Just a few years in the past, when it was introduced that the JR Go’ worth can be growing—and doing so considerably—my first response was to be upset. For myself (and nearly all of my readers and shoppers), the move had been an indispensable a part of exploring Japan.
Then, I began to see the silver lining. Particularly, that whereas the change would price me (and my readers) cash, it could additionally liberate us from having to experience JR trains on a regular basis.
One of many chief beneficiaries of this transformation has been the Kintetsu Line, a non-public railway firm that connects varied cities in Japan’s Kansai area. Proceed studying to be taught extra about this railway, and the way utilizing it’d improve your future Japan travels.
Why So Many Vacationers Shirk the Kintetsu Line
As I alluded within the intro, vacationers have traditionally not a lot prevented the Kintetsu Line as they’ve taken JR trains reflexively. In spite of everything, why would you pay for a service from one firm when you may get it totally free from one other? That is solely a part of the equation, nevertheless. One other issue? Kintetsu’s model consciousness merely isn’t excessive amongst foreigners. There’s barely any signal of it inside Kyoto Station, for instance, in Kintetsu’s platforms being simply steps from JR’s.
Now, if I had been a betting man (other than occasional stints at RocketPlay, that is), I’d put an enormous wager on the chance that the Kintetsu Line goes to get much more common sooner or later. And never simply due to what number of extra vacationers are skipping out on the JR Go, both. Kintetsu is advertising its providers extra in English, for starters. Past this, locations primarily served by Kintetsu (resembling Yoshino and Mie—extra on these in a second) are gaining popularity.
The Most Common Kintetsu Line Locations
Kyoto
As I discussed above, the Kintetsu Strains are considerably hidden inside Kyoto Station. Regardless of this, you’ll be able to simply entry your entire Kintetsu system from there. Whereas the most typical route is from Kyoto to Nara, you’ll be able to transcend there to most of the different locations on this record, together with Yoshino and Mie.
Nara
Talking of Nara, utilizing the Kintetsu practice to get right here is extremely advantageous. That is primarily as a result of Kintetsu-Nara Station is far nearer to the town’s primary sights than the JR station. Which means in case you come by Kintetsu practice, you’ll be able to discover the town completely by foot—extra time to feed the deer!
Osaka
Whereas I wouldn’t advocate utilizing the Kintetsu Line to journey between Kyoto and Osaka (as you’d want to vary trains in Nara, leading to a big backtrack), touring from Nara to Osaka through Kintetsu is extraordinarily handy. The principle Kintetsu station in Osaka (Osaka-Namba) is far nearer to Dotonbori pedestrian road than Osaka Station itself!
Yoshino
Past the most important cities of the Kansai area, the Kintetsu rail can also be helpful for exploring off the overwhelmed path. For instance, in case you’re visiting Japan throughout cherry blossom season and wish to go to the superlative Mt. Yoshino, you’ll be able to experience the Kintetsu Strains through Kashihara Jingumae to Yoshino Station.
Mie
The Kintetsu Strains are additionally the most important artery connecting the cities of underrated Mie prefecture: Toba; Ise; and Matsusaka. You’ll be able to experience all of them the way in which from Nagoya, too, presuming you don’t come from Kyoto, Osaka or Nara. Kintetsu trains in Mie-ken have far more handy schedules than JR ones.
The way to E-book Kintetsu Line Tickets in Advance
The excellent news? For native practice providers, you don’t have to guide Kintetsu tickets upfront. Simply faucet your IC card (or telephone, in case you’ve configured it there) and board the practice as you’ll another native practice, subway or bus in Japan. The higher information? Not like JR, whose web sites proceed to be clunky and awkward, it’s fairly simple to guide tickets for Kintetsu tokkyu (Restricted Specific) trains on-line in English.
Merely go to this web site to enter your origin, vacation spot and journey dates and instances, and to buy the ticket that fits you finest. One factor I like about this service is that you’ve the choice to enter the Kintetsu turnstiles with an IC card, and solely buy the Restricted Specific ticket outright. That is nice as a result of in case you determine last-minute to take a reserved seat practice (resembling the flowery new Hinotori), you should purchase your seat after you’ve already entered the ticketed space of the station.
Different FAQ About Using the Kintetsu Railway
Can I exploit a Suica card for Kintetsu Line?
You need to use Suica (or another IC card) to enter the Kintetsu Line turnstiles, which can will let you board any Native Kintetsu practice with out extra cost. Do word that if you wish to take a Restricted Specific practice with reserved seats, you’ll have to buy your Restricted Specific ticket outright, both on-line or utilizing a ticket machine on the station.
Is Kintetsu coated by JR Go?
Kintetsu is a non-public railway, which signifies that it’s not coated by the JR Go. That’s the unhealthy information. The excellent news? Many Kintetsu trains are extraordinarily reasonably priced, since most vacationers use them to cowl quick distances, resembling between Nara and Kyoto or Osaka.
Does Kintetsu Line go to Fushimi Inari?
Though there’s a Kintetsu Line station referred to as “Fushimi,” it’s truly far-off from Fushimi Inari Shrine. If you wish to experience the Kintetsu Line to Fushimi Inari Shrine, you truly have to get off at Tambabashi. Right here, you’ll switch to the Keihan Major Line, and experience it to Fushimi Inari Station.
The Backside Line
Over time, I’ve relied increasingly more on the Kintetsu Line to discover Japan’s Kansai area. Definitely, it’s one of the best ways to journey from Kyoto to Nara, provided that Kintetsu Nara Station is far nearer to Nara’s primary sights than the JR station is. Furthermore, the Kintetsu Strains are indispensable if you wish to discover off-the-beaten-path locations like Yoshino, or coastal Mie prefecture. Whereas not a substitute for the JR Strains (and definitely, not for the Shinkansen), the Kintetsu-sen is a vital piece of the transportation puzzle when exploring west-central Japan. Need customized assist decoding the Japan transportation puzzle? Fee a customized Japan itinerary at this time!