Luxury for ALL? Tango no Umi – Amanohashidate to Kyoto

Luxury for ALL? Tango no Umi – Amanohashidate to Kyoto

this train will break your Japan itinerary because after seeing this train you’re going to want to rearrange your plans so you can ride it today we’re going to be sampling the delights of possibly the most luxurious limited express train in the Cansite area but it’s not just the most luxurious it’s also the cheapest most luxurious train let me present the Tango Noun Umi the departure board names this as a hashidate service but Tango Noun Umi is the special name of the train set here you’re in for a real treat today as this train is about as stylish as it gets so let’s get aboard on the journey tonight we’re slated to make stops at Miyazu and Oay on the Coyoto Tango Railway before getting to Fukushyama and moving onto the JR line then there are stops in Ayabay Son Kamioa and Nijjo before arriving back in the ancient capital of Kyoto at 8:21 as I’m traveling in the evening there isn’t going to be much in the way of scenery but if you want that you can go and check out my previous video which documents my journey up there are plenty of snowy landscapes but the train itself is decidedly ordinary in comparison to this one so about the Tango No Umi immediately upon boarding you’ll notice that there’s a heck of a lot of wood used in the interiors of this train and this is real wood we’re talking about not that fake plastic rubbish you sometimes get that makes the experience feel cheap the floors are made of oak and the wall paneling and ceilings use white birch creating a bright glow for the interior and when it comes to seats and fittings it’s all maple wood and I’m assuming that includes the drop- down tables you’re probably used to seeing these in some sort of heavyduty plastic and having this wooden one was a very welcome change as it’s rounded and is obviously a bit heavier than usual it felt quite special to get some work done on the go again there’s an additional smaller drinks tray that pops out that’s good for stowing your drink if you don’t want the full intrusion of the table though this one is made of gray plastic so it’s an abrupt interruption from the wallto-wall wood of course you can always just pop your drink on the holder in front of you now continuing the wood theme check out the polished wooden seat knobs if you go for a walk along the train as I’m about to do then you’ll appreciate the feel of these in your hands as the ride does get quite jiggly in places they’re a lovely touch that adds a lot of warmth to your experience the wooden decor runs from top to bottom in this train though look carefully and the design changes as you go up the floor seats and walls run with a plain polished look but when you get up to the luggage shelf there’s a geometric design with small dark squares and to round out the natural look of this cabin we’ve even got bambi blinds if you’ve traveled in Japan before you might be thinking now that you’ve seen some other trains that had wonderful wooden interiors probably down south in the Kyushu area well that’s because the genius behind this train was Ag Murka the celebrated industrial designer he’s well known for coming up with the distinctive looks of quite a few luxurious sightseeing trains such as the Euphuin Nomi and the seven stars in Kyushu moka loves to celebrate the local culture where his trains are going to operate and one of his trademarks is the extensive use of wood and other natural materials in his designs he’s really gone to town here on the Tango Noi with the lattis work motifs everywhere you look and the generous complement of artwork on board actually if you find a train uses a lot of wood in its interior or looks unusually elegant there’s a good chance it’s one of Moka’s as we stop at one of the earlier stations there’s a chance to see two more of the Kyoto Tango Railway color schemes on this double-header service run by Willow Trains the Kyoto Tango Railway has some of the most stylish looking designs in the whole of the country at least when it comes to the normal everyday commuter trains if we fast forward to the end of today’s journey take a moment to admire the lavish beauty of this train’s exterior the combination of deep blue with gold trim gives it a classic look when I see this train up close it still surprises me cuz I remember that this train is available for everyone to ride not just super rich travelers and while I’ve shown you the standout features around your seat there’s much more to appreciate back inside so it’s about time we took a look around the train perhaps it’s the lighting or perhaps it’s the wall-to-wall wood paneling or perhaps it’s a combination of both but the warm atmosphere of this train really stands out the seat fabrics on board have this kind of patchwork design and the wood and bamboo blinds create a sense that you’re cozying up at home with a blanket or perhaps out in the forest in a log cabin add a drink and a snack to this ambiencece and you have a standout memory of your Japan trip when it comes to the seats on this train there are several extremely unusual things going on first if you pay attention to the details you’ll notice that there are lots of different seat fabric designs i think I gave up counting at about 10 usually the most you’ll have on a limited express is three one for a reserved another for non-reserved and another of course for the green car the JR version of first class but that