The shinkansen provides a quick way to travel between the big cities, but there is a lot to see off the shinkansen. Here are some ideas for alternatives ways to travel between Nagoya and Osaka and what you can see.
Here are three alternatives ways to travel between Nagoya and Osaka:
- Kintetsu Limited Express Hinotori – travel in comfort through Mie and Nara Prefectures
- Kansai Main Line – the rural route that goes via Ninja City (Iga City)
- Tokaido Main Line – Discover Shiga Prefecture on the main pre shinkansen route
See enlarged map click here
1. Kintetsu Limited Express Hinotori
Relaxed Luxury Travel thru Mie and Nara prefectures on the Hinotori Limited Express
Kintetsu has long operated Limited Express services between Nagoya (Kintetsu Nagoya Station) and Osaka (Namba), the main purpose has been to serve areas between the two cities and for those who wanted relatively cheap but faster alternative to local trains to travel between the two cities.
In March 2020, Kintetsu launched a new train (its 80000 series train) with upgraded passenger facilities, including two Luxury premium cars (at each end of the train). The trains operate the Hinotori Limited Express services which also started in March 2020.
The route is not the most direct one between Nagoya and Osaka and the Hinotori takes about 2 hrs and 10 minutes with only 3 stops (one at Tsu in Mie Prefecture and 2 in the Osaka City area).
The key point about this train is its high level of comfort both in the standard cars, but in particular the Premium Cars, where the fully adjustable seats are very similar to JR East’s Gran Class. There is also a vending area where passengers can get freshly ground coffee and snacks. The seating deck on the premium cars is also raised, affording a good view, including out of the front and rear drivers cab windows.
The premium cars also have special suspension, allowing for an extra smooth ride (and the ordinary cars also have upgraded suspension).
How to travel on the Kintetsu Limited Express Hinotori?
The Hinotori runs hourly during the day between Kintetsu Nagoya and Namba station in Osaka. You need to pay the basic fare (Y2,410) if you do not have a pass and the Limited Express Hinotori supplement (Y2,130), which is higher price for the premium Car (Y2,830).
JR Rail Passes are not valid on Kintetsu services, however IC cards are and there are also various Kintetsu passes available.
(note: you can also take Kintetsu’s ordinary Limited Express and express trains or local trains although for some journeys a change of train is required)
2. JR Kansai Main Line
The JR Kansai Main Line, passes through Mie Prefecture, but through Kyoto Prefecture rather than Nara Prefecture, so its route is a little more direct than the Kintetsu route. It will however take you about 2 hrs 40mins to complete the nearly 180km journey between Osaka and Nagoya.
Although described as a “Main line” the middle section between Kameyama(亀山) and Kamo (加茂) is nowadays very much a rural line, non electrified and mostly single track operated by 1 or 2 car Diesel trains.
The Nagoya and Osaka ends however are more busy with commuter and at the Nagoya end in particular freight traffic around the industrialized Yokkaichi area.
The line is partially operated by JR Tokai (Nagoya~Kameyama) and by JR West (Kameyama~Osaka).
A short detour – to the home of the Ninja (or at least one of them)….
Kansai main Line also gives access to one of two “Ninja Cities” in Japan – the city of Iga. An interesting detour is to get off the Kansai Main Line at Igaueno and change to the Iga Tetsudo Line
You can learn more about Iga City and its Ninja at Iga-Ueno Tourist Association site
And if you want to go to Kyoto rather than Osaka…
If your final destination is Kyoto, no problem, change at Tsuge for the Kusatsu Line with its distinctive Green colored trains (ex JNR 113 series trains in their Kyoto Livery)
This line travel through Shiga Prefecture joining the Tokaido Main Line at Kusatsu for the short journey to Kyoto. Another detour that you can do is on the Shigaraki Kogen Railway (Change at Kibukawa)
How to travel on the Kansai Main line (and Iga Tetsudo & Shigaraki Kogen Tetsudo)…
The Kansai Main Line does not have any Limited Express trains. There are ordinary Rapid Trains between Nagoya and Kameyama and also at the Osaka end. No seat reservations required, just ordinary basic fare ticket. The JR Kusatsu Line from Tsuge only has local trains so only basic fare is required. JR Rail Pass is valid on both these lines. Iga Tetsudo and Shigaraki Kogen Tetsudo are private railways so JR Rail Pass is not available and separate basic fare tickets will need to be purchased. Both of these lines are relatively short.
3. JR Tokaido Main Line
The “classic route” between Tokyo and Kansai…
For a long time, it was a very busy route with express trains, including sleeper trains travelling between Tokyo, Nagoya and the Kansai region and beyond. It has lost a lot of its importance since the shinkansen first started. Today it is still a major route for freight traffic, but most the passenger traffic is local. You can still travel from Tokyo to Kobe by the Tokaido Main Line, and there are people who do (particularly with Seishun 18 kippu) but it requires changing trains.
