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Kansai might be known for temples and traditions – but did you know it also has amazing scenic and kawaii trains? From gorgeous views to Hello Kitty overload, Kansai’s joyful trains are a fun way to travel between major cities like Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and beyond.
Also check out my complete guide to Joyful cute trains around Japan.
Some of these cute trains are fully themed sightseeing experiences. Others are standard express trains with just a splash of design – but all of them are adorable and worth riding if you get a chance.
Below is my personal list of the cutest trains I’ve taken (or chased) around Kansai – with all details you need to know to plan your rides.
Tips for Riding Kansai’s Joyful Trains
Not all are true sightseeing trains
Some, like the Hello Kitty Haruka or the Panda Kuroshio, are regular express trains with themed designs. They’re still fun (and photogenic), but don’t expect onboard entertainment, panoramic views, or snacks.
Book ahead when possible
Trains like Aoniyoshi and the Sagano Romantic Train are very popular – especially during cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons – and can sell out quickly. Reservations usually open one month in advance. Others, like Kyo-train Garaku, don’t take reservations at all – just tap in and hope it’s not packed.
Make them part of your travel route
These trains aren’t just fun – they can be practical. Use trains, like Aoniyoshi, Hello Kitty Shinkansen, or Kyo-train Garaku as part of your regular itineraries to Nara, Kyoto, or Himeji without going out of your way.
IC cards work for some routes
For non-reserved trains (like Kyo Garaku or Haruka), you can just tap your IC card (like ICOCA or Suica) – or even a supported credit card – without buying a paper ticket or making reservations.
Get your Eki stamps at the stations
While most of the Kansai’s cute trains don’t have stamps themselves, you can get the cute stamps at the train stations you are taking them from/to. You can usually find them next to the ticket gates and at the tourist information offices.
Sagano Romantic Train
Schedule: Saga Arashiyama ↔ Kameoka: 8 round trips a day every day except Wednesdays (approximately 25 mins one way)
Price for one way: 880 yen
Booking: Official website, in-person at stations, Klook or Trip.com.
Tip: Book as early as possible, this is a very popular train and sells out way in advance.
Ticket sales open exactly 30 days in advance at midnight Japan time.
Seat reservation: Required
Pass coverage: Not covered by any Passes
Onboard food: N/A
Best views: Absolutely make sure to book tickets on the right hand side, when heading from Arashiyama to Kameoka – those are sections/booths 2,4, 6… according to this seating chart. According to Official website: “Window seats are A and D seats. For down trains (bound for Kameoka), C and D seats are for the direction of travel, and for up trains (bound for Saga), A and B seats are for the direction of travel.”
The train tickets sell out very fast. I booked on the day they became available, just a few hours after 10am Japan time and they were already selling out. On the other hand, it’s now much easier to use your online purchased tickets, given that now you won’t be needing to pick up a physical ticket at the train station – you can simply use the QR code from online booking to board the train. We had far more hassle, when we visited, as the ticket needed to be picked up from the machine.
The train has 5 cars, 4 of them are similar closed cars, the 5th is called Rich car (pictured below), meaning that it is open without windows, therefore you have better view of the surroundings. The issue is that if it rains on the day you booked, you won’t be allowed to even use an umbrella, so you will be soaked.
Despite the name, our experience on the Sagano Romantic Train wasn’t exactly magical. The biggest issue? We couldn’t choose our seats. We were not lucky and got seats on the wrong side of the train, and all of the beautiful river views were on the opposite side. Now the official website says you can choose your seats, so absolutely make sure to choose the correct side by consulting the seating chart and instructions provided above.
We ended up standing for most of the ride just to get a look on the other side – and honestly, it was so crowded that it was hard to enjoy anything fully. That said, I do know why this ride is so popular. It’s definitely worth it, if you get the correct seats, especially during the Sakura season and the Autumn foliage. The views we managed to peek at during Momiji season were absolutely gorgeous.
Aoniyoshi Sightseeing Limited Express
Schedule: Osaka Namba ↔ Kintetsu Nara ↔ Kyoto: 8 round trips a day except Thursdays (approximately 1 hr. 30 mins). Many trains operate between only Kyoto and Nara
Price for one way: Osaka-Kyoto: 2,140, Kyoto/Osaka-Nara: 1410
Booking: Kintetsu Railway Website, in-person at stations
Note: Booking opens exactly one month in advance at 10.30am Japan time. This is a very popular train, so don’t be late! I booked just 30 minutes after opening and many seats were already gone.
Seat reservation: Required.
Pass coverage: Partially covered by the Kintetsu Rail Pass.
Onboard food: Drinks, snacks, bento boxes
Views: This train doesn’t run on a route with particularly beautiful views. Side doesn’t really matter for views.
This is one of the gorgeous trains running in the Kansai region. It has a very retro luxurious vibe, with beautiful upholstery, decorated ceilings, plush green seats, elegant lamps and tasteful wooden finish. You even get free Wi-Fi and power outlets to charge your devices — not to mention one of the most spacious train toilets.
