All aboard! Last chance for the Sanko-sen
Last chance to ride this picturesque single track line through the Chugoku mountain range from Miyoshi to the Japan Sea coast.
The 108km long Sanko-sen train line connects Miyoshi in the north of Hiroshima prefecture with the town of Gotsu on the Japan Sea coast. Running through the mountains alongside the region’s biggest river, the Go-no-kawa, the line provides a wonderful and relaxing opportunity to enjoy the rural scenery as the carriage trundles along.
Although construction began in 1926 and part of the line went into service in 1930, it was built bit by bit and the entire line wasn’t actually completed until 1975. The line has struggled to make a profit since the 1960s and by 2014 the average number of passengers had dropped to just 50 a day. Also, vulnerable to flooding and landslides JR West decided to move to close the entire line on April 1, 2018.
[やまもとのりこ]
Another alternative option to riding the whole line in one go is to hop off at some of the stops to explore and either catch the next train or even stay over and continue or return the next day.
Local expert and author of a guide to the regions local train lines, Yamamoto Noriko, recommends stopping off at the stations to make the most your Sanko Line trip this spring.
- Sakugi-guchi [作木口駅] – Josei-daki Falls
- Ushio [潮駅] – Sakura cherry blossom walk, onsen hot spring
- The station in the sky, Uzui [宇都井駅]
- Iwami-kawamoto [石見川本駅] – Onsen hot spring, temples restaurants
- Gotsu [江津駅]
See the GetHiroshima Mag here for details about what you can get up to around these stops.
Top photo by: Yamaoka Ryoji [山岡亮治]
Miyoshi → Gotsu
| Miyoshi 三次 |
05:38 | 10:02 | 14:11 | 17:02 | 19:34 | ||||
| Ozekiyama 尾関山 |
05:41 | 10:05 | 14:15 | 17:05 | 19:37 | ||||
| Awaya 粟屋 |
05:47 | 10:11 | 14:20 | 17:11 | 19:43 | ||||
| Nagatani 長谷 |
14:26 | 17:17 | 19:49 | ||||||
| Funasa 船佐 |
05:58 | 10:22 | 14:32 | 17:23 | 19:55 | ||||
| Tokorogi 所木 |
06:02 | 10:26 | 14:36 | 17:27 | 19:59 | ||||
| Nobuki 信木 |
06:06 | 10:30 | 14:40 | 17:30 | 20:02 | ||||
| Shijiki 式敷 |
06:10 | 10:34 | 14:44 | 17:35 | 20:08 | ||||
| Koyodo 香淀 |
06:15 | 10:40 | 14:49 | 17:40 | 20:13 | ||||
| Sakugi-guchi 作木口 |
06:24 | 10:49 | 14:58 | 17:49 | 20:22 | ||||
| Gobira 江平 |
06:28 | 10:53 | 15:02 | 17:53 | 20:26 | ||||
| Kuchiba 口羽 |
Arr 06:35 Dept 07:03 |
11:00 | 15:09 | 18:00 |
Arr 20:32 Dept 20:33 |
||||
| Ikawashi 伊賀和志 |
07:06 | 11:03 | 18:03 | 20:36 | |||||
| Uzui 宇都井 |
07:12 | 11:09 | 18:09 | 20:41 | |||||
| Iwami-tsuga 石見都賀 |
07:19 | 11:16 | 18:16 | 20:49 | |||||
| Iwami-matsubara 石見松原 |
07:26 | 11:23 | 18:23 | 20:55 | |||||
| Ushio 潮 |
07:31 | 11:28 | 18:28 | 21:01 | |||||
| Sawadani 沢谷 |
07:37 | 11:34 | 18:34 | 21:07 | |||||
| Hamahara 浜原 |
06:20 | Arr 07:42 Dep 07:43 |
11:39 | 17:08 | 18:39 | 19:03 | 21:11 | ||
| Kasubuchi 粕淵 | 06:24 | 07:47 | 11:44 | 17:12 | 19:08 | ||||
| Akatsuka 明塚 |
06:31 | 07:54 | 11:50 | 17:19 | 19:15 | ||||
| Iwami-yanaze 石見簗瀬 |
06:37 | 08:00 | 11:56 | 17:25 | 19:20 | ||||
| Onbara 乙原 |
