Mascots' Travel Journal

The previous day we had taken the limited express Revaty Kegon out to Tobu-Nikko and visited Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Day two of the trip belonged to steam locomotives and turntables — and as it turned out, we watched a turntable at work twice, at two different stations.

Shimo-Imaichi Station — A Hidden Sacred Ground for Railway Fans

“Shimo-Imaichi” is a bit of a mouthful if you’re not used to it, but the station is well worth a stop if you like railways.

Shimo-Imaichi has both an engine shed and a turntable for its steam locomotives, so you can watch a locomotive emerge from the shed and be turned, right in front of you.

A turntable is the equipment used to rotate a steam locomotive through 180 degrees. The one at Shimo-Imaichi is in active service, which makes this a rare place to watch the process at close range.

We began the morning by travelling from Tobu-Nikko across to Shimo-Imaichi to watch SL Taiju being turned. This is a different train from the SL Taiju Futara we would board later — the two work different sections, so Shimo-Imaichi gives you a chance to see both.

What Froze the Mascots Wasn’t the Turntable — It Was the Whistle

Watching a locomotive slowly change direction is impressive enough on its own. But what startled the mascots most wasn’t the turntable at all. It was the whistle.

A sound like the ground itself shifting — and every one of them stood frozen for several seconds. That was the moment we understood that the sheer presence of a working steam locomotive does not come through in photographs or video.

It’s worth experiencing whether or not you’re a railway fan, and perhaps especially if you’ve never stood next to a steam locomotive before. Sound is the one thing you can’t take home with you.

Back to Tobu-Nikko to Board SL Taiju Futara

Having watched the turning, we headed back to Tobu-Nikko Station. This was the main event: boarding SL Taiju Futara.

Departing Tobu-Nikko at 13:03, arriving Kinugawa-Onsen at 14:06 — about an hour on board.

What does a seat on SL Taiju Futara cost? Ours came to ¥1,080 per adult (as of October 2024). Note that this is a reserved seat ticket rather than a limited express ticket, and a separate base fare ticket is also required. Every seat is reserved, so booking ahead is the safe approach — weekends and holidays can sell out early.

Once under way, smoke and steam drift past the window. The pace and the sound are nothing like a Shinkansen or a modern limited express. There’s a distinct sense of riding something that was never built to get you anywhere quickly.

At Kinugawa-Onsen, the Train We’d Just Ridden Was the One Turning

Kinugawa-Onsen Station has a turntable of its own. And what you watch turning there is the very SL Taiju Futara you have just stepped down from.

That morning at Shimo-Imaichi, we had been watching an unfamiliar locomotive rotate. By the afternoon it had become “the train we were sitting on an hour ago is turning right in front of us.” The same sight — but having ridden it first changed it completely.

Being able to see the turntable at both Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa-Onsen is one of the quiet pleasures of the Tobu Nikko Line. If your schedule allows it, do both.

Home to Asakusa on the SPACIA X

From Kinugawa-Onsen we changed to the SPACIA X for the journey home.

Departing Kinugawa-Onsen at 15:21, arriving Asakusa at 17:35 — two hours and fourteen minutes. We were in Car 3.

What does the SPACIA X cost? Kinugawa-Onsen to Asakusa came to ¥1,940 per adult (as of October 2024). That figure is the limited express charge; a separate base fare ticket is also required.

The SPACIA X entered service in 2023 as Tobu Railway’s new flagship limited express. With seating that runs from the Cockpit Lounge to private compartments, it’s the kind of train where the ride itself becomes the reason for the trip.

On board there’s a café counter called GOEN CAFE, serving drinks and sweets made specifically for the SPACIA X. Coffee taken while the scenery slides past is its own small luxury, and the mascots were thoroughly content. Popular items do sell out, so it’s worth going along early.

In the morning we were frozen in place by a steam whistle; by late afternoon we were drinking coffee aboard a brand-new express. Feeling close to a century of engineering difference in a single day, on a single line, is what makes the Tobu Nikko Line such a rewarding trip.

Summary | Two Turntables in One Day — Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa-Onsen

Steam locomotives, a brand-new flagship express, and turntables at both ends. There aren’t many lines where a single trip gives you all of that. If you’re heading for Nikko or Kinugawa-Onsen, it’s well worth breaking the journey here.

Day one of this trip is covered in a separate article — taking the Revaty Kegon out to Tobu-Nikko and visiting Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

→ Riding the Revaty Kegon to Tobu-Nikko — A Day at Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Kita-Senju to Tobu-Nikko on the Revaty Kegon for 1,650 yen, where the seat outlets hide, a day at Nikko Toshogu, and the free shuttle to our hot spring inn.

Taking the Revaty Kegon Straight to Tobu-Nikko

Our trip began aboard the limited express Revaty Kegon, operated by Tobu Railway. We left Kita-Senju at 9:43 and pulled into Tobu-Nikko at 11:22 — about an hour and forty minutes on the rails.

The Revaty Aizu and the Revaty Kegon run coupled together as a single six-car train. At Shimo-Imaichi Station on the Nikko Line, the front three cars (Revaty Aizu) are uncoupled from the rear three (Revaty Kegon). For railway fans, this uncoupling is a sight not to be missed. One word of caution, though: the Revaty Aizu pulls out almost immediately after separating, so be careful not to find yourself on the wrong half. The Revaty Kegon waits until the Aizu has gone, which gives you two or three minutes of breathing room.

The cabin is comfortable, and every seat on the Revaty has a power outlet — but it sits right next to the recline button on the armrest, which makes it surprisingly easy to miss. We never spotted ours and spent the whole ride nursing our phone batteries. Check your armrest as soon as you sit down.