In this article we are just looking at travelling between Nagoya and Osaka and passing through the cities of Gifu, Ogaki, Maibara, Otsu and Kyoto.
Heading for Gifu, Nagoya to Ogaki….
The first section before you need to change trains is from Nagoya to Ogaki (some trains only go as far as Gifu (the city) so you may need to change there additionally). This area is really the suburbs of Nagoya, but you will pass Kiyosu Castle ruins, and for rail enthusiasts the JR Freight Aichi Depot. By rapid train, the journey to Ogaki takes about 33 minutes.
A detour you can do From Ogaki is to travel on the private Tarumi Tetsudo Line. This line is very popular during the Sakura Season when they operate extra trains; but it is also scenic at other times. The line was originally built as a freight line, but today only serves passengers in a rural area.
The Yoro Tetsudo also operates to Ogaki with two lines, one running to Ibi and the other right through to Mie Pref Kuwana.
There is a short branch line of the Tokaido Main line that goes to Mino Akasaka. The main purpose of this line is to serve JR Tokai’s Ogaki Depot.
Ogaki to Maibara…an interesting feature for rail fans…
There is a fairly steep incline on the line between between Sekigahara and Ogaki. To speed up express trains a single track diversion line was built between these two station, bypassing Tarui Station in between. Today Limited Express trains and freight trains heading towards Nagoya use the bypass route, whilst Limited Express trains heading for Maibara and local trains heading in both directions use the original line. Officially the main route follows the bypass line and the original route via Tarui is a branch line of the Tokaido Main Line. (there are only a few passenger trains a day that use the diversion or main route today, as most passenger services are local trains).
The Tokaido Main Line runs in sight of the Tokaido Shinkansen in several locations, but you will be seeing more of the Gifu and Shiga countryside from the local train than the passengers on the shinkansen.
Maibara…a railway junction and home to the Railway Technical Research Institute Wind Tunnel.
Maibara is where the ownership of the the Tokaido Main Line changes between JR Tokai and JR West. It is also where the Hokuriku Main Line branches off the Tokaido Main Line.
Maibara is also home to the Japan Railway Research Institutes Wind Tunnel. You can see it from the train as it has three old high speed prototypes on static display outside.
Maibara to Kyoto…the Biwako Line
From Maibara you have a choice of travelling on the Tokaido Main Line, or instead take the Ohmi Tetsudo line for part of the way.
Whether you are travelling by JR or on the Ohmi Tetsudo not far from Maibara is the city of Hikone, which is famous for its 400 year old castle.
For more information on Hikone: Hikone City Tourism
Lake Biwa – the largest fresh water lake in Japan…
Next place to stop off on your way to Kyoto and Osaka is Otsu for Lake Biwa. (We also mentioned it in a previous article) For rail enthusiasts Otsu is also famous for trains running along the street (see our railfan article “trains running along the road”)
Shiga and the Lake Biwa area are often by-passed by tourists, particularly foreign tourists, but it is one (of many) places off the Golden Route that is worth visiting. Lake Biwa tourist information.
Next of course there is Kyoto. We will not mention anything about Kyoto, there is very much written, in all forms, on Kyoto.
One place we will mention, and not just for rail enthusiasts, is the Kyoto Railway Museum. Rail fans could spend all day there, but non rails will also find it interesting. (Kyoto Railway Museum Information).
Final leg Kyoto to Osaka…
By this time you are probably keen to arrive in Osaka so we will not talk about things on the way, except for one place… you may notice from the train (on the right hand side going towards Osaka) the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery. You can make advanced reservations to do a tour of the distillery and visit the distillery museum (information)
How to travel on the Tokaido Main Line
All the JR Trains on the Tokaido Main Line mentioned in this article are local or ordinary rapid trains where only the basic fare is payable. there are no reserved seats (beware there are limited express trains between Maibara and Kyoto / Osaka) and Maibara and Nagoya and a small number between Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya) JR Rail Passes are can be used.
The Tarumi Railway & Ohmi Railway are both private railways and JR Rail Pass is not valid, but both have 1 day free passes which depending on your travel plans may or may not make sense.
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Really good post Stephen.
The shinkansen do look really cool but, like you, I’m a bigger fan of travelling on local and regional train services. Small lines that 90% of tourists never get to see.
Even utilising regional rail passes over a nationwide JR Pass will get you closer to ‘The Real Japan’ as I like to refer to it.
I’m not the expert that you are on rail travel in Japan, but over several decades of travelling by rail throughout Japan I’ve had so many memorable journeys on local trains. Whereas the shinkansen journeys all tend to blur into one. There’s nothing memorable about most of them.
Love your site. Keep the great content coming!
Rob, Thanks for your comment. Japan rail Enthusiasts (and young children) have a similar view on the shinkansen (once ridden not too much to get excited about) whereas local / conventional lines have a lot more to see. You also see and experience more travelling on local lines or even Limited Express trains. More similar article to come!