Sightseeing Train Hanaakari Review | Osaka to Tsuruga Travel

2025年8月16日

Hanaakari

Experience the “Hanaakari” sightseeing train from Osaka to Tsuruga — a refurbished KiHa 189 series offering luxury seating, local gourmet dining, and scenic coastal routes. Includes 2025 operation dates, timetable, ticket prices, seat map, booking tips, and a detailed ride review with photos.

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari — Trip Report

Travel Information

Osaka → Tsuruga (Outbound)

Departure & Arrival	Osaka Station (10:11) → Tsuruga Station (12:45)
Travel Time	Approx. 2 hrs 34 min
Seat	Superior Green (Car 1, Seat 9)
Fare	¥14,370

Tsuruga → Osaka (Return)

Departure & Arrival	Tsuruga Station (13:34) → Osaka Station (16:55)
Travel Time	Approx. 3 hrs 21 min
Seat	Green (Car 2, Seat 5A)
Fare	¥7,110

Osaka Station logo

Osaka Station

Arrived at Osaka Station in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture.
Today’s temperature is a sweltering 38°C — a true midsummer day.
The journey on the sightseeing train Hanaakari begins here.

Hanaakari Pulls In

About 20 minutes before departure, at 9:49 a.m., the Hanaakari rolled into Osaka Station.
The train is dressed in the finest hue of Montsukizome, a dyeing technique used during the Nara period (710–794).
The color isn’t brown, but a shade called Binrojizome.

Superior Green private seat on the Hanaakari Icon — Superior Green private seat on the Hanaakari

Hanaakari Private Room

My seat was the highest-grade private room for two, called the “Superior Green Seat.”
This time, I had it all to myself.

Route map in the Hanaakari booklet Icon — Route map in the Hanaakari booklet

Different Routes

The routes between Osaka and Tsuruga differ depending on the direction.
The outbound trip to Tsuruga takes the Kosei Line along the north side of Lake Biwa,
while the return to Osaka runs via the Hokuriku and Biwako Lines along the south side.
Because the stops change, the onboard hospitality also varies.

View from Superior Green seat as Hanaakari departs Osaka Station Icon — View from Superior Green seat as Hanaakari departs Osaka Station

Departure from Osaka Station

Right on schedule, the train departed Osaka Station.
Onboard announcements provided the passing times for each station and details about the hospitality service.

Welcome Banner

At each station, onlookers waved with warm smiles.
At Ogoto Onsen Station, there was an especially warm welcome with a large banner on display.
Here, the reserved bento meals were handed over to the onboard staff.

Grilled mackerel jerky and Shiga Biwako cider purchased in the Hanaakari’s salon space Icon — Grilled mackerel jerky and Shiga Biwako cider purchased in the Hanaakari’s salon space

Bento Reservations Close 4 Days in Advance

Bento meals on board require a reservation at least four days in advance.
Since I hadn’t reserved one, I bought grilled mackerel jerky (¥600) and Shiga Biwako cider (¥350) from the salon space instead.

Local product sales from Takashima City on the Hanaakari Icon — Local product sales from Takashima City on the Hanaakari

Local Products Go on Sale

From Ōmi-Imazu Station, local product sales staff boarded to sell items such as cookies.
Tourism pamphlets were also distributed.

View of Lake Biwa from a Superior Green seat on the Hanaakari Icon — View of Lake Biwa from a Superior Green seat on the Hanaakari

Lake Biwa and Countryside Views

The roughly two-and-a-half-hour journey passed as I listened to sightseeing announcements while gazing at Lake Biwa and the surrounding countryside.

Station staff waving a Hanaakari flag at Tsuruga Station Icon — Station staff waving a Hanaakari flag at Tsuruga Station

Arrival at Tsuruga Station

Upon arrival at Tsuruga Station, station staff waved flags to greet us, accompanied by a warm “Welcome to Tsuruga.”

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari — Quick Facts

Sightseeing train Hanaakari stopped at Tsuruga Station

Train Name: Sightseeing Train “Hanaakari”
Launch Date: October 5, 2024
Number of Cars: 3
Train Type: KiHa 189-series diesel multiple unit (all reserved Green Car seats)
Top Speed: 95 km/h
Capacity: 54 passengers

The Sightseeing Train “Hanaakari” is a premium sightseeing service operated by JR West, debuting in autumn 2024 after a major refurbishment of a 3-car KiHa 189-series set (formerly used for the “Hamakaze”). Its body color is *Binrojizome*, a dyeing technique with origins in the Nara period, accented with elegant gold floral patterns for a refined Japanese aesthetic. The design was created by Yasuyuki Kawanishi, who also worked on “WEST EXPRESS Ginga” and “Yakumo.”

