Oigawa Railwauy question

[ijontichy]

I'm going to Japan in Oct/Nov this year for about 3 weeks, and I've been planning some train trips (21-day JR pass, yay!), mostly day-trips from Tokyo. Here's one I have planned, it's the Oigawa Railway, getting off at Okuoikojo Station, hiking about 30 mins so I can get the following view. I plan to use the local train on a weekday (and not the steam train on a weekend) because I don't like crowds:

 

Tokyo Station to Okuoikojo Station

 

and back:

 

Okuoikojo Station to Tokyo Station

 

My questions are:

1. Given the 12 minute transfer period at Kanaya Station, do I have enough time to buy a ticket to Okuoikojo Station?
2. At Kanaya Station, can I buy a ticket to Okuoikojo Station, or can I only buy one to Senzu Station?
3. Can I buy the return ticket at Kanaya Station as well? Or do I buy that at Okuoikojo Station (is it manned)?

Of course there is the fun of trying to communicate with the ticket window person with my lack of Japanese. Some combination of Okuōikojō eki, kippu, and hitori might do the trick. I hope!

 

Appreciate any tips, I realise my questions are very specific, but maybe someone on this forum has done a similar trip on this line.

[JR 500系]

Wow interesting! A 21 days trip to Japan is always exciting!

 

Sorry I cant help you much with your questions as I have no experience in that route... But I am very interested to know if all 21 days would only be stationed in Tokyo? In 21 days with a rail pass you can basically visit all the way to Hokkaido or even to Kyushu!  :)

[Kitayama]

At Kanaya station you can buy a ticket called せっそ・すまた周遊きっぷ Sesso Sumata shūyū kippu.

It entitles you to free travel on both lines for 2 days for 3900 yen. There is also a 3 day version for 4900 yen.

 

Ordinary tickets would cost you 5040 yen, so it's a good deal. It also eliminates all further ticket problems on your trip. Questions No. 2 and 3 can be skipped.

 

So the words you need to say are: Sesso sumata shūyū kippu and futsukakan (2 days). Have the exact fare ready.

 

Info in Japanese:

http://oigawa-railway.co.jp/ft/fare

Edited July 17, 2016 by Kitayama

[Kitayama]

Some pictures from my two trips on Ōigawa railway - it is a really nice line!

http://bae.se/kitayama/krp/krp10_3_en.htm

[Kitayama]

Text removed by the author. He did a mistake.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Kitayama

[ijontichy]

Ah, thank you Kitayama! I went to that page previously, but I only noticed this ticket: 大井川本線フリーきっぷ. Somehow I missed the wider-ranging tickets further below.

 

Regarding the trail from Okuoikojo station, I believe you can walk on the railway bridge, there is a fenced path beside the rails, as shown here and as suggested on this map. But even if I'm not able to cross the bridge, the station looks interesting enough.

 

Nice pics from your trips by the way.

 

JR 500系, for this trip, I'm sleeping in Tokyo. I'm a big fan of the day-trip, whether it comes to mountain hiking or train tripping. Having a familiar place to return to and not worry about luggage and hotel bookings etc soothes my easily-stressed mind. I also enjoy exploring a smaller region more thoroughly, rather than covering a wider region less thoroughly. I'm leaving Shikoku and Kumamoto for a future autumn trip. And Hokkaido and Japan Alps for a future summer trip.