The Oku-Izumo Orochi Train
Izumo Shimane
©shino, unsplash
Okuizumo Orochi
The Okuizumo Orochi is a special train that runs through Shimane, in the countryside in Western Japan. Read more about the JR West Pass!
The Okuizumo Orochi train is famous for that runs between the mountains based on the story of Izumo myth. As you may have noticed from its name, the train is located not too far from the famous Izumo Taisha, one of the oldest Shinto shrines, located in Shimane Prefecture.
The train is colored blue and white, and on days with good weather, its windows are completely open! At certain points in the journey, the train goes dark and the interior is illuminated with lamps and designs of the Orochi beast.
The train takes its name from the Okuizumo Orochi legend, where a young man slayed the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi in the Izumo Region in exchange for marrying the young woman he saved from the giant snake.
Dates : The train runs on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from the end of April to the end of November. It’s a great way to celebrate Golden week, summer vacation and the season of autumn leaves.
Izumo Shimane
©Shino, unsplash
Price : A train ticket will cost ¥1940 yen for adults and ¥970 for children. Seat reservations are an extra ¥520 for adults and ¥260 for children.
One unique point of this train is the switch back.
Because of a slope with a steep pitch, the train runs backward and forward like a zigzag.
The Nitagyu bento served on this train is also really great, with lots of good Shimane wagyu.
You can also try other regional tastes such as soba and sase-sushi.
Be sure to check out the soba noodle shop at Kamedake Station!
Okuizumo_Orochi
©By Yasu (talk) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4777321
