{"id":86773,"date":"2022-01-05T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=86773"},"modified":"2024-02-27T14:38:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T05:38:37","slug":"vintage-train-ride-kinosaki-onsen-amanohashidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/vintage-train-ride-kinosaki-onsen-amanohashidate\/","title":{"rendered":"From Kinosaki Onsen to Amanohashidate: Ride a Gourmet Sightseeing Train in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Whenever I think back on my first experiences of Japanese train travel, it\u2019s never the 300 kph speeds or the bottlenose design of the shinkansen<\/em> bullet train that come to mind. For me, it\u2019s all about the culinary experience. Cracking open a frosty beer with a regional ekiben<\/em> lunchbox in front of me always felt like a cheeky abandonment of the rules I\u2019d become accustomed to in my native Canada. For me, a train ride just isn\u2019t complete without this gastronomical experience, and the vintage Tango Kuromatsu restaurant train takes it to the next level.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tango Kuromatsu restaurant train was by far one of my most whimsical experiences during a three-day journey along Kitakinki’s northern coastline<\/a>, inspiring my inner child to rejoice as I savored the delectable meals of Tajima-inspired cuisine while admiring the Japanese landscape from my window. An ultra-high-speed express train may be about reaching the destination, but a ride on the Tango Kuromatsu is all about the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tango Kuromatsu is\u00a0one of three sightseeing train lines<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0offered by the Kyoto Tango Railway, including the Tango Akamatsu and Tango Aomatsu. The\u00a0<\/strong>Tango Kuromatsu\u00a0connects passengers\u00a0from the onsen resort town of Kinosaki to the pine-covered sandbar of Amanohashidate,<\/strong>\u00a0making it a luxurious way to travel between Kitakinki’s top two destinations<\/strong>. The routes change every six months, however, so the ride to Kinosaki Onsen is only available from September 2021 to March 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three of the Kyoto Tango Railway trains are stylishly designed by Eiji Mitooka<\/a> (\u6c34\u6238\u5ca1\u92ed\u6cbb), with the Tango Kuromatsu train’s signature black glossy finish, golden pinstripe, and a retro wooden interior sporting the Matsu<\/em> pine tree motif throughout the cabin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As on other trains along the Kyoto Tango Railway routes, several menu courses are available according to the seasons. Out of the three different meals to choose from on the Tango Kuromatsu, including a morning dessert and lunchtime course, I opted for the Tajima Special Dinner Course<\/strong>. This three-course meal is the collaborative effort of three classically trained chefs in French and Japanese cuisine who created Kuromatsu’s signature dishes using Tajima ingredients and flavors<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first course featured bite-sized pickled red squid with prosciutto, radish, a dash of yuzu, snow crab with Sansho<\/em> Japanese peppers, and persimmon miso ceviche, complemented with sparkling sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, the main dish of Tajima beef stewed in condensed wine and red miso sauce was so tender I could have pulled it apart with my fingers. Finally, to complete my three-course meal, I finished with the roasted hojicha<\/em> blancmange with black honey that was so delicious I would have licked the bowl clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I savored my meal, Japan swept gracefully by, changing from cityscapes to suburban neighborhoods, as hobbyist farmers tended to their gardens. There was something wonderfully whimsical about watching the scenery evolve while I finished the last of my exquisitely prepared dishes. As the conductor sounded the train\u2019s horn, the gleeful look on other passengers\u2019 faces convinced me that the feeling was shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Tango Kuromatsu also offers two other set meal courses earlier in the day: Tamba Whole Sweets on the Fukuchiyama to Amanohashidate route, and the lunchtime Tango Chirimen Kaiseki from Amanohashidate to Kinosaki. Keep in mind that the menus change every season, so be sure to check in advance on the Kyoto Tango Railway page for the latest meal courses.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you board the Tango Kuromatsu at the terminus train station, you will encounter the willow-lined canals of Kinosaki Onsen<\/strong> (\u57ce\u5d0e\u6e29\u6cc9). This enchanting, old-fashioned onsen town in northern Hyogo prefecture is one of Japan’s premier onsen resorts towns<\/strong>, drawing Japanese and foreign travelers to its 1,300-year-old hot springs to indulge in Kinosaki\u2019s traditional ryokan inns.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRide Japan’s Vintage Tango Kuromatsu Restaurant Train<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Experience Culinary Delights on the Tango Kuromatsu Train<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tajima Special Dinner Course<\/th> <\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Operating Days<\/td> Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays<\/td><\/tr> Timetable<\/td> Kinosaki Onsen (16:03) \u21d2 Amanohashidate (17:32)<\/td><\/tr> Price<\/td> \u00a5 12,500<\/td><\/tr> Online Reservations<\/td> Travel Willer Website (Japanese only)<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n What to Do at Kinosaki Onsen Before Your Gourmet Train Ride?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n