Tsugaru Railways Winter Stove Train: Step-By-Step Guide From Aomori and Hirosaki 2025

For me, the Tsugaru Railways train near Aomori, Japan, is one of those beautiful relics of a bygone era whose continued operation is something any traveler can appreciate. The 45 minute train journey runs between Goshogawara Station and Nakazato Station and covers a distance of just 20km servicing a small community of travelers between the rural towns.

It reminds of another Japanese railway story, where a train would still stop twice a day at an old and remote station to pick up and drop off just one passenger, a young student on her way to school. And they continued to do so up until the day she graduated.

By most account, no one outside of this region should know about Tsugaru train. The destination is nothing of note and there are other old trains still in commission around Japan. However, for four winter months out of the year, when heavy snow blankets the surrounding plains, the train turns into a warm magical escape to the past.

Every year, between December 1st to March 31st, an old-fashioned potbelly stove in a well-aged passenger car is connected to the more modern carriages. Inside, passengers are warmed by the burning coals of the stove and will soon be greeted by the unmistakable smell of charred squid being grilled over the stove. Warm sake is available to enjoy with the squid while chugging along across the snowy landscape.

Winter Stove Train Departure Times

There are usually 2-3 roundtrips a day during the operating months of the Winter Stove Train. The ride is about 45 minutes long.

From December 30 – March 31st, departure times on the Winter Stove Train are 9:35 am, 12:00 pm, and 2:40 pm. The returning trip from Nakazato Station leaves at 10:53 am, 1:37 pm, and 3:54 pm. Between December 1 – December 29, weekend departures follow the same schedule.

Note: On weekdays between December 1 – December 29, the first train at 9:35 am and returning at 10:53 am does not run.

If you have no interest in visiting Nakazato at the end of the line, you have about 33 minutes to hang out in the station before the train returns. Alternatively, there are non-stove trains that are scheduled in between these trains as well. You can download the full schedule here in Japanese and use Google Translate.

How Much Does The Winter Stove Train Cost?

To get on the Winter Stove Train, you need to purchase 2 tickets.

1. The first is the normal ticket for the Tsugaru Railways train that cost ¥870 one way if you’re going the whole journey. Children under 12 travel at roughly 50% off that rate and children under 6 travel free.

2. The second is a supplementary ticket for the Winter Stove Train carriage that cost an addition ¥500. The total ticket for the Winter Stove Train comes out to ¥1370 one-way for an adult.

When you return, you will need to buy another ticket + the supplementary ticket if you want to ride the Winter Stove Train again. Alternatively, you can opt to ride in the normal carriage and not have to pay the supplementary ticket fee of ¥500.

Getting To The Winter Stove Train From Aomori

The Winter Stove Train starts at the Tsugaru Goshogawara Station (location on map), a small rural outpost on the opposite end of the spectrum to Shibuya’s megacity station. Stepping through the wooden sliding door in the winter feels you’re entering a Ghibli film and being transported back in time. To one side are printed timetables and a price board. Each blue plastic chair has a cushion, a considerate detail that I wouldn’t expect to find in any other station around the world. There’s a small gift shop where you can buy some snacks and a ticket window makes up the rest of the compact station.

To get here from Aomori Station, I suggest taking the JR Ou Line (Local Hirosaki) towards Hirosaki and getting off at Kawabe Station. From there, a quick transfer to the JR Gono Line (Local Fukaura) and take it to Goshogawara Station. The journey takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes and should cost around ¥990. Turn right when you exit the JR Goshogawara Station and it’s literally next door. The location on Google Maps is slightly off.

Note: There’s a direct option on the JR Ou Line (Resort Shirakami Rapid Akita) that heads to Hirosaki before turning back and goes to Goshogawara. While it’s direct, it takes longer and cost ¥1830, so I don’t recommend this option. Likewise, be mindful of the transfer at JR Gono Line, because there’s also a Resort Shirakami Rapid Akita train that brings the cost of the ride to ¥1830, but doesn’t save you much time.