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari — Interior Map

Interior map of the Sightseeing Train Hanaakari

photo by mitemil

▼ Official JR West Hanaakari introduction page: https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/hanaakari/introduction

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari — Inside the Train

Salon (Car 2)

Hanaakari salon space

photo by mitemil

Multipurpose Room

Multipurpose room on the Hanaakari

photo by mitemil

Multipurpose Toilet

Multipurpose toilet on the Hanaakari

photo by mitemil

Toilets (Cars 2 & 3)

Unisex toilet on the Hanaakari

photo by mitemil

Washbasins (Cars 2 & 3)

corridor-side washbasin on the Hanaakari

Open-space washbasin on the Hanaakari

photo by mitemil

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari Onboard Sales Menu

Hanaakari sightseeing train drinks & food menu

Hanaakari sightseeing train drinks & food menu

photo by mitemil

Original Goods

Hanaakari Kishu Hinoki Wooden Coaster	¥1,750
Hanaakari Lunch Bag	¥1,300
Hanaakari Wakasa Lacquer Chopsticks (Red, Blue, Green, Black, Brown)	¥1,000 (Set of 5 colors: ¥4,500)
Hanaakari Room Key Holder	¥1,350
Hanaakari Recycled Pencil Set	¥650
Hanaakari A5 Ring Notebook	¥550
Hanaakari Clear File	¥350
Hanaakari Can Badge	¥350
Hanaakari Sticker	¥200
Hanaakari Tote Bag	¥100

Food & Drinks

※Available items may vary depending on the season

Item	Description	Price (tax included)
Bagged Soba Boro Cookies	Simple and nostalgic flavor. Baked to bring out the aroma of buckwheat.	¥450
Shiga Biwako Cider (340ml)	A refreshing cider made with gratitude to Lake Biwa. Light carbonation.	¥350
Otsu Momofuku Beans Six-Flavor Mix	A mix of six flavors including black soybeans, Lake Biwa shrimp, and ume-shiso. Perfect as a tea snack or appetizer.	¥450
Organic Uji Tea (330ml)	Organic green tea from Kyoto Prefecture, brewed with soft water for a gentle taste.	¥150
Small Ayu Fish in Oil	Oil-preserved small ayu fish from Lake Biwa. Features the characteristic slight bitterness of ayu.	¥1,100
Biwano Mai Daiginjo Sake (180ml)	A daiginjo sake made with carefully selected rice, water, and yeast from Shiga Prefecture. Refreshing aroma with a mild dry taste.	¥750
Omi Beef Demiglace Stew (Canned)	Beef tendons stewed in rich demiglace sauce. Recommended for all generations.	¥1,700
Biwako Can Pudding	Pudding made with eggs from Konan High School and Biwako milk. Cute packaging and gentle sweetness.	¥450
Amahagan Whisky Highball (350ml)	Sweet vanilla and honey aroma with a salted caramel finish. Carbonation enhances the aroma.	¥450
Grilled Mackerel Jerky	Made with domestic mackerel. Jerky prepared by grilling, drying, and roasting with a unique seasoning.	¥600
Nagahama IPA Special Can (Beer) (350ml)	Craft beer from Lake Biwa. Floral and fruity aroma with bitterness. Label inspired by the Lake Biwa sunset.	¥550

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari Timetable & Duration

Spring	Osaka Station – Kurashiki Station / Onomichi Station
Summer	Osaka Station – Tsuruga Station
Autumn	Tsuruga Station – Kinosaki Onsen Station
Winter	Osaka Station – Kinosaki Onsen Station / Hamasaka Station

Winter: January to March Osaka – Kinosaki Onsen / Hamasaka

Osaka Station → Hamasaka Station (Duration: 3 hours 33 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Osaka	–	9:38
Sannomiya	9:56	9:57
Kobe	10:00	10:01
Akashi	10:13	10:14
Kakogawa	10:26	10:27
Himeji	10:38	10:44
Fukusaki	11:01	11:02
Teramae	11:13	11:14
Wadayama	11:48	11:51
Toyooka	12:16	12:18
Kinosaki Onsen	12:27	12:28
Takeno	12:36	12:37
Satsu	12:45	12:46
Kasumi	12:52	12:53
Hamasaka	13:11	–