- Cars 1, 3 & 4: Twin seats, some arranged to mostly face the window – if you can, get one of these. Car 4 also includes a tiny reading lounge with books – worth popping in even for a quick peek.
- Car 2: Available only for groups – semi-private booths for four people, plus a snack bar with drinks and treats.
We took the morning train from Osaka to Nara, and it was the perfect calm start to our day trip. The ride was smooth and elegant, and although the route isn’t particularly scenic, the interior more than makes up for it.
Note: If you are planning to ride this train solo, you will have to pay a small surcharge (about 300 yen) and you will get the twin seats to yourself.
Kyo-Train Garaku
Schedule: Osaka Umeda ↔ Kyoto Kawaramachi: 4 round trips a day only on weekends and holidays (approximately 45 mins one way)
Price for one way full route: 440 yen
Booking: Not required in advance. You can use your IC card or a bank card.
Seat reservation: Fully non-reserved. You are free to wander and sit anywhere.
Pass coverage: Not covered by any Passes
Onboard food: None
This train became very popular, due to social media. You will find a lot of videos telling you how cheap it is. Well, it definitely is as gorgeous, as you see online. Each of the 6 Cars have Kyoto garden theme in different seasons – from Sakura to Momiji to summer theme. It’s elegant and… unbelievably packed, as you can see from this photo (this isn’t even the worst of it).
This train is an unfortunate example of how social media results in too many people flocking to see an attraction. If you try to take the train at popular times, like first train in the morning, you may not be able to enjoy it at all – it’s so crowded, you can’t drop a needle in. We boarded the first 9.32 am train from Osaka to Kyoto and, well, it was unpleasant. We couldn’t see or admire most of its beauty, so we ended up hopping off at the very first stop and taking another train. But we did manage to get a glimpse at least.
Bonus tip: If you want to ride the Kyo-Train Garaku, go for a later departure times. The crowds sometimes become manageable by then, and, unlike us, you’ll have a better chance to actually enjoy the beautiful interiors and snap a few photos.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen
Schedule: Shin Osaka ↔ Hakata: 1 round trip a day every day with some exceptions (approximately 3 hr. 20 mins one way). It departs at 7.07am from Hakata and travels back at 11.37 am from Osaka.
Price for one way full route: 14,750 yen – non-reserved
Booking: JR West Official website, in-person at stations, Klook.
Seat reservation: Available, not required. Car 2-3 and 7-8 non-reserved, car 4-6 reserved
Pass coverage: JR Pass, JR West Pass, Kansai-Hiroshima Pass and more – practically any pass, which covers both Kansai and Hiroshima areas.
Onboard food: Drinks, snacks, bento boxes
This train is actually a part of Shinkansen fleet – one of the Hikari trains was designed with Hello Kitty features and became a cute kawaii overload. When purchasing the tickets or reserving seats from the machines, note that you should select Kodama 849 on the Shin-Osaka-Hakata route and Kodama 842 – Hakata-Shin-Osaka route. You can take it, as a normal Shinkansen, it has reserved cars (Cars 4-5 – ordinary and car 6 – Green) and unreserved cars (Cars 2-3, 7-8).
Even if you aren’t a Hello Kitty fan, this pink train will attract you, so you might want to check it out. The cars that are designed beautifully are:
- Car 1 – the buffet car, where you find snacks. There’s also lovely seating in Car 1 where you can have your snacks and drinks, but it can get crowded.
- Car 2, which has non-reserved seating, but so many people queue for Car 2. If you don’t want to wrestle for a seat, just board the train from another Car and head to the cute parts to explore.
You find the photo op areas in both cars. There’s even a huge Hello Kitty to pose with.
If you didn’t know, there are Hello Kitty bento boxes, which are this pink train shaped lunch boxes. As far as I know they are sold on the train, but they sell out fast. I got mine at the train station. Honestly, the food in it is very forgettable, but we all buy it for the box, right? 😊
We had a JR Pass, so we reserved the seats, but could have easily done without. We took Hello Kitty Shinkansen from Osaka to Himeji for a day trip. It was a 40 minute ride and we managed to enjoy the ride, get coffee and snap enough photos without getting overwhelmed. Yes, I did pose with Hello Kitty!
Bonus tip: If you only want to get the experience, my suggestion would be to follow our example and ride it a part of the way – Shin-Osaka-Himeji route. This takes about 40 minutes and is much cheaper than riding it through to Hakata. You can also ride between Hiroshima and Okayama for instance, again not too long, but long enough for you to enjoy and not get exhausted, if you don’t reserve the seats and don’t find seats in non-reserved cars.
Hello Kitty Haruka
Schedule: Kansai Airport ↔ Osaka ↔ Kyoto: a regular train route
Price for one way full route: 1800 yen, discounts available at times.
Booking: You can use your IC card, but should buy the supplement ticket. You can also book via JR West Official website, in-person at stations, