In my previous post, I shared with you my experience the trip across the Kii Peninsula
by taking a ride on the Nara Kotsu Yagi-Shingu Line, Japan’s longest bus route.
*If you haven’t seen it yet, please check out this page.
As the title of the article suggests,
this is s a day trip.
I have to get back to Osaka today.
By the time I arrived in Shingu, it was already around 4:00 p.m.
To return to Osaka City from Shingu, the farthest reaches of the Kansai region,
thorough preparation is essential.
The number of trains is very limited.
But don’t worry.
Before taking my trip,
I had already made plans.
In this article,
I will talk about
what exactly I did to pass the time after arriving at Shingu Station
and how I managed to get back to Osaka that same day.
Enough with the preamble,
let’s take a look right away.
Please read to the end.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Shingu Station
I arrived in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, at the farthest reaches of the Kansai region.
Since it was a place I’d wanted to visit for a long time,
I was truly moved.
This is Shingu Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
Although it falls under the jurisdiction of JR West,
it is also the station marking the boundary with JR Tokai.
Trains bound for Osaka and Nagoya arrive and depart here.
Given that it was the evening rush hour,
the station was quite crowded.
There were also many students heading home.
There is a souvenir shop ( Mini KUMANO Shop ) located to the right of the ticket gate.
There are many local specialties from Wakayama on sale.
I bought souvenirs for my family, coworkers, and myself at this store.
I’ll share the souvenirs I bought at a later date.
Please look forward to it!
The limited express train bound for Shin-Osaka departs at 5:46 p.m.
I could have taken that train and gone straight back to Osaka.
However, since I want to enjoy the trip a little longer, I’m heading in the opposite direction from Osaka.
I boarded the Limited Express Nanki No. 8 bound for Nagoya, departing at 5:31 p.m.,
I am heading to Tsu, the capital of Mie Prefecture.
Since there was about an hour and a half until the train arrived,
I decided to take a stroll around the station area.
Tankaku Park
While strolling around the station area, I came across a certain spot.
This is ” Tankaku Park “.
This is the site of the former Shingu Castle.
Since it was such an interesting place,
I stopped by.
It’s a pretty big park.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I won’t be able to visit all of them.
For that reason, I decided to narrow it down to one place.
Let’s head to the site of the honmaru main keep.
After climbing a fairly steep flight of stairs for a few minutes…
I arrived at the site of the honmaru main castle keep.
It’s a wonderful spot offering panoramic views of Shingu’s streetscape, the Kumano Coast, and the Pacific Ocean.
You can also enjoy spectacular views in the opposite direction.
From here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Kumano River—a sight I couldn’t capture from the bus window.
I was a little tired from the long bus ride.
But this beautiful view washed away all my fatigue.
By the way, Mie Prefecture is on the other side of the river.
I had no idea there was such a lovely park near the station.
I’m glad I went.
If you’re interested in Tankaku Park,
please visit the official website of the Shingu City Tourism Association.
It really is a great place.
My Readers, too,
Be sure to check it out when you visit Shingu!
To Tsu on the Nanki Limited Express
I’m back from Tankaku Park.
It was around 4:40 p.m.
There was still plenty of time before the train arrived.
I bought some souvenirs at the souvenir shop ( Mini KUMANO Shop ) I mentioned earlier.
Still, there was time left.
It was a little hot, so I felt like eating something cold.
So…
I bought an Arita mandarin orange popsicle at the Mini KUMANO Shop.
I could really taste the mandarin orange, and it was delicious.
The blue train is the Limited Express Kuroshio bound for Shin-Osaka, departing at 5:46 p.m.
There was still plenty of time before departure.
But it was already waiting on the platform.
The Nanki Limited Express I’m taking hasn’t arrived yet.
The station is quite spacious.
Although it is small, it also has a vehicle depot on site.
Without touching my smartphone,
I was just standing there, staring blankly at the scenery while waiting for the train.
I was so bored that,
I was thinking about something while eating the Arita mandarin ice pop.
“What can I do during the 6 hours and 40 minutes it takes to travel by bus from Yamato-Yagi to Shingu?”
Since I went on a bus trip,
I thought about what I could do using various modes of transportation.
Let me share a few ideas that came to mind.
