Have you ridden the Resort Shirakami before? The Joyful Train runs along the JR Gonō Line (JR五能線), which is regarded as one of the most scenic train lines in Japan, and personally, it’s one of the Joyful Trains that I’ve been wanting to ride for the longest time. I finally got the opportunity to ride it recently, and it was one of the best train rides I have ever experienced in Japan!
The train is the first among the Joyful Trains by JR East, and it travels between JR Akita Station (JR秋田駅) in Akita and JR Aomori Station (JR青森駅 Aomori-eki) in Aomori. The train runs around Shirakami-Sanchi (白神山地), a mountainous range that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and along the western shorelines of Akita and Aomori, directly facing the Sea of Japan.
For this article, I will share with you my full-day itinerary of riding the Resort Shirakami and visiting exciting places located near some stations on the JR Gonō Line. In this itinerary, I got to ride all three Resort Shirakami trains—Buna (橅), Aoike (青池), and Kumagera (くまげら)—during my travel from Akita to Aomori, and I also got to explore some wonderful sights of the two prefectures. With this itinerary, I hope you can use it as a reference for your own sensational adventure on the pioneer Joyful Train, and understand why it’s a railway adventure that you have to experience for yourself!
① Kickstarting the journey from Akita
8:19am–10:24am: JR Akita Station → JR Jūniko Station
My adventure began at JR Akita Station (JR秋田駅), the starting point of the Resort Shirakami, early in the morning. At 8:19am, I hopped on the Resort Shirakami 1, the train’s first departure of the day, and it was the Buna train, the first among the three trains by the Resort Shirakami. The name “buna” means beech tree, which is prevalent in Shirakami-Sanchi. For this train, I rode it until JR Jūniko Station (JR十二湖駅), bringing my journey out of Akita and into Aomori.
As I set foot inside the Resort Shirakami Buna train, I was pleasantly surprised by the brightly coloured large seats with ample legroom, and the large train windows. Not only was I looking forward to a comfortable train ride, but I was also expecting amazing views from the train that I could fully enjoy thanks to the generously large windows.
I also spotted boxed seats in Car 3, which I thought would be perfect for families and those travelling in a small group. Moreover, the seats can be folded into a fully flat space, so passengers can sit cross-legged or even lie down. Sounds comfortable, doesn’t it?
While travelling from Akita to Jūniko, the train will make a brief stop at JR Noshiro Station (JR能代駅), where a pleasant surprise awaits passengers on the Resort Shirakami. Each passenger can have a try at basketball shooting at the station platform, and if they scored, they would get a small prize from the train staff.
The game is in commemoration of Noshiro Technical High School’s basketball team that has won the Japan National Championships up to 58 times! I tried my hand at it but couldn’t score, but I was happy to have had a go at it, nonetheless.
Do you know another great thing about the Resort Shirakami Buna train? There is the sales counter 「Oraho」 in Car 3, where passengers can check out the wide range of ekiben (駅弁 railway lunchboxes), souvenirs, beverages and more that are on sale. I was quite surprised by the wide variety of goods available at the counter, especially the local handicraft and local craft beers.
Moreover, there are also bar seats in the car that directly face the window, so passengers can have a seat and enjoy the views passing by over delicious ekiben and refreshing beverages. It would be an experience that I think anyone would love to relish while riding the train.
The Resort Shirakami has been lauded for the amazing views that passengers get to enjoy as it travels along the JR Gonō Line, and indeed I finally understood why the train is loved so much by many people. As the train chugged along near JR Akitashirakami Station (JRあきた白神駅), it travelled very closely along the shoreline, and I was greeted by spectacular views of the sea.
What made the experience even better was how the train would slow down along this section just so that passengers could fully enjoy the view. Needless to say, it was an incredible moment for me to gaze at the panoramic sea-view!
② A blue pond in a green forest
10:35am–10:50am: JR Jūniko Station → (bus transfer) → Jūniko / Aoike
12:15pm–12:30pm: Jūniko / Aoike → (bus transfer) → JR Jūniko Station
My first stop after my first ride on the Resort Shirakami was JR Jūniko Station (JR十二湖駅), and here, passengers can make a detour to visit one of Aomori Prefecture’s most cherished natural treasures. Just a 15-minute bus ride from the station is Jūniko (十二湖), a collection of lakes and ponds located in Shirakami-Sanchi, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Aoike (青池) is a splendid pond in Jūniko that is famous for its azure-coloured water. The colour is due to its mineral content, and I was instantly fascinated by its vivid hues the moment I laid my eyes on it. Moreover, the weather was sunny during my visit, and the sunlight beamed right on the pond, making the blue colour stand out even more and rendering a magical glistening effect. With the pond further being surrounded by verdant green beech forest, I could feel myself feeling refreshed just by looking and gazing at the pond.
