The Sagano Romantic Train you must ride when visiting Arashiyama in Kyoto – breathtaking autumn foliage views

Text and photos byKavanah

Commonly known as the Arashiyama Romantic Train, the “Sagano Romantic Train” is a popular sightseeing attraction in Arashiyama. Many visitors include the Sagano Romantic Train in their Arashiyama itinerary, and I also have a special connection to it: the first photo of Kyoto’s maple leaves I ever saw was from many years ago on MOBILE 01—a fellow user’s shared image of the Sagano Romantic Train during the fall foliage season. Even though I’ve visited nearly all of Kyoto’s famous maple viewing spots over the years, I never rode the Sagano Romantic Train during the foliage season (I only took it once in the summer of 2009)... The reason is that I’m not good at planning ahead and always find it too much trouble to book early. As a result, I’ve missed the booking window for the Sagano Romantic Train every single autumn. By the time I remember to check, tickets are usually sold out—nearly all seats are fully booked. Last year (2013), I visited Arashiyama several times during the foliage season. One day, after realizing I’d already explored all the major maple spots and had nothing else left on my list, I decided to take my chances at the Sagano Romantic Train station and see if I could buy a ticket on the spot. To my luck, I managed to get a ticket that very day, allowing me to finally experience the Sagano Romantic Train during the autumn foliage season.

There are three ways to plan a trip on the Sagano Romantic Train:
1. Take a round-trip on the Sagano Romantic Train—from Torokko Arashiyama Station to Torokko Kameoka Station, then return to Arashiyama on the same train.
2. Take the Sagano Romantic Train one way, then return to Arashiyama via the Hozugawa River Cruise (Hozugawa boat ride).
3. Take the Sagano Romantic Train one way, then return to Arashiyama or Kyoto from JR Kameoka Station via JR train.
Below is the schedule for the Sagano Romantic Train (image taken from the official Sagano Romantic Train website; please refer to the official site for the most accurate schedule)
Official schedule link:Schedule

That day, I bought my ticket a little after 1 PM. Except for the last return train from Kameoka to Arashiyama, all reserved seats were sold out—only standing tickets were available.

Standing ticket it is, then—after all, the ride is less than half an hour... This is my round-trip ticket; a one-way fare is 620 yen.

I first wandered around Arashiyama a bit, and returned to Torokko Arashiyama Station around 4 PM to board the Sagano Romantic Train.

Although it was a standing ticket, there were designated cars. For the outbound ride, I was in Car No. 3.

The maple leaves turned red late in 2013, and you could still see vivid red foliage in early December.

The Maple Leaf Train is just as scenic as the Hozugawa River Cruise, and riding the train is also quite peaceful. Unlike the Hozugawa River Cruise, the Sagano Romantic Train doesn’t go very fast—it moves at a gentle pace.

Along the route, the train makes a brief stop at this iron bridge to provide information about the Hozugawa Gorge. At that moment, we happened to see a Hozugawa River Cruise boat passing by. Passengers on the boat and those on the train waved to each other cheerfully~

The final stop of the Torokko Train—Torokko Kameoka Station.

I got back on the train to head back to Arashiyama. For the return trip, I switched cars to the one with the best views—the observation car.

The scenery you see from there is completely different—much more expansive. But be warned: since there are no windows to block the wind and the temperature is quite low, sitting in this observation car can get really cold.

They also have a night illumination event here~

It’s hard to take great photos from inside a moving train—so I just tried to keep the beautiful scenery in my memory.

The famous tanuki (raccoon dog) pottery figurine at Torokko Hozukyo Station~

Arrival at Torokko Arashiyama Station~
By this time, it was already dark (around 5:05 PM). Those planning to take the train are advised to go earlier to enjoy better lighting.

Date of visit: December 2, 2013
Peak foliage season in past years: mid to late November
Visiting hours: refer to the schedule
Admission fee: 620 Q one way Transportation:
1-minute walk from JR Arashiyama Station
15-minute walk from Eizan Electric Railway “Arashiyama Station”
12-minute walk from Kyoto City Bus No. 28 at “Arashiyama Tenryuji-mae”
 

Kavana @ Kyoto. Stay freely. A second life begins in Kyoto.