・Round-trip travel between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen Nozomi (travel time: approx. 5 hours)
・Take the Nozomi on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakata (travel time: approx. 5 hours)
・Take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Niigata (transferring to the Joetsu Shinkansen at Tokyo Station) (Travel time: 4.5 to 5 hours)
・Fly from Kansai International Airport to Naha Airport in Okinawa (flight time: approx. 2 hours 20 minutes)
・Fly from Kansai International Airport to New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido (flight time: approx. 2 hours)
*Note: This does not include time spent purchasing tickets, waiting, or checking in. It refers solely to the time required for travel.
As for the Orange Ferry I took when I traveled to Ehime last year,
the trip between Osaka and Ehime took about 7 hours.
By the way,
according to the information I checked on the route search site Navitime,
when traveling from Shin-Osaka to Shingu on the Kuroshio Limited Express,
the trip takes between 4 hours and 20 minutes and 30 minutes.
I think you can see just how far Shingu is.
As I was thinking about that,
the Limited Express Nanki bound for Nagoya arrived.
It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Tsu, the capital of Mie Prefecture.
My journey on the JR Kisei Main Line’s Nanki Limited Express began.
This was the first thing that caught my eye when I got on the train.
A wooden sculpture of “Amabie,” a mythical creature famous for its ability to ward off epidemics,
is there to welcome you.
Shortly after leaving Shingu Station,
a breathtaking view came into view.
The Kumano River.
The Kumano River as seen from the bus was narrow
and so shallow that I could see the riverbed.
However, since this area is near the mouth of the river,
it was very spacious.
Seeing it up close, I was surprised by how much bigger it was than I had imagined.
Once we crossed the bridge over the Kumano River,
we entered Mie Prefecture.
For a while, we’ll be going through residential areas near the coastline.
This is Kumano City ( Kumano City, Mie Prefecture ), the first stop after departing from Shingu.
What makes this route noteworthy is that,
it starts after we leave this station.
As the train departs from Kumano City Station,
we will go along the coastline like this.
There are quite a few tunnels.
But, there are so many wonderful views of the ocean.
So, I was never bored.
This is Atashika Beach.
Because it’s a cove, the waves are calm.
Plus, the water is said to be clean.
I hear it gets crowded with beachgoers in the summer.
The white sandy beach beautifully complements the blue of the sea.
Near this beach,
there is a station called Atashika.
If I have the chance in the future,
I’d like to get off the train along the way to see the beautiful ocean at Atashika Beach up close.
The landscape, with its mix of coves and mountains, is truly magnificent.
I could watch this forever.
The scenery remains much the same along the stretch from Kumano-shi Station to Kii-Nagashima Station ( Kihoku Town, Kitamuro District, Mie Prefecture ).
There are sections of the route that run right along the coast like this.
The sunset is beautiful.
My phone ended up showing up in the photo here, too.
If only this weren’t the case,
the view would have been even more spectacular.
When I look out at the ocean, I can forget all the unpleasant things in my daily life.
It was a truly restorative experience for both body and mind.
Why does the ocean view have such a soothing effect on people?
After departing from Kii-Nagashima Station,
tt’s completely dark now.
About 2 hours and 20 minutes after leaving Shingu,
the train arrived at Tsu Station.
The windows were large, so I was able to fully enjoy the view.
The seats were also very comfortable.
In addition, each seat is equipped with a power outlet.
So I never had any trouble charging my cell phone.
It was a fun train ride.
It was 8:00 p.m.
I’m feeling a little hungry, so,
Let’s grab dinner at a restaurant near the station.
I was supposed to enjoy some local cuisine around Tsu Station, but…
That’s when a problem arose.
On a certain food website,
I discovered a great izakaya near Tsu Station.
This restaurant serves yakitori grilled chicken made with locally sourced free-range chicken from Mie Prefecture.
It’s reasonably priced.
Also, every dish looked delicious.
So I decided to go check it out.
I was a little concerned that the restaurant review site listed the restaurant as having “irregular holidays.”
“I figured they’d be open, though,” I thought as I went there, but…
However, when I arrived at the store,
the entrance was blocked by a roll-up door.
The lights were off.
And this is what was written on the door.
“We are closed today.”
I should have confirmed by phone the day before.
I had no choice but to look for another store.
However, since I’m not very familiar with the area around Tsu Station,
it was hard to find.
Before I knew it, time had slipped away.
In the end,
I went to the Gindako Highball Bar, which is located near the station.
