Sanriku Railway's kotatsu trains return on winter weekends from 19 December, now bookable online
三陸鉄道 こたつ列車・洋風こたつ列車（2026-2027冬）
Sit at a heated kotatsu table and watch the Pacific from 30 m-high bridges on the Rias Line between Miyako and Kuji. Boxes and pair seats are sold online only, with seafood bento to pre-order.
When19 Dec 2026 – 28 Mar 2027
WhereSanriku Railway Rias Line, Miyako – Kuji (weekends)
Sanriku Railway's winter kotatsu trains — low tables with a heater and blanket underneath — run again on Saturdays and Sundays from 19 December 2026 to 28 March 2027 (some weekends excepted; check the calendar). There are two versions: the traditional tatami-style Kotatsu Train and a retro, Western-style Kotatsu Train with table seating.
Each day one train runs each way between Miyako and Kuji: 11:40 from Miyako (arriving Kuji 13:30) and 12:45 from Kuji (arriving Miyako 14:40). The two styles swap direction between Saturday and Sunday. The trains slow down or stop briefly on the Osawa and Akka River bridges, about 30 m above the coast, and a guide talks about the sights on the way. A namomi — a masked demon from a local New Year tradition — also visits the cars.
Every seat is reserved and sold online, up to three days before travel: a sea-side box for up to four people is ¥14,000, a box without a choice of side ¥10,000, and a pair seat (you may share the table) ¥6,000. Phone bookings are not taken.
Local seafood bento can be ordered with your booking (by three days before), from ¥1,500 scallop and ¥2,000 abalone boxes from Kuji to a ¥3,000 Miyako "bin-don" — seafood packed in a milk bottle that you tip onto rice yourself.
For visitors
- Sanriku Railway is not JR, so the JAPAN RAIL PASS isn't valid. Ask on the official page whether your booking includes the normal fare or if you need a separate ticket.
- Miyako and Kuji are both JR stations too; plan your connection from the Tohoku Shinkansen (Morioka or Hachinohe) with a route search — services on the coast are infrequent.
- Booking is through a Japanese-language form; the railway's site has an English page and an email address for questions.
- Wear layers — the kotatsu keeps your legs warm, but the platforms on the Sanriku coast are cold in January and February.
Sources
- Sanriku Railway — Kotatsu Train and Western-style Kotatsu Train 2026–2027 (4 Nov 2026) (official, Japanese)
Summarised in our own words from the sources above; last checked 5 Nov 2026. Plans can change — confirm with the operator before you travel.