Obasute Eki (姨捨駅) A station with a great view and a name that suggests a dark past (at least in mythology)
Obasute station is on the JR Shinonoi Line in Nagano Prefecture. It is an interesting station for both tourists and rail fans.
The station at Obasute overlooks the Chikuma River valley. The village and station are located on Mt Obasute.
Obasute – a place in mythology where old women were abandoned…
The village of Obasute and Mt Obasute have a dark side to their history, at least in Japanese mythology. The word “Obasute” literally means “abandoning an old woman” and under old methodology old and infirm parents would be taken to a remote place, often on a mountain and left to die. We hasten to add that this is myth, and this practice was never thought to have been widespread. In fact, Japan like most asian countries has a culture that respects its elderly and holds its ancestors in high regard. We recommend Obasute for its interesting location and views.
[the practice of Obasute is sometimes referred to as Ubasute (same kanji and meaning) and Oyasute (親捨て, which is the practice of abandoning elderly parents)]
Stopping trains have to reverse in or out of the station…
The station layout (see below) and position means that passengers on the Limited Express Shinano or the occasional Rapid (快速) train may not actually notice they have passed the station. Passengers travelling on a local train however will be very aware. Depending on which direction you are travelling, the train will either reverse in or out of the station. (See videos below)
Great view of the Zenkoji Plain and Chikuma River
The station is famous for its elevated view of the “Zenkoji Plain” in the Chikuma River Valley. This picture shows the view from the station platform.
Tourist trains best way to enjoy the view from the station…
JR East operates two tourist trains that make long stops at the station allowing passengers to admire the view and take pictures. The trains are:
- The “Resort View Furusato” ( リゾートビューふるさと) which runs between Nagano and Minami Otari on most weekends and holidays.
- The “Night View Obasute” (ナイトビュー姨捨) which operates between Nagano and Obasute on occasional evenings.
The latter train as the name suggests allows you see the Zenkoji Plain at nighttime with the lights of Nagano City in the background.
The train used for both these services has large windows affording good views. The Resort View Furusato as well as the view at Obasute, you will also get good views of the Japan Alps as the train makes it way to and from Minami Otari via Matsumoto and Hakuba.
JR East’s Luxury Cruise Train “Train Suite Shiki Shima” also makes a stop at this station on some tours.
(note: most local trains that call at the station only make a brief stop).
Chikuma River, part of the longest river in Japan…
The Chikuma River is actually the upper part of the Shinano River(*) which is the longest river in Japan. It runs from the Japan Alps through Nagano & Niigata Prefectures out into the Japan Sea. The river system that makes up the Chikuma / Shinano river is fed by rivers from as far as the Chichibu area of Saitama Prefecture.
(*like in many places around the world, some rivers in Japan have different names or use different kanji along their different parts)
Interesting station layout
The JR Shinonoi Line (and the Chuo Main Line) travel through mountain terrain, and to allow faster trains to
pass slower ones a number of switchbacks were built along the route. Most of these are not used nowadays, but Obasute is unusual as a station serving
the Obasute village was built on one of the reversing lines, so it is very much used today.
Video
Travel Information
We recommend visiting Obasute as part of a tour of Nagano or the Shinshu region.
Obasute is between Nagano and Matsumoto on the JR East Shinonoi Line. As already noted Limited Express and Rapid trains do not call at Obasute. You should also note that most trains calling at Obasute stop only for 2 or 3 minutes, (exception being the Resort View Furusato and Night View Obasute which make a longer stop for viewing. Therefore, some planning with the timetable will be necessary.)
Being a JR Line, JR Rail Passes that cover the area are valid. If you are planning to travel around this region, you may want to consider getting a JR East Niigata and Nagano pass if you are not travelling on an ALL Japan JR Rail Pass. There are also domestically available passes, some of which you can use on private railways in the area.
A good travel planner should be able to recommend the most suitable ticket based on your plans.
There are a lot of places to visit in Nagano Prefecture and we highly recommend this area.
For Train fans
The Resort View Furusato is operated by a HB-E300 2 car diesel hybrid unit. JR East Nagano branch (blue lined livery) 211 and E127 series EMUs can be observed. JR Tokai 383 series EMUs on the hourly Shinano Limited Express service can be seen passing on the through line. The occasional freight train and other trains running either charter services or going to / from Nagano depot for maintenance (or scrapping) can be seen from time to time.
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