06:43 | 08:06 | 12:02 | 17:31 | 19:27 | ||||
| Take 竹 |
06:48 | 08:11 | 12:07 | 17:36 | 19:31 | ||||
| Kirohara 木路原 |
06:55 | 08:18 | 12:14 | 17:43 | 19:38 | ||||
| Iwami-kawamoto 石見川本 |
Arr 06:59 Dept 07:03 |
Arr 08:22 Dept 08:23 |
12:18 | 13:45 | Arr 17:47 Dept 17:48 |
Arr 19:42 Dept 20:18 |
|||
| Ibara 因原 |
07:10 | 08:29 | 13:51 | 17:55 | 20:25 | ||||
| Shikaga 鹿賀 |
07:17 | 08:36 | 13:58 | 18:01 | 20:32 | ||||
| Iwami-kawagoe 石見川越 |
07:24 | 08:43 | 14:05 | 18:08 | 20:39 | ||||
| Tazu 田津 |
07:30 | 08:49 | 14:11 | 18:14 | 20:45 | ||||
| Kawado 川戸 |
07:42 | 09:01 | 14:23 | 18:26 | 20:57 | ||||
| Kawahira 川平 |
07:56 | 09:15 | 14:37 | 18:40 | 21:11 | ||||
| Chigane 千金 |
08:04 | 09:23 | 14:45 | 18:49 | 21:19 | ||||
| Gotsu-honmachi 江津本町 |
08:10 | 09:29 | 14:51 | 18:54 | 21:25 | ||||
| Gotsu 江津 |
08:12 | 09:31 | 14:54 | 18:57 | 21:27 |
Gotsu → Miyoshi
| Gotsu 江津 |
05:53 | 12:34 | 15:15 | 16:33 | 19:08 | |||
| Gotsu-honmachi 江津本町 |
05:55 | 12:36 | 15:17 | 16:35 | 19:10 | |||
| Chigane 千金 |
06:01 | 12:42 | 15:23 | 16:41 | 19:16 | |||
| Kawahira 川平 |
06:09 | 12:50 | 15:31 | 16:49 | 19:24 | |||
| Kawado 川戸 |
06:23 | 13:04 | 15:45 | 17:03 | 19:38 | |||
| Tazu 田津 |
06:35 | 13:16 | 15:57 | 17:15 | 19:50 | |||
| Iwami-kawagoe 石見川越 |
6:41 | 13:22 | 16:03 | 17:21 | 19:56 | |||
| Shikaga 鹿賀 |
6:49 | 13:30 | 16:11 | 17:29 | 20:04 | |||
| Inbara 因原 |
6:56 | 13:37 | 16:18 | 17:36 | 20:11 | |||
| Iwami-kawamoto 石見川本 |
7:02 | Arr 13:43 Dep 14:00 |
Arr 16:24 Dep 16:25 |
Arr 17:42 Dep 17:48 |
Arr 20:17 Dep 20:18 |
|||
| Kirohara 木路原 |
7:07 | 14:05 | 16:29 | 17:53 | 20:22 | |||
| Take 竹 |
7:14 | 14:12 | 16:37 | 18:00 | 20:30 | |||
| Onbara 乙原 |
7:19 | 14:17 | 16:42 | 18:05 | 20:35 | |||
| Iwami-yanaze 石見簗瀬 |
7:26 | 14:24 | 16:48 | 18:12 | 20:41 | |||
| Akatsuka 明塚 |
7:31 | 14:29 | 16:54 | 18:17 | 20:47 | |||
| Kasubuchi 粕淵 |
07:38 | 14:37 | 17:00 | 18:24 | 20:54 | |||
| Hamahara 浜原 |
05:56 | Arr 07:42 Dep 07:43 |
14:41 | Arr 17:04 Dep 17:06 |
18:28 | 19:01 | 20:57 | |
| Sawadani 沢谷 |
06:01 | 07:48 | 17:11 | 19:06 | ||||
| Ushio 潮 |
06:07 | 07:55 | 17:18 | 19:13 | ||||
| Iwami-matsubara 石見松原 |
06:13 | 08:00 | 17:23 | 19:18 | ||||
| Iwami-tsuga 石見都賀 |
06:20 | 08:07 | 17:30 | 19:25 | ||||
| Uzui 宇都井 |
06:27 | 08:14 | 17:37 | 19:32 | ||||
| Ikawashi 伊賀和志 |
06:32 | 08:20 | 17:43 | 19:38 | ||||
| Kuchiba 口羽 |
Arr 06:35 Dep 06:37 |
Arr 08:22 Dep 08:23 |
15:17 | Arr 17:45 Dep 18:01 |
Arr 19:40 Dep 19:41 |
|||
| Gobira 江平 |
06:44 | 08:30 | 15:25 | 18:08 | 19:48 | |||
| Sakugi-guchi 作木口 |
06:48 | 08:34 | 15:29 | 18:12 | 19:52 | |||
| Koyodo 香淀 |
06:57 | 08:43 | 15:38 | 18:22 | 20:01 | |||
| Shikijiki 式敷 |
07:02 | 08:48 | 15:43 | 18:27 | 20:08 | |||
| Nobuki 信木 |
07:06 | 08:52 | 15:47 | 18:31 | 20:12 | |||
| Tokorogi 所木 |
07:12 | 08:56 | 15:51 | 18:35 | 20:16 | |||
| Funasa 船佐 |
07:14 | 09:00 | 15:55 | 18:39 | 20:20 | |||
| Nagatani 長谷 |
07:20 | 09:06 | ||||||
| Awaya 粟屋 |
07:26 | 09:12 | 16:06 | 18:50 | 20:31 | |||
| Ozekiyama 尾関山 |
7:32 | 9:18 | 16:12 | 18:56 | 20:37 | |||
| Miyoshi 三次 |
7:35 | 9:21 | 16:15 | 18:59 | 20:40 |
