Scenic Train Routes – Resort Shirakami

The Gono Line runs between Higashi-Noshiro station in Akita Prefecture, to Kawabe in Aomori, a 147 km long stretch, most of it along the shore of the Sea of Japan. Most of the departures are run by local trains, but there are also a few special trains called “Resort Shirakami” that traverse the entire route of the Gono Line and then some – these trains run all the way between Akita Station and Aomori Station, which in turn connects it to the extensive Shinkansen network. This makes traveling from or to any major Japanese city a breeze – albeit one way that can be quite pricey.

The Gono Line

The Gono Line often appears in lists of the world’s most beautiful railway routes. When we finally got a chance to try it out, we quickly understood why. We boarded one of the Resort Shirakami trains on the Aomori side, so the first half of our journey was taking us to the west, through rural farm landscapes and rustic villages, with the impressive silhouette of Mt. Iwaki as a backdrop. At one point two young girls selling locally produced apple juice boarded the train. After all, Aomori is famous for its high quality apples – we saw plenty of trees full of red fruit in many of the farms we passed during the journey.

The Gono Line

This part of Aomori, the Tsugaru region, is also famous for its local version of the three stringed Shamisen. The local variant is called “Tsugaru-jamisen”, and has somewhat thicker strings and a bigger body size than regular Shamisen. A few stops later on our trip, two local musicians boarded the train and did a small live performance in the front car. Watching the passengers clap their hands and sing along in traditional japanese folk songs, while travelling through this magnificent landscape was indeed a unique experience.

Tsugaru-jamisen

After about an hour on the train, we finally hit the shores of the Sea of Japan, and the train took a turn to the south. From then on, the view outside the windows consisted of the dramatic coastline on one side, and barren rock walls on the other. In fact, the windows of the Resort Shirakami trains are bigger than on other trains in order for the passengers to enjoy the beautiful views to the fullest. There is also a small panorama area in the back of the trains, where you can face the windows if you really want to be able to absorb it all. At some particularly scenic locations, the train will slow down giving you ample time to snap photos that will make your Instagram followers green with envy.

The Gono Line

The train also stops for about fifteen minutes at Senjojiki station, a rocky plateau created by an earthquake several hundred years ago. It is enough time to take a walk down to the seashore, or to stock up on snacks and drinks at one of the small shops next to the station. To make sure everyone makes it back in time, the driver will sound the horn three minutes prior to departure.

The Gono Line

So besides the train ride itself, what other reasons are there to traverse this route? Well, the line goes through the Shirakami-Sanchi national park, an area with plenty of onsen resorts (hence the name of this train). Shirakami-Sanchi is in fact one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in Japan, the entire region is declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you will find beautiful hiking trails through pristine forests, as well as the ravine “Japan Canyon”.

The Gono Line

In case you do plan to get off the train and go for a hike, we would suggest that you check the timetables carefully. Both buses as well as the trains run quite sporadically in this area, and even though the nature here is extremely beautiful, ending up having to spend the night in the middle of it may not be the ideal situation.

Information about the Resort Shirakami express train, as well as how to purchase tickets, can be found on the JR East website.