Jūniko isn’t just about Aoike, however. The area features many other scenic lakes that visitors can enjoy, and what’s more, the surrounding beech forest is a soothing experience to walk through, especially during the shinryoku (新緑 fresh greens) period, when the new leaves sprouting after spring are vividly green. When I walked through the forest with the cool breeze blowing though me, I could feel myself getting energised by Mother Nature.
③ Hopping on the second Resort Shirakami train
1:04pm–1:59pm: JR Jūniko Station → JR Senjōjiki Station
After a trip to Aoike in Jūniko, I returned back to JR Jūniko Station and hopped on the Resort Shirakami again. But this time, however, it was the Kumagera, whose train name means black woodpecker, a rare bird species that can be seen in Shirakami-Sanchi. With exteriors that are covered in bright orange and yellow hues, this would be the second train of the Resort Shirakami that I rode for the day.
By the time I hopped on the Resort Shirakami Kumagera train, it was lunch time, and what other way to have my lunch onboard a train than with ekiben! Do you know that Akita Prefecture is famous for its chicken? My lunchbox is torimeshi (鶏めし), which is rice covered with generous portion of locally grown hinai-jidori chicken, and it was indeed tasty and full of flavours. Enjoying an ekiben while riding a train with wondrous views… isn’t that an experience you want to have too?
As the Resort Shirakami made its way northwards, it travelled along the Senjojiki Coast (千畳敷海岸), a breathtaking coastline featuring craggy rock formations and the deep blue sea. It was one of the most amazing views I had ever seen from onboard the train, and what’s more, the train slowed down just so that the passengers could take photos and relish the view more!
Just when I thought viewing the coast from onboard the train was already great, the train made a brief stop at JR Senjōjiki Station (JR千畳敷駅) and let the passengers explore it on foot. For 15 minutes, passengers on the train can take a short walk from the station to the coast’s rocky shores, and admire the natural surroundings. It felt wonderful to see the coast up close, and I felt grateful that the train allowed me to experience it.
While riding the Resort Shirakami and enjoying the amazing views from the train windows, I was also treated to a shamisen (三味線 Japanese traditional string instrument) performance at the front of the train. It was a truly unique experience to watch and listen to the lively performance, and I particularly appreciated how enthusiastically they played their instruments just for the passengers, including myself.
④ Onward to Goshogawara
2:14pm–3:02pm: JR Senjōjiki Station → JR Goshogawara Station
JR Goshogawara Station → (5-minute walk) → Tachineputa no Yakata
Tachineputa no Yakata in Goshogawara. | ©Aomori Prefecture
After a brief visit to the Senjōjiki Coast, I got back to the Resort Shirakami and travelled onwards to JR Goshogawara Station (JR五所川原駅). If you love summer festivals in the Tohoku Region, then Goshogawara might be a familiar name to you, as it is home to one of the three most famous summer festivals in Aomori.
The Goshogawara Tachineputa Festival (五所川原立佞武多祭り) is a summer festival celebrated in Goshogawara that is famous for featuring ostentatiously designed floats that can be as high as 23m. Tachineputa no Yakata (立佞武多の館) is a museum that celebrates this local festival, and visitors here can witness actual floats here that were used in previous years.
I have never had the time to experience the actual festival itself, so this museum served as a perfect opportunity for me to have a glimpse of what the festival would feel like. It’s incredible to see the larger-than-life floats up close, and it made me want to come to the city again to experience the actual festival next time.
Tachineputa no Yakata (立佞武多の館)
Address: 506-10 Omachi, Goshogawara-shi, Aomori 037-0063
Access: 5-minute walk from JR Goshogawara Station (五所川原駅)
⑤ BONUS: Detour to a scenic bridge
Tachineputa no Yakata → (20-minute taxi ride transfer) → Fujimiko Park / Tsuru no Mai Bridge
After spending some time admiring the towering floats at Tachineputa no Yakata, why not go and witness another spectacular structure of a different kind? Just a short taxi ride away from Goshogawara is a bridge that has been lauded for its classic construction and aesthetic beauty, and my excitement was palpable when I had the opportunity to see it with my own eyes.
