AkitaLeisure

Ugo-Honjo Station (羽後本荘駅)

Flow of the course

About 30 min here

About 30 min to the next stop

Next stop: A whole wooden schoolhouse turned into a toy world, play to your heart's content in an Akita cedar playground

About this spot

This is the gateway station of Yurihonjo City, where the JR Uetsu Main Line meets the Yuri Kogen Railway Chokai-Sanroku Line. The elevated station building, with its warm use of wood, is connected by a free passage running east to west, making it a great spot for a commemorative photo at the start of your trip. The Chokai-Sanroku Line departing from here is a local line with 12 stations in total, connecting Ugo-Honjo and Yashima, about 23km, in around 40 minutes, and the view from the train window running with Mount Chokai visible beyond the farmland is exceptional. There is a variety of notable trains too, including the Magokoro Train, staffed mainly on weekends by attendants dressed as Akita obako, and the Toy Train Nakayoshi Koyoshi, whose interior is filled with wooden toys. Once you board the charming single-car train, it is the start of a small railway journey that will light up children's eyes.

Tips

Besides access via the JR Uetsu Main Line, there is coin parking around the station, making it an easy station to switch to by car as well. Since the Chokai-Sanroku Line runs limited services, be sure to check the timetable before setting out. If you plan to get off along the way, a one-day free pass is a good deal, so ask about it at the ticket window.