Have you heard of the “Hojo railway”, which attracts attention from all over the world? “Hojo railway” is a single track, single-car local train in Japan used and loved by local people.

I will explore the reasons why such local trains is attracting attention from people all over the world by actually boarding the train and traveling from station to station.

Hojo railway’s appeal resides in its retro railcars and beautiful scenery seen from its windows

The Hojo railway, which connects 8 stations (the stations are unstaffed, except for Hojomachi station) over a total distance of 13.6km,  came into being in 1915. Later, when Japanese Railways were privatized close to 40 years ago, it was in danger of closing. However, it survived, while changing into a single-track, single- car train local line, which is rare in Japan now. This is what makes Hojo Railway so unique. What is appealing to tourists is the nostalgic train car and that they can feel Japanese-style retro from the tranquil nature.

http://www.hojorailway.jp/routemap

There are in total 4 types of train cars. In 2022, a diesel vehicle more than 40 years old which was running in Akita prefecture called “Kiha 40” was added. This led many railroad fans from home and abroad to come over.

▲The train in the foreground is the Kiha 40

Since the train makes 21 round trips of 23 minutes each way, you should stop over every hour or half an hour to enjoy the unique stations on the way. Also, in Hojomachi station, there are various souvenirs related to the Hojo railway for sale.

▲There are two kinds of doughnuts inside the packages that look like train cars. 

▲A towel that looks like a train driver’s seat

Also, there is a “free ticket” that you can use to get on the train cheaper when going around on the Hojo railway. With this ticket, you can get on and off the train freely for 1000 JPY. The design with the four different train cars is also cute!

Delicious gourmet that you can enjoy at each train station!

Let's hop on the Hojo railway.

Along the Hojo railway, there are many restaurants that serve delicious menus using local ingredients!

First, let's visit one of the finest raw egg over rice restaurant called “Nukumori-tei”, which is located in front of the Harima shimosato station. I will board the green car that has just arrived called “Flower 2000-3”.

Looking out of the window, the beautiful view of the countryside stretches out. 

After a while, Zenbo mountain and Kasamatsu mountain which are called the “Kasai Alps” come into view. There is a hiking course there.

Eating thick and rich egg with rice in Kasai! “Nukumori-tei”

In” Nukumori-tei”, which is right in front of Harima shimosato station, you can enjoy raw egg over rice that use “Yumeou” egg, that has won the 1^st place as "best egg in Japan" three years in a row at the  “Raw egg over rice festival”.

There might not be a chance of eating raw egg abroad, but in Japan there are many dishes that use raw egg. In this restaurant, the "raw egg over rice", where you pour a raw egg on hot rice is very popular! 

The first thing I ordered was “Raw egg over rice meringue Yumeou (900 JPY) *price might change”. Even though “Yumeou” has no distinctive egg smell at all, some people don’t like the texture of the egg white, so it’s made into meringue-like texture to make it easier to eat.

The yolk, whose orange color is closer to red than yellow, also creates a strong visual impact. Its flavor is enhanced by the addition of soy sauce. .

There are several ways of enjoying this dish, by mixing green onions and wasabi with the egg white, or hanging the taste of soy sauce (there are three kinds of soy sauce available).

The “Superior raw egg on rice (800 JPY)” is accompanied by pickles and simmered vegetables, which are a perfect match for the egg. The rice, whose sweet flavor is revealed as you chew it, is also excellent. 

“ The idea of raw egg over rice came into my mind when I thought of a delicious dish that you could eat quickly while waiting for the train” says Morita, the owner of the restaurant. It is Hojyo railway’s fascinating point that you get to talk with store clerks while waiting for the next train to come.

A queue is unavoidable ! “Imaya no hamburger hyogo”, limited to 60 servings a day

“Imaya no hamburger hyogo”  is located in Hokkeguchi station, next to Harima shimosato station. Even though it opens at 11:00 am, there is already a long line by 10:30 am and often it gets sold out.

The interior of the restaurant, which uses a part of the station, has a retro atmosphere.  I ordered a  “mix egg sandwich (600 JPY)” and a “Frankfurter egg cheese (650 JPY)”. Even though it is called hamburger, it looks like a hot dog.

It weighs quite heavily in the hand and the portions are generous. The taste of the “egg burger cheese”, which is composed of a handmade patty and cheese, spreads in the mouth. The Frankfurter is also juicy and really satisfying in taste and volume!

“Teuchi Ekimae Soba Abiki”, where you can enjoy fresh soba (buckwheat noodle).