Take a short taxi ride from Goshogawara to Fujimiko Park (富士見湖パーク), a tranquil park with a particularly picturesque natural scenery located in the town of Tsuruta (鶴田町). The park is popular among the locals as a place to relax and take leisurely strolls, but the outstanding landmark here is the Tsuru no Mai Bridge (鶴の舞橋), a 300m wooden bridge that stretches over the Lake Tsugaru Fujimi.
Built in 1994, the Tsuru no Mai Bridge is regarded as the main landmark of the town and is also the longest triple-arched wooden bridge in Japan. I was completely taken aback by the sheer beauty and elegance of the bridge, and even more captivating is the surrounding scenery, especially with Mount Iwaki (岩木山 Iwaki-san) in the background. The weather was superbly clear when I came to see the bridge, and I could see the mountain in the far distance, making my visit completely worthwhile and memorable.
Tsuru no Mai Bridge (鶴の舞橋)
Address: 81-150 Mawarizeki Osawa, Tsuruta, Aomori 038-3542
Access: 10-minute taxi ride from JR Mutsu-Tsuruda Station (JR 陸奥鶴田駅) or 20-minute taxi ride from JR Goshogawara Station (JR五所川原駅)
⑥ One last ride on Resort Shirakami
6:22pm–7:27pm: JR Mutsu-Tsuruda Station → JR Shin-Aomori Station
The Resort Shirakami Aoike train. | ©JR East / Nazrul Buang
Once I was done admiring the Tsuru no Mai Bridge, it was back on the Resort Shirakami for one last time. And not only that, but it was also the Aoike (青池) train, named after the blue pond that I visited earlier in the day. With that, I managed to ride all three different trains by the Resort Shirakami in a single day!
When I was riding the Resort Shirakami Aoike train, the sun was beginning to set, covering the surrounding areas in a golden hue. As I reminisced all the incredible sights that I got to enjoy the whole day, I was treated to yet another spectacular sight: a view of the majestic Mount Iwaki in the far distance, right from onboard the train.
The mountain was clearly visible thanks to the clear weather, and with the sun setting and rice fields stretching beyond the horizon, the sight felt almost magical. I couldn’t ask for a better way to end my full-day adventure on the Resort Shirakami and also be able to explore exciting places along the way.
Summing up the itinerary
For this full-day Resort Shirakami trip, you can choose one of the following timetables of your liking:
Option A: 3 Resort Shirakami trains + Aoike + Tachineputa no Yakata
Option B: 3 Resort Shirakami trains + Aoike + Tsuru no Mai Bridge
Option C: 3 Resort Shirakami trains + Aoike + Tachineputa no Yakata + Tsuru no Mai Bridge
Closing
The Resort Shirakami is one of the most loved Joyful Trains as it offers spectacular views of the Sea of Japan by traversing the JR Gonō Line, and passengers can also explore exciting places along the way, such as the beautiful Aoike, the Tachineputa no Yakata featuring impressive floats, and the breathtaking Tsuru no Mai Bridge with its gorgeous backdrop.
The Resort Shirakami is a Joyful Train that I have always wanted to ride, and it felt wonderful to not only ride it at last, but also discover some of the best things that both Akita and Aomori have to offer. The whole experience made me want to ride the train again, especially in other seasons when the scenery and ambience would be completely different.
With my travel itinerary, I hope that I have inspired you to plan your own railway adventure, and I highly encourage you to give the Resort Shirakami a try. It’s one of the most memorable train rides that I have ever had, and I’m pretty sure it would be for you too!
JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
If you like to ride the Resort Shirakami and explore different parts of the Tohoku Region, check out the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area), an affordable pass that offers unlimited rail travel on JR East lines in the valid area for 5 consecutive days. At only ¥30,000, it is cheaper than a return ticket from Tokyo and Aomori (~¥35,000) or Tokyo and Akita (~¥36,000).
The pass can be used for automatic ticket gates, and foreign passport holders living in Japan are also eligible to use it. You can also make seat reservations for bullet trains, some limited express trains and Joyful Trains online for free, up to 1 month in advance, on the JR-EAST Train Reservation.
And now, you have the chance to make the pass even cheaper, AND enjoy a few months of delicious Japanese snacks while you’re at it! JAPAN RAIL CLUB is now running a special discount campaign on the JR EAST PASS for all omiyage box subscribers! Simply purchase a 3, 6, or 12-month membership plan and you’ll be entitled to 15% OFF all purchases of the JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) and JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) made on our website.
Header image credit: JR East / Nazrul Buang
