Local Scenic Train Trip From Gunma To Tochigi Prefecture - Part 1

Join us as we embark on a two-day scenic trip on the Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line and Aizu Railway Aizu Line in autumn. The Yagan Railway runs against the backdrop of the autumn-coloured mountains of Nikko. It links Nikko City and the Aizu region in Fukushima Prefecture. It is connected by a single line to the scenic Aizu Railway, which runs through Fukushima Prefecture from north to south. Both lines are known for their superb autumn foliage and breathtaking valleys and are thus popular among railway fans. Our trip along both railway lines will span around 88km and cover 29 stations.

We begin our journey from the northwestern part of Tochigi Prefecture. Situated next to the Kinugawa Onsen hot spring resort is Shin-Fujiwara, the first station on the Yagan Railway. We will travel from here to the final stop of the Aizu Railway, Nishi-Wakamatsu Station, in Fukushima Prefecture. The first train we ride on is the 6050 model, which used to run between Tokyo, Saitama, Tochigi and Fukushima prefectures. We will head to the neighbouring station of Ryuokyo Station to enjoy the area’s beautiful countryside. 

We arrive at Ryuokyo Station; its platform is inside the tunnel. We walk to see the Nijimi-no-taki Waterfall, which boasts a drop of almost 20m. We go down some stone steps and marvel at the beautiful Ryuokyo Ravine. The ravine and rocks along the riverbanks evoke the image of a writhing dragon, which explains the name "Ryuokyo". From the bridge, we enjoy the three-kilometre-long spectacular view of the canyon, river and rocks. 

We return to Ryuokyo Station and travel on the Aizu Mount Express to Kawaji-Yumoto Station. As soon as the train departs, it enters a tunnel. The Yagan Railway has lots of tunnels, with more than half of the 30-kilometre railway line consisting of tunnels. We reach Kawaji-Yumoto Station and decide to try kayaking. A guide, Mr Sakauch, picks us up and it is a five-minute ride to the kayaking spot. After signing up at the office, we go to the Kinugawa River and start our adventure. We are wowed by the painting-like scenery in front of us, with the gorgeous gradation of colours such as green, yellow and red. 

After kayaking, we are hungry so ask about recommended spots. We are told about a butcher shop, which is famous in Kawaji Hot Springs for its different burgers, with the most popular being the minced meat with cabbage one. We return to the centre of the town and go to the Sakabun Butcher Shop, which was founded 60 years ago. Besides the minced meat and cabbage dish, we also try the shop’s recommended mince burger. The minced meat with cabbage uses local Mochibuta pork from Tochigi Prefecture and coarsely chopped Japanese homegrown cabbage. It is deep-fried slowly, so the outside is crispy and the inside is juicy. The mince burger uses Japanese beef and Imagane Danshaku potatoes from Hokkaido. 

We next go to a free foot bath facility, Kawajii-no-yu. This simple alkaline-based hot spring is said to be good for the skin and effective at healing nerve damage and injuries. We enjoy the foot bath while admiring the beautiful autumn leaves. We then go back to Kawaji-Yumoto Station and take the Liberty Express train to Yunishigawa-Onsen Station, which is five minutes away. We then take a bus to Yunishigawa hot spring town. It has a link to the Genpei War between the Genji and Heike clans. The battle was won by the Genji clan and the defeated Heike soldiers fled to Yunishigawa at the end of the Heian period. After a 20-minute bus ride through the mountains and gorgeous autumn foliage, we arrive at Yunishigawa. Several buildings and facilities in the town are associated with the Heike fugitives, such as the Heike Ochiudo Minzoku Shiryokan museum. We visit Heike-no-Sato, one of the most famous spots for viewing autumn leaves in the Yunishigawa hot spring area. 

After checking out the spectacular autumn leaves, we head back to Yunishigawa-Onsen Station and take the Liberty Express train towards Aizu-Shimogo Station. The journey takes an hour and along the way, the line changes from Yagan Railway to Aizu Railway at Aizukogen-Ozeguchi Station in Fukushima Prefecture. From here, our journey on Aizu Railway starts. This railway line has fewer tunnels and we get to enjoy the autumn scenery outside the train windows. The Liberty Express train only goes as far as Aizu-Tajima Station, located in the centre of Minami-Aizumachi. So from that station, we take a taxi we had booked earlier to Kannon-numa Forest Park, a famous spot for viewing autumn leaves in Fukushima. This scenic spot boasts gorgeous scenery every season. In autumn especially, tourists and photographers visit this place to capture the autumn leaves reflected in the pond here.

Tips:

1)    Two must-see attractions near Ryuokyo Station are the Nijimi-no-taki Waterfall and Ryuokyo Ravine 
2)    Kannon-numa Forest Park is a famous spot for viewing autumn leaves in Fukushima Prefecture