Iyonada Monogatari

photo by Sunport1216 · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by J o · CC BY-SA 4.0

Just 58 seats in three carriages, red like the sunset, golden like mikan.

A JR Shikoku sightseeing train in service since 2014 (raised to express status on refurbished rolling stock in spring 2022) along the ‘Ai aru Iyonada’ coastal stretch of the Yosan Line, between Matsuyama and Iyo-Ōzu or Yawatahama. Just 58 seats in three carriages (27, 23 and 8), one red like the sunset over the Iyonada and one golden like mikan; the third carriage has private compartments for 2 to 8 people at a fixed fare of 33,600 yen. Meals with local ingredients are available on booking, and as the train passes through the smaller stations local residents come out to greet it.

It runs along the same stretch of coast as Shimonada Station, already in the catalogue for the sunset over the sea: here the entry describes the experience of the train journey itself, not the station. ⚠️ Stated decision: a moving train is not a fixed place like a building, but the catalogue already has an accepted precedent for a travelling experience – the Naruto Whirlpool Cruise (id: uzushio-cruise-fukura), with its marker at the boarding point. The same logic is applied here, with the marker at the main departure station.

ℹ️ Four services a day; it can be booked from 8 days before at a travel agency or 4 days before at JR ticket counters or through e5489. Example (‘Ōzu’ route): departure from Matsuyama at 8:28, arrival at Iyo-Ōzu at 10:28, about two hours.

🚉 Matsuyama · 2 min walk

Sources: iyonadamonogatari.com · ja.wikipedia.org

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