Sagano Scenic Railway

From late March to early April, around 700 cherry blossom trees planted along the railway line come into full bloom. The cherry blossom tunnel near the Torokko Kameoka Station, about 100 meters away, is a particularly noteworthy spot. Starting in the spring of Reiwa 5 (2023), the "Cherry Blossom Light-up Illumination Train" will operate, and on some weekend nights, special trains will run, allowing you to enjoy a different atmosphere of cherry blossoms at night than during the day.

Kyoto is the most popular tourist destination during autumn, when the leaves change color. The period from mid-November to early December is crowded everywhere, but if you reserve tickets for the all-reserved seating tram, you can enjoy the autumn foliage in a relaxed manner. You can sit elegantly and watch the approximately 1,000 trees planted along the line of the train as they approach the window. In addition, from dusk to the last train from mid-October to the end of December each year, the foliage is lit up, and you can enjoy the fantastic view of the illuminated foliage with about 900 lights.

The Hozu River ride is a boat ride that takes you through the beautiful scenery of the Hozu Gorge, spanning about 16km from Kameoka to Saga Arashiyama, on a small boat operated by a boatman. At times, you'll experience rapids and deep pools, creating splashes of water, while enjoying the stunning views of the valley. The boat runs on a winter schedule from early December to March 9th, allowing you to enjoy the changing of the seasons throughout the year. The ride takes about 90 minutes. The ticket price is 4,500 yen for adults and 3,000 yen for children (4 years old to elementary school students). The boat ride is particularly popular during the Golden Week and autumn foliage seasons.

This station suddenly appears in the middle of a hiking trail, and you can only reach it by crossing a suspension bridge. There are also stairs, and the toilet on the platform is Japanese-style, so it's not recommended for those using wheelchairs or canes, or for those with small children. However, it's a beautiful station standing in a landscape with good views and air that is bustling with many hikers during the cherry blossom, fresh green, and autumn foliage seasons, so if possible, please visit it once.

Torokko Arashiyama Station is a popular tourist spot both domestically and internationally, having been featured as a filming location for the TV drama "Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu" and the green tea beverage "Ayataka" commercial, as well as being listed in the Michelin Green Guide. The station is located just a two-minute walk from the "Bamboo Forest Path," a popular attraction in Kyoto and one of its representative tourist spots. The path is about 400 meters long and runs from Daikaku-ji Temple to Nonomiya Shrine, with beautifully maintained bamboo groves lining both sides. It is said to have been a villa area for aristocrats during the Heian period. After getting off the Torokko train, many tourists take a sightseeing rickshaw to explore Arashiyama and head towards Torokko Saga Station. As there are about 60 steps to the platform, it is recommended that those who have difficulty with stairs use Torokko Saga Station instead.

We mentioned that Torokko Hozukyo Station and Torokko Arashiyama Station have many stairs, making them difficult to use for wheelchairs and strollers, but the station where you can feel the most at ease in this regard is Torokko Saga Station. It's the largest station on the Sagano Torokko train line and is well-maintained, so it's reassuring to aim for the famous tourist spots between Torokko Arashiyama Station, which we introduced earlier, and Torokko Saga Station. Inside the brick station building, there is a Torokko train ticket counter, a Hozu River boat ride ticket counter, a rental cycle service, a "19th Century Hall" where a grand piano and a large organ that played a part in the development of music and the Industrial Revolution are on display, the "Kyoto Diorama Museum," the largest railway diorama museum in Japan, and "Saga no An," where you can buy original Torokko train merchandise and famous Kyoto sweets as souvenirs, so you can enjoy yourself just inside the station building. It's adjacent to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station on the Sagano Line, but there is no customer parking available.