Trip to Kansai....

[JPTRAINS]

Hey all

I will be travelling to the Kansai area of Japan at the end of the month...Any recommendations on what to do and see train related? 

 

Kyoto Railway museum is on the list but I'm looking at more too, model train shops, Trainspotting locations and so on. 

 

What's the fare of the Shinkansen to Tokyo? I know Nozomi is 136,000 yen but what about Hikari and Kodama?

 

Cheers 

 

[katoftw]

You mean 13,600 yen right?  Prices are normally the same across the different trains.  You can use hyperdia or similar to check fares.  Normally only green class and non-reserved seats alter the prices.

 

Depends on what type of trains you like.  I Sagano Railway, Keifuku (Randen) Railway and Eizen Railway up to Kurama are wirth a look.  But Eizen has damage currently due to typhoon.  Might be fixed by the time you arrive.

[Khaul]

IMO the best shop in Osaka is Hobby Land Pochi in Nipponbashi: fantastic stock, great discounted prices and tax free. You can go to Arashiyama in Kyoto for a nice rail excursion. Go with Hankyu and come back in the little cute tram. JR has a stop there as well.There are some very nice green 185s and 103s still running in the Kyoto area. The Nankai and Hashin are also very nice. And Namba looks like a proper terminal station, well, at least to me. Enjoy!

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

At the south end of Shin-Osaka railway station (the local platforms) is a pedestrian bridge which is great for trainspotting.  If you go downstairs the west side is a small car park, trees, etc. and you can get quite close to the track without having to worry about nearby cars.  There is also a level crossing nearby.  Further west is a large rail yard.  This area is my favourite place for train spotting in Osaka.

 

In Kyoto, if the weather is fine, I would recommend a trip north to Kurama-Dera Temple.  Or Mt Hiei.  

[sandiway]

In Kyoto station, inside the Isetan department store, go up to the Kato train store. Go to the back of the store. There's a big window and you can see all the JR platforms - well, you can see a Kintetsu platform as well. Afterwards (or before), go to Tsujiri inside Isetan and have their signature matcha parfait. Get a seat by the window, and watch the bus terminal on the other side of the station. Kyoto Tower is on this side too. In the evenings, Kyoto Tower is lit. (I always wanted a model of Kyoto Tower for my layout, but nobody makes one.)

Edited September 13, 2018 by sandiway

[JPTRAINS]

Thanks all I've made my plan!