Nagoya (1), Japan 🇯🇵 2024

Date: 20th October 2024

Travelled: Shizuoka to Nagoya  

Visited: Oigawa Railway and the Oi River Gorge  

Stayed: Trusty Hotel, Nagoya  

Budget: 21 days @ $XX per day

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We wander off at 6 am for our normal walk, maybe it’s not normal, the other 31 people in our little band of lemmings are no doubt asleep.

This region is famous for its green tea and we find small plots with rows of tea plants whilst we walk.

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Back for breakfast before Serena herds us onto the bus once again. First today is a green tea tour for a lesson on tea making. As Pam and I are coffee drinkers where bound to learn something. Then we will ride the Oigawa Railway which follows Oi River.

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We arrive at the fanciest tea shop you’ve ever seen with a nice coffee shop and a farmers market style supermarket. We get a short talk on green tea and a lesson on making it. Sounds easy enough but there are rules all the way through the process. Cannot say I’m converted but it was very interesting and the coffee at the cafe after was even better.

Have to comment on the number of Australian tourists here in Japan. There are Trip-a-Deal buses we cross paths with daily not to mention the other tour companies from Aus.

Back to the bus and a 20 minute drive to the Oigawa station. Serena tells us there was a land slip following a storm some months ago so the journey now requires a bus trip around the land slip and a change of trains.

The first part of our rail journey starts on a 1920’s era steam train (not the Thomas) pictured below.

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Apart from our old black steam train the company runs a series of Thomas style trains for children here daily.

Its an interesting and scenic journey as the old train winds its way up the valley passing small farms on its way

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Less than 30 minutes later the steam train component is complete and it’s back on the bus to drive around the damaged section of the line then back on the rail motor pictured below. From this point the line climbs as the Oi River Gorge narrows and steepens.

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We stop at a small siding and a larger cog railway engine comes up behind our train and connects (pictured below). Serena tells us the track is steep from this point a gear driven diesel is required.

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We pass a large dam then as the train climbs into the mist.

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Arriving at our final stop Sesokyo Onsen the bus is waiting. I give the driver a wave and he responds with the two fingered Asian salute. We’ve got know idea why the driver needs a mask up in the cab by himself ?

Like lemmings we climb back into the bus for a 3 hour drive to Nagoya.

Safely in the hotel we head out for dinner, not in the crab restaurant pictured below but a Ramen restaurant about 500m up the road. However Pam suggests not ordering with extra chilli.

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So finishes a long but very interesting day.

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Michael + Pam