Kuji - stub

Of Interest: Sanriku Railway

Lodging: yes

This small town in northern Iwate is the hub between the JR East's Hachinohe Line and the Sanriku Railway's tourist line.

If anyone has spent time in Kuji, it would be great if they could write something about this small town.

Sanriku Railway Company

At some stations in Japan, you can see a picture of a train going over a gorge. That train is run by the Sanriku Railway Company The company runs two lines on single track that JR abandoned when it was privatized. The first runs from Kuji to Miyako, and the second from Sakari to Kamaishi, all in Iwate Prefecture. The company is still associated with JR, and JR passes will get you a deep discount on a one day pass. Train schedules are coordinated with the JR trains.

Most of the passengers are commuters, but there are a significant number of tourists and railfans on the north part of the northern line. We stopped three times on the part of the trip so that people could take pictures. Both routes are scenic. In fact, I kind of preferred the parts where we were actually moving.

The northern line trains are a single car with a restroom and a vending machine. The southern line runs multiple cars. A multi-car train runs over Sanriku's northern line on Sundays and holidays from April to October. The special trains are only 200 yen more than a regular train, but rail passes may not work on it.

Each station has a map with local attractions.

(This company may run one or two rush hour express trains from the southern part of their route to Sendai.)

Hachinohe line

The Hachinohe line is set up for those environmentalists out there. Instead of air conditioning, this train has fans and open windows which is good because it was cold in northern Japan this summer. It is a beautiful ride, running through forests away from roads.

This two-hour long line runs from Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture to Kuji in Iwate Prefecture. It is mainly run by JR East, but the Japan Freight Company runs the line from Hon-Hachinohe to Hachinohe Station. The line runs every two to three hours. The Hachinohe line connects to the Shinkansen at Hachinohe.

(Today is a good day to publish this post. Someone came to my site today from a search for Hachinohe.)

Morioka

Of Interest: walkable river, walkable city

Tourist Office: yes

Lodging: yes

The map from the tourist office indicates barrier-free restrooms, but the train station is not barrier-free.

The map from the tourist office is very practical. Not only does it list all of the museums, historic buildings, and picturesque views in town, it also tells you which ones have bathrooms and the location of traditional restaurants by cuisine. All color-coded.

I wish the person who designed this map had designed the station. It is not the most practical building that I have ever been in.

In addition, two different loop buses leave from the station, one specifically for tourists.

For more information on Morioka, go to Japan Food Guru which focuses on Morioka. I guess the food must be really good. Luckily, it is not expensive.

Morioka Station is served by multiple train lines. It is the northern terminus of the JR East's Tohoku Main Line and both the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansens stop there. Three other JR East lines also stop here as does the Iwate Ginga Railway Line.

Ichinoseki

Of Interest: surrounding area

Lodging: multiple

Tourist Office: a small window next to the station master

Int'l ATM: none near station

Computer Access: none

Ichinoseki City Hall is apparently within walking distance of the station, but the area around the station does not feel like a downtown, but more like an entertainment district. Most tourist come to the area to go hiking in the surrounding mountains.

Ichinoseki Station is a stop on the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Tohoku Main Line, both operated by JR East. Ichinoseki is about half an hour from Sendai and two hours from Tokyo by shinkansen. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Sendai by conventional trains.