Alternatively, you can take the H58 bus that takes you about the same time. It drops off about a 6 minute walk away from the Tsugaru Goshogawara Station. I prefer the train.

Getting To The Winter Stove Train From Hirosaki

For an easier journey, I recommend visiting the town of Hirosaki first and starting your journey in the morning from there. From Hirosaki Station, you can take the JR Ou Line (Local Fukaura) all the way to JR Goshowara Station. After 4 stops, the train becomes the Ou Gono Line, but you don’t need to do anything – just stay on board. The journey takes about 43 minutes and cost ¥510 yen.

It’s a faster journey if you’re going in the morning and want to catch the 9:35 am Winter Stove Train departure. I ended up staying at the Art Hotel Hirosaki, which was right by the main station, so it was an easy journey in the morning.

Onboard The Winter Stove Train

My friend and I arrived to the ticket office at around 9 am, leaving with me about 35 minutes to spare before the scheduled departure time. We bought our tickets, headed a nearby Lawsons to grab a quick konbini breakfast, and returned to the warmth of the station. They sold some local snacks, but I wanted to wait to buy it onboard.

At Around 9:20 am, we walked out the back headed towards the easy to identify red and black train with the white Tsugaru symbol that we had seen around the station. Seating was open, so I headed straight for one right by the stove. The interior reminded me of the beautiful Presidential Train journey in Portugal. The wood looked weathered, but between the patterned fabric of the brass luggage rack, everything still glowed with a kind of proud sheen that can be attributed to the Japanese’s meticulous attention to upkeep and preservation.

Guests busied themselves admiring the train, many Japanese, an indication of the appeal towards the train for domestic tourism. By the time I was in my seat, I could already smell the smoke and the squid being grilled, while its soon to be recipients waited eagerly close by.

Grilled Squid and Warm Sake

A few train attendants walked up and down the carriage and eventually one stopped by with the cart. The train ride would not be complete without some dried squid and sake, so that’s what I got. ¥700 for the squid and ¥500 yen for the sake.

With a blur of experienced hands, the woman unwrapped the squid and placed it directly on a metal grill. While the coals glowed brightly in the stove, the squid started to curl requiring the occasional flattening out. When it was ready, the whole thing was cut into manageable pieces and returned to the bag. We were ready for the journey.

I spent the first 10 minutes or so obsessed with the little stove. After all, this was the star of the attraction. Ultimately, it’s just a stove, but to me, its significance extends to the fact that the feeling that was evoked when I first saw an image of the train was enough to draw me here from across the world.

Eventually I settled into my seat and enjoy my sake while watching the landscape slowly pass by. When was the last time you took a train just for the sake of the journey instead of its destination? Because ultimately, that’s what this was. It takes longer to get to the starting point than the entire train ride. At the end of the line, there’s a small town that most visitors don’t even bother visiting before taking the return journey. There’s a ramen shop that connect store the station.

If the weather isn’t so bad, I recommend going for a walk through Nagazato. You did some all this way, and some of the local businesses would happily welcome new customers from afar. I stopped by a cute pastry shop where a woman had just brought out a freshly baked tray of pastry. I didn’t know what I was ordering when I pointed, but she took the pastry over to a machine and filled it up with a custard. It was delicious.

Do I regret coming all this way to just have some grilled squid and sake on a pointless train ride? Absolutely not. These are the types of experiences that makes Japan truly special for me beyond Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Aomori was the last stop on my winter onsen adventure in the North of Japan. From the Noboribetsu and its Demon Valley geysers to the experiencing the timeless tradition of mixed-gender bathing at Sukayu, I recommend getting out of the big cities and experiencing the further reaches of Japan.

Looking for more travel inspirations? Scroll through some of the 450+ experiences on my bucket list. Maybe you’ll find your next adventure on there.

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Updated on November 16, 2024