Exploring Japan’s Top Remote Stations on Its Most Secluded Train Line🚞
Hi! I’m at Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture right now. This time, I’m taking the Iida Line,
one of Japan’s most remote train routes, to explore its remote stations. These remote stations are located deep in the mountains or in remote countryside, where there’s almost nothing around. They have very few passengers, and it’s often hard to reach them without taking the train. I’m going to visit some of the top remote stations in Japan,
ranked 3rd and 5th on the list of Japan’s most secluded stations! I’ve never been to a remote station before,
so I’m really looking forward to it! First, I’m heading to Toyohashi Station to catch the Iida Line. It takes about an hour by train
from Nagoya Station to Toyohashi Station. Toyohashi is also served by the Shinkansen. I’ve arrived at Toyohashi Station. I’m transferring here to the Iida Line. I’m taking the 8:11 train bound for Tenryu Gorge. The train’s here! The Iida Line is a railway line
that connects Aichi and Nagano Prefectures. It’s a long local line stretching about 195 km (121 miles),
with 94 stations in total. It’s also known among train enthusiasts, as the line with the most remote stations in Japan. The remote stations I’m visiting this time are Kowada and Tamoto. Kowada Station ranks 3rd. Tamoto Station ranks 5th on the list of Japan’s most remote stations. In addition, I’ll also be stopping by Ozore Station. Ozore Station isn’t a remote station, but there’s an abandoned village nearby called Natsuyaki Settlement
that I want to visit. So the plan is to visit them in this order:
Ozore Station, then Kowada Station, and finally Tamoto Station. It takes about three hours to get to Ozore Station,
so let’s just take it easy. Here’s a route map.
The blue line in the middle is the Iida Line. That’s such a unique shape! Here’s Tamoto Station. This train only has two cars,
but surprisingly, there’s a restroom on board! That’s really convenient! The train’s stopped at a station along the way. The Iida Line stops at a lot of stations along the way. I’m going to walk through the train. The train is getting emptier. You have to press the button to open the door. Is that a power plant? It’s big. Looks like I’ve got the whole train to myself! Arrived at Ozore Station! Arrival time: 11:11 The next train is at 1:13 p.m., about two hours from now. There’s a memory notebook here! It’s a notebook where visitors can freely leave messages. There’s a bike rental here. 300 yen ($2) per use. It looks like there’s a key inside this capsule toy! That’s interesting! Alright, let’s head to Natsuyaki Settlement. Natsuyaki Settlement is built along a cliffside,
and it was once called the village in the sky. The last resident left in 2015,
and now it’s an abandoned village with no one living there. Wow. It’s the second tunnel. Whoa, I can’t see the end. Well, I guess I have no choice but to go. I wonder how long it is. Water’s leaking in. Hope it doesn’t collapse. It’s pitch dark, I can’t see anything! That’s so scary! Huh? Oh no! Something’s coming! I’ll get run over if I stay in a dark place like this! That was close! It was a motorcycle. Finally made it to the exit! It took me 20 minutes to get through the tunnel. It’s an abandoned car. It looks pretty old. Wow. Is this the aftermath of a landslide? I wonder if it’s safe to pass through. I’ll walk carefully along the edge. Safe! What you see in front of me is the Tenryu River. It’s beautiful. I’ve arrived, this is Natsuyaki Settlement! I climbed quite a lot of stairs, so I’m tired! There’s no one here. There’s a steep slope beside me, and it’s really dangerous. It’s amazing people actually lived in a place like this. It must be really dangerous at night. But the view is really nice! Let’s head back soon. I totally forgot I brought my headlamp! Now I don’t have to worry about the darkness inside the tunnel! A cave inside the tunnel? There’s a wheel hanging here. What a strange sight. Let’s head to the next station! I’ve arrived at Kowada Station! This is the station ranked 3rd among Japan’s most remote stations! This station is deep in the mountains. According to data from 2019,
only three people used this station per day. There’s a memory notebook here too! The oldest notebook is from 1992… It’s been around since way back then. I came on the 1:19 train, and the next one is at 4:11. There’s a three-hour gap. That’s a remote station for you. The station building is an old wooden structure
that gives a sense of history. It’s a decayed motorcycle. This station has scenery that reminds me of Stand by Me. Let’s eat. Rice ball. I bought some food and water at a convenience store beforehand. It’s minced tuna inside. So good! While I was eating my rice ball, a train bound for Toyohashi arrived. Train and rice ball. Gotta stay hydrated. Let’s take a walk around the area. There’s an abandoned house. The sign says there’s a shrine to the left and a village to the right. Let’s check out the shrine first. It says it’s about a 9-minute walk. The path’s gone… Maybe there was a landslide. I guess I can’t go any further. Then I’ll head toward the village on the right. But the sign said it takes about an hour on foot to reach the village, so it’s a bit tight timewise with the train schedule. There’s the Tenryu River right beside me,
so it’s nice to be able to walk while enjoying the view. So beautiful. There are so many spider webs. I’ve already walked into more than ten of them. I think I’ll stop here. There were so many mosquitoes along the way. I got bitten more than twenty times… Coming here in short sleeves was a mistake… There’s really nothing around here, just mountains. Even the nearest village is about an hour away on foot. I’m amazed at how remote this station is. Steamed chicken breast. So good! Salmon rice ball. Let’s head to the next station. Arrived at Tamoto Station! This is the station ranked 5th among Japan’s most remote stations. The last train to Toyohashi leaves at 7:03 p.m. If I miss it, I’ll have to sleep outside. Let’s take a walk around the area. I’ll go right. A big bridge. Doesn’t that spot feel a bit different? I wonder if there’s something down there. Let’s go up. I wonder if this is the right way… I’m not sure if I should turn back. But I guess I’ll keep going. I’ve made it out of the forest! There are houses here! I feel a bit relieved. There’s a school here? The building looks pretty new, so I wonder if it was built recently. It seems this school is actually a welfare facility. I should probably head back to the station now. I’m really glad I brought my headlamp. It’s completely dark now. It’s a bit risky, so I’ll turn off the camera and head back slowly. Finally, I can see the station! I’m glad I made it back safely. This was my first trip exploring remote stations,
and I really enjoyed it. It’s always fun to experience something for the first time. Thank you so much for watching until the end.
I took the Iida Line, one of Japan’s most secluded train lines, to visit some of the country’s top remote stations.
00:00 Opening
02:22 Iida Line
07:17 Ozore Station
18:52 Kowada Station
26:23 Tamoto Station
#japantravel #Hiddenjapan #solotravel
AloJapan.com