February 28, 2018
by Miyabi Saeki, Natsumi Awa and Saki Hirobayashi
When you travel to Kyoto, which transportation do you use? There are many rail lines in Kyoto, such as the JR (Japan Railways) West line, and the Hankyu line, which are mainly in Kansai area. Taking the train is the best way to go to various sightseeing spots in Kyoto, because it is hardly ever delayed and the traffic in Kyoto sometimes bad, especially around the sightseeing spots. The JR Sagano line is the one of the most convenient rail lines, not only for local citizens, but also for tourists. There are 15 stations from Kyoto Station to Sonobe Station. On the way to Sonobe Station, you can see beautiful scenery through the window of the train, and of course you can get off the train and go and see these areas more closely. These are some recommended stations, which are near famous sightseeing spots.
Nijo Station
Nijo Station is located in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, between Tambaguchi Station and Enmachi Station. It is two stations and 6 minutes away from Kyoto Station by train. Many people use it because all trains stop at this station.
Recommended Sightseeing: Nijo Castle
You can get to Nijo Castle from Nijo Station in 15 minutes on foot. It was built in 1603 by the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, so this is a very famous castle in Japanese history. It was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. 400 cherry blossom trees and many other trees are planted on the Nijo Castle premises. When the cherry blossoms begin to bloom in the spring, every year they light up the trees after dark. Also, you can see snowfall in winter. Therefore, you can enjoy the seasonal nature at Nijo Castle. Special events are also held in Nijo Castle, such as the aquarium exhibition held in 2017. Admission is very reasonable for adults at 600 yen. Junior high school students and high school students pay 350 yen. You can check event information on the website.
Uzumasa Station
Uzumasa Station is located in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City, between Hanazono Station and Arashiyama Station. It is a very small station, but there are many universities around there, so many people use it.
Recommended Sightseeing: Toei Kyoto Studio Park
Toei Kyoto Studio Park is a theme park where you can experience the world of TV samurai dramas. You can get there from Uzumasa Station in five minutes on foot. The admission fee is 2,200 yen for adults. You can also buy a book of attraction tickets and an annual passport. Inside the park, you can experience a film set of a town set in the Edo period, which is used in actual television shooting. There are also other attractions such as a haunted house and live shows. The park and its attractions can be enjoyed by adults and children all day. Also, there are Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean versions on the web site, so it is recommended that foreigners who are interested visit the web site.
Saga-Arashiyama Station
Saga-Arashiyama Station is located in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto city, between Uzumasa Station and Hozukyou Station. Many people use this station for transferring to the Trokko (Trolley) train. This station is near Arashiyama and you can walk to there, so many tourists pass through this station. Trokko train is train for tourists to enjoy the beautiful views of each season. This station was built in 1897 for cargo and passengers, and in 1994, the station’s name changed from Sagano station to Saga-Arashiyama Station.
Around the station, there are many attractive shops and restaurants. For example, there are some meat store where you can buy a croquette and eat it while you walk. It is enjoyable to sample the croquettes of each shop. Also, there is a café called Sagano-Yu. This building used to be a public bath, but is has been converted into a café. You can eat lunch there and buy some souverniers.
Hozukyo Station
Hozukyo Station is located in between Saga-Arashiyama station and Umahori Station. This station is actually on a bridge between two tunnels running through the mountain. The view from the station is very beautiful and we can feel the strong presence of nature. This station was built in 1936 near the current Trokko Hozukyo station, and in 1989, the station was placed on the bridge. There are no buildings around the station, but under the station runs the Katsura River. In the summer, many people enjoy white-water rafting downstream, so you can catch a glimpse of rafters enjoying the river if the timing is right. Many people also enjoy cycling and hiking in the area.
Seishun 18 Ticket
There is no discount ticket only for the JR Sagano line, but if you travel to Kyoto, and some other places in Japan, you should buy a Seishun 18 ticket. This is a 5-day train pass that costs 11,850 yen. You can use it at almost all JR stations in Japan. Also, if you travel to Japan with your friends or family, you can share it. However, it can be used only on local trains, so you can’t use it for the Shinkansen (bullet train), limited express trains, or sleeper cars. If you are interested in this ticket you can research it on the internet, as there are other kinds of passes as well.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/seishun18.html
As you can see, there are many things to see and do along the JR Sagano line. If you would like to go to some famous and traditional Japanese sightseeing spots in Kyoto, you should definitely use the JR Sagano line.