brings us to the next highly unusual thing there’s no green car at all in fact there’s only one class on the entire train because every seat is reserved but if you look at the quality of the seats that means that everyone is getting a premium experience it’s a bit like reserved seats on the Sakura Shinkansen you get to ride in luxury just without the luxury price now let’s get to the highlights the first standout feature on board has got to be the unnecessarily stylish washroom just like everywhere else on this train the glass partition continues the lattis work theme again there’s the Tango Umi branding and inside there’s another wonderful artwork and a woodframed mirror i think this is one incredibly inviting washroom one that I really wouldn’t expect to find on a train in fact inviting and washroom aren’t words I’d normally put together even when talking about trains in Japan it definitely feels more inviting than ones you’d find on the Shinkansen although strangely you can deposit your empty cans and bottles after washing your hands here though for the sake of full transparency the toilets are well less elegant than the rest of the train i don’t get why perhaps they ran out of wood but not to worry because of the incredible number one highlight which is the free lounge area i mean look at this it’s straight up been lifted out of some 19th century French mansion hasn’t it on other luxury sightseeing trains you’d have to pay a lot extra to sit here but on Tango Umi is absolutely free you don’t need a reservation you can come and go as you please it’s a continuation of the luxury for everyone theme and I love it it’s great how I can stretch my legs out have a drink and relax and you’ve got plenty of room for your friends to come down and hang out too there’s more than one lounge on the train and in the other one I found a group of students enjoying the trip back to Kyoto with drinks the dinky tables are right here there’s a shelf where you can stand up and lean if you like it’s just a shame that there’s no bar and that the journey isn’t a bit longer than it is when the train arrives into Fukuchyama we wait for a while so it’s a good chance to nosy around at the other trains here the Kuchyama is the meeting point for several different lines and the most southerntherly point of the Kyoto Tanga Railway if you’re heading back into Osaka you’ll probably need to transfer here and although there’s not a lot to see in the scenery in the dark traveling back at night does offer the unique opportunity to spot Fukushima Castle lit up like a beacon on top of the hill in the days prior to me making this journey there was heavy snowfall in the region which had barely had a chance to thaw at all if you’re visiting a Manahashti in January or February you have a decent chance of seeing it blanketed in white however it’s somewhat rare for Kyoto city to experience heavy snowfall the day prior to this trip had seen widespread disruption to trains Shinkansen and buses in the region and on the way back it was clear just how much snow had come down with it piled up at the sides of the road and been left untouched on some station platforms obviously few people had ventured out in these places i think it’s a safe bet to say that once you set eyes on this train you long to ride it one day so let’s talk about how to do that first you’ll need to check the timet to make sure you get to ride the tango nouni and not something a little bit more conventional looking as a limited express i put a link to the timetable in the description so have a look before you start planning your itinerary now let’s talk tickets because if you’re doing a roundtrip journey up to a Manahashtate it makes sense to buy a rail pass instead to save yourself a bunch of money most of the JR West passes cover the trip to Manahashtate including the Canai wide and the Kansai Hiroshima versions for those of you with the national JR pass note that you’ll need to pay a private line fee between Fukushima and Amanashidat for those with the Canai wide or Canai Hiroshima passes you don’t need to worry about that fee a word of warning since these trains between Amanahashidate and Kyoto don’t have non-reserved seats you definitely need to make a reservation before you ride especially in the spring months it’s a good idea to book at least a couple of days in advance to be sure you don’t miss out i’ve heard of people having problems doing the reservations online using the different booking systems so I’d recommend just going to the ticket office either early in the morning or after 7 in the evening when things are quieter and you can get things sorted out quickly i hope you had fun riding along today and if you’re planning a trip to Amanahashidate here’s a playlist that should help you out a lot

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Timetable here:
https://trains.willer.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/9dde41eac6b0fd59fa8c5dc0f539d0a5.pdf
(Look for Ltd Exp Hashidate, WITHOUT the Green Car mark)

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CREDITS
59 KANSAI PAINT INCREDIBLE: CASE.2 CRUISETRAIN SEVENSTARS in Kyushu: Introduction of our works
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Kitakinki Tango Railway KTR 8000 DMU in Tango-no-umi design, shared space in KTR 8001 car by やのけん
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52076137
CC-BY-4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
(modifications made)