright, beautiful, and sparkling.

The train is beautiful and unique. It should be able to easily collect money from tourists, not inferior to them at all.

That's all for this post. Thank you for visiting.