Nikko has two stations, by the way: Tobu-Nikko and JR Nikko. The handsome old station building in the photo is JR Nikko. Both have real character, and simply looking at them puts you in a traveling mood.

About Tobu Limited Express Tickets

SPACIA X, Kegon and Kinu, Revaty Kegon / Revaty Kinu / Revaty Aizu, Revaty Ryomo, Ryomo, Skytree Liner — “limited express” covers a lot of ground on Tobu. The mascots genuinely agonized over whether to take the Revaty Ryomo, the Revaty Kegon, or the SPACIA X.

You need both a base fare ticket and a limited express ticket, and the total changes quite a bit depending on which train you pick. It goes more smoothly if you decide which limited express you want on the Tobu Railway website before you book. Reservations open one month ahead, and at that point you still have your pick of trains.

Revaty Kegon limited express fare Ours came to ¥1,650 per adult for Kita-Senju to Tobu-Nikko (as of October 2024). That is the limited express charge only — a separate base fare ticket is also required.

A SPACIA X Welcome at Tobu-Nikko Station

We stepped off at Tobu-Nikko Station to find a SPACIA X sitting right there on the platform. We couldn’t resist lining up beside it for a photo. 📷

We snuck a look inside as well, and the interior was so beautiful that we wanted to board on the spot. But our SPACIA X reservation was for the return trip the following day, so we held ourselves back, switched gears, and set off for Nikko Toshogu.

The SPACIA X is Tobu Railway’s newest limited express, introduced in 2023. Its range of seating — the Cockpit Lounge and box seats among them — has made it enormously popular, and reservations can be hard to come by.

Leave the Big Bags at the Hotel

Hauling heavy luggage around Nikko Toshogu is no fun at all. Our hotel had an affiliated property right in front of JR Nikko Station, so we dropped our bags there first.

That turned out to be exactly the right call. Traveling light, we caught a bus from in front of JR Nikko Station and headed for the shrine.

Getting to Nikko Toshogu: Local buses run from both JR Nikko and Tobu-Nikko stations. The ones leaving from in front of Tobu-Nikko Station are more frequent and the more convenient option. The ride takes about 10 minutes, and since this is a major sightseeing area, you rarely wait long for the next bus.

Visiting Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Hands free at last, we made our way into Nikko Toshogu — where the ticket counter had a very long line. Tickets can be purchased online in advance, and next time we certainly will. There are two main options: shrine admission on its own, or a combined ticket that includes the Treasure Museum. Full details are on the Nikko Toshogu website.

Shrine-only ticket*: ¥1,600 for adults and high school students, ¥550 for elementary and junior high school students (includes the Yomeimon Gate and the Sleeping Cat)

Shrine + Treasure Museum ticket*: ¥2,400 for adults and high school students (covers shrine admission and entry to the Treasure Museum)

*As of July 2026

Ringed by centuries-old architecture and deep forest, the grounds reward you no matter how many times you visit.

Nikko Toshogu overwhelms visitors with solemn carvings and vividly colored buildings, but what made the mascots’ eyes light up most was the Sleeping Cat, a designated National Treasure. It is one of the most famous decorative carvings at this shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu — small, yet with tremendous presence. “There it is! The real thing!” they cried, and we couldn’t help laughing at the sight of them. In a space so heavy with history, it was that endearing little cat that captured them completely. The Three Wise Monkeys — “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” — were there too, but we walked straight past them. There is simply that much to take in, and the time disappeared.

The Sleeping Cat is far from the only highlight here. The Yomeimon Gate is also known as the Higurashi-no-mon, the “twilight gate,” because it is said you can stand and admire it until the sun goes down without noticing. The gilded, richly colored detail work is breathtaking, and after several centuries it has lost none of its brilliance.

The cedar avenue leading to the inner shrine includes many trees more than 400 years old, and the atmosphere along it is genuinely sacred. There is so much to see at Nikko Toshogu that you should set aside two to three hours if you want to take your time.

Where We Stayed | Hotel Eurocity, a Hot Spring Inn with Its Own Source

After the shrine we took the bus back to Tobu-Nikko Station and picked up bento for dinner. From there we went over to JR Nikko Station and collected our luggage from the Nikko Station Hotel Classic, where we had left it that morning.

That is also the pick-up point for the hotel’s shuttle. We were staying at Hotel Eurocity, about five minutes away by car, so there was no need for a twenty-minute walk with our bags.

Our stay
Room: Maisonette room with a private garden open-air bath (a two-storey room)
Plan: one night with breakfast
Price: 37,400 yen for two, tax and service included (as of October 2024)
Booking: we secured it six days before the stay

The room has its own garden open-air bath, fed entirely by the hotel’s own hot spring source. The maples were just beginning to turn, and soaking there while looking out at them was the best possible reward at the end of the day.

Dinner was Nikko Maizokin bento from Tobu-Nikko Station, eaten in our room: one in a Taiju wrapper, one in a box shaped like the SPACIA X. Eating the next day’s train in bento form the night before felt suitably railway-minded. The plan’s selling point was the next morning’s breakfast, so keeping the evening light turned out to be the right call.

About the Free Shuttle

There are four departures: 15:15, 16:15, 17:15 and 18:15. You request it by phone on the day; it cannot be booked in advance. The meeting point is in front of the main entrance of the Nikko Station Hotel Classic. On foot the hotel is about twenty minutes from the station, so if you have luggage, the shuttle is the safer choice.

Please check before booking
All rooms at this hotel are smoking rooms; there are no non-smoking rooms (deodorising can be arranged on request). If smoke bothers you, it is worth confirming in advance.

A Model Course for Nikko (Day 1)

Tomorrow, at last, we board the SPACIA X. You can read the rest of this trip in Enjoying the SL Taiju Futara and SPACIA X.