Hamasaka Station → Osaka Station (Duration: 3 hours 37 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Hamasaka	–	15:14
Kasumi	15:32	15:33
Satsu	15:39	15:40
Takeno	15:47	15:48
Kinosaki Onsen	15:57	15:57
Toyooka	16:07	16:07
Wadayama	16:35	16:36
Teramae	17:13	17:14
Fukusaki	17:24	17:25
Himeji	17:41	17:45
Kakogawa	17:58	17:59
Akashi	18:14	18:15
Kobe	18:27	18:28
Sannomiya	18:31	18:32
Osaka	18:51	–

Spring: April to June Osaka – Kurashiki / Onomichi

Osaka Station → Onomichi Station (Duration: 5 hours 25 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Osaka	–	10:02
Sannomiya	10:26	10:27
Kobe	10:30	10:31
Himeji	11:22	11:34
Okayama	13:15	13:30
Kurashiki	13:46	14:17
Fukuyama	15:06	15:10
Onomichi	15:27	–

Onomichi Station → Osaka Station (Duration: 5 hours 21 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Onomichi	–	11:20
Fukuyama	11:37	12:17
Kurashiki	12:54	12:57
Okayama	13:15	13:31
Himeji	15:11	15:19
Kobe	16:12	16:13
Sannomiya	16:16	16:17
Osaka	16:41	–

Summer: July to September Osaka – Tsuruga

Osaka Station → Tsuruga Station (Duration: 2 hours 34 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Osaka	–	10:11
Shin-Osaka	10:15	10:17
Kyoto	10:56	10:58
Otsukyo	11:11	11:12
Hieizan Sakamoto	11:17	11:18
Ogoto Onsen	11:21	11:25
Omi Maiko	11:45	11:56
Omi Imazu	12:17	12:20
Tsuruga	12:45	–

Tsuruga Station → Osaka Station (Duration: 3 hours 21 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Tsuruga	–	13:34
Nagahama	14:05	14:24
Maibara	14:32	14:34
Hikone	14:40	14:52
Omihachiman	15:07	15:20
Kusatsu	15:33	15:47
Otsu	16:12	16:13
Kyoto	16:22	16:24
Shin-Osaka	16:48	16:50
Osaka	16:55	–

Autumn: October to December Kinosaki Onsen – Tsuruga

Kinosaki Onsen Station → Tsuruga Station (Duration: 5 hours 13 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Kinosaki Onsen	–	9:54
Yuhigaura Kitsu Onsen	10:41	10:42
Amanohashidate	11:20	11:32
Miyazu	11:38	11:41
Higashi-Maizuru	12:25	12:39
Wakasa-Takahama	↓	↓
Wakasa-Hongo	13:05	13:16
Obama	13:30	13:31
Kaminaka	13:42	13:43
Tomura	13:53	14:10
Mihama	14:20	14:48
Tsuruga	15:07	–

Tsuruga Station → Kinosaki Onsen Station (Duration: 4 hours 59 minutes)

Station	Arrival Time	Departure Time
Tsuruga	–	10:40
Mihama	10:59	11:13
Tomura	↓	↓
Kaminaka	↓	↓
Obama	11:44	11:58
Wakasa-Hongo	↓	↓
Wakasa-Takahama	12:21	12:35
Higashi-Maizuru	12:52	13:08
Miyazu	13:55	13:57
Amanohashidate	14:03	14:09
Yuhigaura Kitsu Onsen	14:44	14:45
Kinosaki Onsen	15:39	–

The sightseeing train “Hanaakari” operates only one round trip per day.
The routes and departure/arrival times vary depending on the season.
Please be sure to check the latest schedule on the official website before boarding.

外部リンク

はなあかり:JRおでかけネット

2024年秋にデビューした観光列車「はなあかり」は、地域の華を列車に集めて、お客様と地域の縁を結ぶ列車です。「はなあかり」は、季節ごとに運行エリアを変えて、お客様と各地域を結び、地域のとっておきを発信します。

Sightseeing Train Hanaakari Prices & Fares