“Teuchi Ekimae Soba Abiki”, which is located in Abiki station is also a place to stop by. It just opened in January 2023, but there are many customers who repeatedly go there for the quality of the noodles and dipping sauce.

This time, I ordered ”Zaru” soba noodles and mixed rice. First, I tried the soba noodles without dipping them in anything. They were soft and chewy and as you chew you can feel the slight sweetness of soba.

Hakozaki-san, the store owner's original dipping sauce is also really delicious. It uses three-year-old soy sauce from Hyogo prefecture, which has strong flavor and a slight sourness that is a wonderful match with the dried bonito broth.

Juwari soba (soba made with only buckwheat flour), limited to 10 servings a day, is also a delicious and popular menu, with the original soba scent and chewiness. 

Getting off the train in the middle of the train journey and walking around the town of Hojo and its war legacy

What is exciting about Hojo railway is getting off the train in middle of the train journey. After eating delicious gourmet, let's take a walk around Hojocho, which is filled with Japanese history and has many war legacies.

In Hojocho, you can enjoy sightseeing spots such as the Sumiyoshi Shrine, which is over 1,300 years old, Sagamiji Temple,  “the 500 Rakan” and their mysterious atmosphere, and so on. Also, you can enjoy the  historic townscape of a town that flourished as a post-town and temple-town.

If you want to know more, please check at this article too!

https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/world/note/7

▲Sagamiji Temple, next to Hojomachi station

Kasai city was once the site of a training center for the former Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force. In the area starting from Hokkeguchi Station, you can see a jfull-scale model of fighter planes which were assembled at Uzurano at the time in “Uzurano Airfield” and “sora Kasai”

If you want to know more, please check at this article too!

https://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/world/note/8

▲In the museum “sora Kasai”, you will be able to see full-scale model of a fighter plane

There are many other highlights at each station, such as the “Hyogo Prefectural Flower Center” at Harima-yokota station where you can enjoy beautiful flowers each season, and “Fumonzan Kenshouji” at Tahara station, where you can experience Zen meditation and Shabutsu (the act of sitting on a Buddhist altar). I highly recommend you to make the most of the free ticket mentioned at the beginning of this articles and stop at other stations to go around attractive sightseeing spots!

Seasonal events and photo contest! The Hojo railway is loved by the locals.

The Hojo railway is loved by the locals too. In the photo contest that is held every year, many photos are gathered. The Hojo railway and rural landscape throughout the seasons are really photogenic!

▲The Hojo railway beyond the torii gate surrounded by autumn leaves

▲ A Hojo railway train running through rural landscape in the twilight

Other than this, there is a system of “volunteer stationmaster” system in unmanned station other than Hojomachi station, and also interesting initiatives such as preaching and marriage counseling center. Event train in each season such as “Oden (traditional Japanese stew) train” and “Beer train”, as well as vehicle driving experiences come into play to revitalize the region.

The Hojo railway connects various charms such as nostalgic Japanese scenery, history, and gourmet with “stations and tracks”. These charms may be the reason why the Hojo railway is not only loved by the locals but also attracts people from all over the world.

To enjoy this fascinating “Hojo railway”, why not stay in Hojocho, , and spend some relaxing time, gently swayed on the train and being soaked up by its charms?

Nukumori-tei

Address：152 Ouji-chou Kasai-city Hyogo-prefecture 675-2231（Google map）

Open：10:00〜14:00

Closed on Mondays and Thursdays

サイト： https://kanko-kasai.com/foodki/nukumori/#

Imaya no hamburger Hyogo

Address：Inside Hokkeguchi station 240-5 Higashikasahara-chou Kasai-city Hyogo-prefecture 675-2212（Google map）

Open：11:00〜15:00

Closed on Mondays and Thursdays

Website： https://kanko-kasai.com/foodki/imayanohamburgerhyougo/

Teuchi Ekimae Soba Abiki

Address：560-1 Abiki-chou Kasai-city Hyogo-prefecture 675-2113（Google map）

Open：11:00〜15:00

Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

SNS account： https://www.instagram.com/ikkoan.abiki/?hl=ja

For more information regarding Hojo railway, please take a look at the URL below!

https://kanko-kasai.com/hojorailway_course/

You can download a dedicated multilingual version of the map.

※Middle page of English version is being captured and displayed

https://kanko-kasai.com/navisite/wp-content/themes/kasai-kanko/assets/files/feature/hojo_odekake_map_en.pdf