The Blue Symphony vintage scenic train of Kintetsu connects Osaka and Yoshino. Yoshino is one of the most famous spots to enjoy cherry blossom, so called Sakura Hanami, in spring. There are various ways to get to Yoshino. But riding the Blue Symphony sightseeing train is definately one of the most relaxing and enjoyables one.
Contents
- The vintage scenic train
- Route and Destinations
- Tickets and Prices
- What to do in Yoshino
- What to do in Osaka
The vintage scenic train
The Blue Symphony is a vintage and nostalgic train. It has been refurbished and the interior has been changed to give you a feeling of sitting in an old library or the living room of a rustical castle. A lot of wood is used and the chairs are huge comfortable ones in green color. Each table has a small lamp and curtains.
The trains consits of three cars. First and last have seats, the middle one is the lounge cars. The seats are arranged in three columns meaning you have single seats on the one side and double seats on the other. Further there are compositions with tables. So that the train offers seats options for single travels as well as for groups of 2 and 4. The Lounge Car has a bar counter sellling souvenirs, food and drinks as well as some lounge chair. Even a small library is there in case you need something to read. However, enjoying the countryside and landscape while travelling seems more reasonable.
Route and Destinations
The Blue Symphony runs from Osaka-Abenobashi to Yoshino in Nara Prefecture. The trip takes less than an hour and 20 minutes. Osaka-Abenobashi station of Kintetsu is a busy commuter station in central Osaka well connect to the subway lines. The JR Tenoji station is right next to it. So it is very easy to get there.
The routes first goes through Osaka and into it outskirts before heading into the country side. After Kashihara-Jingumae station the landscape gets really rural and the route is heading into the mountain area. The destination Yoshino is a pretty remote station in the mountains.
The whole route is very relaxing and great views first of metropolitan Osaka and later of rural Japanese country side can be enjoyed.
Timetable
As of January 2023 there are four trains meaning two in each directions running per day. Typically on Wednesdays there is no train running. This information is missing on their English website.
| Train 1 | Weekday | Weekend | |
| Osaka-Abenobashi | dep. | 10:10 | 10:10 |
| Yoshino | arr. | 11:28 | 11:28 |
| Train 2 | Weekday | Weekend | |
| Yoshino | dep. | 12:34 | 12:35 |
| Osaka-Abenobashi | arr. | 13:51 | 13:51 |
| Train 3 | Weekday | Weekend | |
| Osaka-Abenobashi | dep. | 14:10 | 14:10 |
| Yoshino | arr. | 15:28 | 15:26 |
| Train 4 | Weekday | Weekend | |
| Yoshino | dep. | 16:04 | 16:04 |
| Osaka-Abenobashi | arr. | 17:22 | 17:22 |
In 2022 there were only two trains running each day. With four of them you have much more options and can vary your time staying in Yoshino.
Tickets and Prices
Despite being a luxury sightseeing train the ticket prices are really fair. In Japan typically the ticket price consists of several items. The base fare has to be paid in any case. It depends basically on the distance between start and destination. For limited express tickets a surcharge applies. Limited express trains are either faster trains not stopping at each station or sightseeing trains. There might be different surcharge depending whether a seat reservation is included. Finally for the Blue Sypmhony a special car fare applies. Now you might think this sounds expensise, right? Not true. In Japan train ticket prices are really fair compared to the service you receive. The one-way ticket from Osaka to Yoshino costs 1720 Yen. This is fair for aabout one hour twenty trip on such a special train.
| Adult | Child | |
| Basic Fare | 990 Yen | 480 Yen |
| Limited Express Fare | 520 Yen | 260 Yen |
| Special Car Fare | 210 Yen | 110 Yen |
| 1720 Yen | 850 Yen |
In case your not running the full trip the price of the basic fare will change according the station you board or leave the train.
For young children the base fare might not apply. However, if the want to have their own seat on the limited express that surcharge must be paid.
What to do in Yoshino
Yoshino, or better Yoshino Yama, is one of the most popular spots for enjyoing cherry blossom called Sakura. There a re thousands and thousands of trees which color he mountains in pink and white color.
From the train station you can climb and walk up the mountain, pass by shops and restaurants and view the trees along the way. There is a small ropeway for the first ascent if you want to save time and energy. There are three areas each with a thousand of trees according to their names. You can climb all by yourself or take a bust at the station to the uphill locations.
Yoshino Yama is really popular by locals as well as international tourist, so at full bloom it will be really crowded. Make sure to make train reservations before going to be sure to get back. Also buy your return ticket already when arriving as the ticket vending machines might have long waiting lines later in the day.
What to do in Osaka
Osaka is the vibrant city in Kansai area. There are heaps of things today, so you will never get bored there. Many great blogs write about it so we do not do it here again.
Osaka is also popular for eating and drinking. As we focus on Ramen, we had of course many of them in Osaka. Check out our Ramen Guide about Osaka or one of the Youtube videos below about some of the most delicious ramen.