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Japan’s railways are already impressive, but an exciting new route which will launch in April between the country’s third-largest city and one of its most historic Unesco World Heritage Sites should definitely be on your radar.
The GRAN Tenku, a brand-new luxury tourist train which will be operated by the Nankai Electric Railway Company, will make its inaugural journey on April 24 between Osaka’s Namba Station and Gokurakubashi Station.
The journey will take just 90 minutes, and there’ll be two round trips per day: departing from Namba at both 9am or 12.45pm and returning from Gokurakubashi at 10.46am or 2.58pm.
Onboard, guests can tuck into seasonal breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea menus while enjoying the views, which will include stops at Shin-Imamiya, Tengachaya, Sakaihigashi, Kongō, Kawachinagano, Rinkanden-entoshi, Hashimoto and Kudoyama.
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Oh, and upon arrival at Gokurakubashi Station, it’s just a cable car ride up to the magnificent Mount Kōya, which comprises one part of the Kii mountain range’s Unesco-listed sacred sites and pilgrimage routes.
These include the Fudozaka Trail which starts at the train station and winds all the way towards Fudozaka-guchi Nyonindo temple, from which you can follow the Women Pilgrims Course to the entrance Okunoin.
Shingon Buddhism was brought to Japan by monk Kobo Daishi way back in the 9th century, and this region is the centre of it. Lots of the temples around here offer shukubo (temple lodging) to travellers, and if you stay you’ll try the shojin ryori (traditional vegetarian food), enjoy morning prayers and sleep on futons.
Definitely worth trying out, right? Tickets for this service go on sale on March 24, and they’ll start from €9.30 (around ¥1700) for a one-way journey.
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