Japan Railway Trivia - Part 1

  • Published on : 26/06/2016
  • by : Japan Experience

Travel in Japan by train 

What is the Japan's longest railway line ? What train station has is the highest in Japan? Learn some fascinating trivia about the amazing Japan Railways!

  • What is Japan's longest Train line?

Japan's longest train line in the Sanyo main line, which runs from Kyoto Prefecture to Yamaguchi Prefecture.



The Sanyo main line is the longest line in Japan at 673.8 kilometers long. This line wins on a technicality: in 2010 the Tohoku Shinkansen opened and runs for 739.2 kilometers, but one section of this line (from Morioka to Aomori) is run by a non-JR operator, so it's disqualified!

  • Which train line runs the closest to the sea?

The section of the Shinetsu Line that runs near Omigawa Station in Niigata goes the closest to the sea!



Did you know: A lot promotional items and posters that use pictures of a railway running by the sea do not use pictures of the Shinetsu Line. Shimonada Station in Shikoku is used for these purposes, but it's not the closest, because there's a road in between the tracks and the sea!

Omigawa

Omigawa

©By Rsa - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15556166

  • What is the highest train station?

Nobeyama Station in Nagano is the highest train station at 1345 meters.

This title of highest station does not include ropeways or trolleys!

  • How late at night does the latest train run?

The latest running train in Japan is on the Takasaki Line, running from Ueno Station to Takasaki Station.



On New Year's Eve, many trains across the country have a special all-night schedule, but this last train arrives in Takasaki Station at 1:37 am on its normal schedule!

Nobeyama

Nobeyama

©By Σ64 - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16981385

Latest Articles

Japan Visitor - hiroshima-station-2007-1.jpg

Hiroshima Station

Hiroshima Station is the main point of access for train travelers to Hiroshima city with shinkansen connections west to Hakata and east to Osaka and Tokyo.

shinkansen 700s nozomi eco friendly green

Japan Rail Pass or Train Tickets: what to choose when traveling in Japan?

When traveling in Japan, if your itinerary takes you beyond Tokyo, for example into the Kansai (Kyoto & Osaka) region, a primordial question awaits: how to get around Japan and naviga

Golden week

Golden Week Travel Advice

Japan will celebrate Golden Week from April 29 to May 6, 2024, which comprises four national holidays: Showa Day on April 29, Constitutional Memorial Day on May 3