This is an izakaya Japanese bar operated by the takoyaki chain “Gindako.”
This was my first visit to Gindako Highball Bar.
I recommend this fried chicken.
Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
Since the batter itself is seasoned,
it’s delicious just as it is.
When you add the green paste-like sauce,
it really brings out the flavor of the meat.
It probably contains sansho pepper.
In addition to the juiciness of the chicken, the mild spiciness and refreshing flavor of sansho pepper fill your mouth.
After finishing the meal,
I’m heading back to Tsu Station.
The trip is finally coming to an end.
To Osaka on the Hinotori Limited Express
Yes! It’s Akafuku mochi, a famous specialty of Ise.
It was sold at the FamilyMart inside Kintetsu Tsu Station.
I thought I might not need it.
I bought this as a souvenir for myself.
This package contains 12 pieces.
I ate it all the next day.
This is the 9:45 p.m. Limited Express Hinotori bound for Osaka-Namba.
This is Kintetsu’s flagship limited-express train, running between Namba and Nagoya.
I’ll board this train and head to the final stop, Namba.
This is my first time riding, and I’m really excited.
The “Hinotori” logo looks cool no matter when I see it.
Once inside, there are lockers on the left where you can store your belongings,
There is a vending machine on the right-hand side that sells coffee, snacks, and “Hinotori” original merchandise.
This time, I used the premium seats in the lead car.
An instruction manual explaining how to use the in-car amenities is provided at each seat.
This is the seat I reserved.
Without worrying about the passengers in the back,
we can recline the seat as far back as we like.
By using this button,
we can move the seats freely.
It’s nice to be able to stretch out and relax like this.
We can enjoy a cup of freshly ground coffee for 200 yen.
It offers two types of coffee.
I, hiikun, bought the coffee on the right with the red label.
The built-in folding table is also quite spacious.
Along with a roll cake I bought at the Lawson near Tsu Station,
I enjoyed the coffee.
I, hiikun, don’t really drink black coffee.
I just can’t seem to get used to the bitterness of black coffee.
That’s why I usually order a café latte or tea at coffee shops.
This “Hinotori” coffee,
It was the best black coffee I’ve ever had.
It wasn’t too bitter and was easy to drink.
It was so delicious that I can’t wait to try it again.
I highly recommend this even to those who aren’t fond of black coffee.
It was pitch dark outside.
So I wasn’t able to enjoy the view.
Instead,
from the best seats,
I was able to relax and take it easy.
About an hour and 20 minutes after leaving Tsu,
The train arrived at its final stop, Namba.
It went by in the blink of an eye.
I wish I could have ridden it longer.
This time, I took the train from Tsu to Namba.
Next time, I’d really like to ride the entire route between Osaka and Nagoya.
It was already past 11 p.m.
And so,
A day trip across the Kii Peninsula via the Yagi-Shingu Line
went off without a hitch.
Summary
I have shared my experience on my day trip across the Kii Peninsula
by using Japan’s longest bus route, the Yagi-Shingu Line.
How was it?
Since I had just accomplished my main objective,
which was a bus trip on the Yagi-Shingu Line, Japan’s longest bus route,
I was a little worried that it might end up being nothing more than a simple journey.
But those worries turned out to be unfounded.
The view of the Kumano River and the streets of Shingu from Tankaku Park,
The Lovely souvenirs I found at the Mini KUMANO Shop,
The ocean view from the Limited Express Nanki,
The comfortable ride on the Hinotori Limited Express,
It was a fun trip right up until the very end.
Unfortunately,
there were some things that didn’t work out, such as not being able to eat at the izakaya I had my heart set on, because I hadn’t prepared enough in advance.
But that’s something I can just look forward to on my next trip.
I’m truly amazed that I was able to have such a wonderful experience in just one day.
It really made me realize once again that, with a little creativity, I can have a great time even on a day trip.
If I have the chance in the future,
I’d like to get off at various stops along the way and visit the famous sights along the Yagi-Shingu Line and the JR Kisei Main Line.
Both Totsukawa and Shingu are quite a dictance from city centers,
but,
It’s definitely worth visiting them.
To all of my readers,
By takking the Nara Kotsu Yagi-Shingu Line or the JR Kisei Main Line
please visit Totsukawa, Shingu, and the surrounding areas.
Thank you very much for reading this issue to the end.
See you in the next article.
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