The Himi Line
Himi
©Par DD51612 sur Wikipédia japonais, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4969872
Between Takaoka and Himi
The Himi line is a 16.5 km line between Takaoka Station and Himi Station in Toyama prefecture. The train is decorated with motifs from the manga "Ninja Hattori-ku," for whom the author is originally from Himi.
Enjoy the scenery of Amaharashi
The Himi Line is a 16.5 km line between Takaoka station and Himi station in Toyama prefecture. The first part of the line winds through the countryside, then just before Amaharashi station, you suddenly come to the Sea of Japan, where the scenery really takes over. Amaharashi station is located two stations before the end of the line at Himi.
For lovers of beautiful scenery and photography, this is Amaharashi is an ideal location, with its picturesque views of the Sea of Japan and the iconic rock formation that has been the subject of many historic Japanese poems. It's even said that the famous warlord, Yoshitsune no Minamoto, took refuge here. On clear days, the mountains in the back provide a breathtaking view, and sometimes the coast of the Noto Peninsula all the way in Ishikawa can be seen. Bring your best telephoto lens for the perfect shot.
The super combo lies in framing the shot with the beach in the foreground, the little islet with its pine trees hanging over it, the train passing by on the line and the mountains in the background. When you've got it, you're the master of the photo that sends shivers down the spines of Japanese thatched huts and beyond.
The Himi Line is operated by JR West and covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the Hokuriku Arch Pass.
Belles Montagnes & Mer
It's not without reason that JR West has a specialty train on the Himi Line that celebrates the famous scenery. The “Belles Montagnes et Mer” is this line's signature locomotive and means "the beautiful mountains and sea" in French. A gorgeous green, one-car train that runs on the Himi Line only on Sundays, with 2 roundtrip journeys a day.
The interior design is well worth appreciating, with bench seats in the beautiful green velvet that makes up the train's livery. Then there are the wooden seats along the windows, facing the landscape and giving you a front-row seat to nature's great spectacle. Of course, looking outside from the train, the sunsets over the sea are a view like no other.
Belles Montagnes & Mer - Wikimedia commons
Takaoka station is 5 minutes from Shin-Takaoka on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.This train is known because the exterior and the interior are decorated with manga drawings, the Ninja-hattori-kun manga. Indeed Motoo Abiko, the manga artist, was born in Himi city.
The inside of the train features also illustrations of the Great Buddha of Takaoka, the Nami Tulip Fair, the world heritage village of Gokayama, the Tateyama Alps and other sightseeing spots of Toyama Prefecture.
This train runs along the Johana Line between Takaoka and Johana.
Hokuriku shinkansen
©motihada, unsplash
Toyama
©shino, unsplash
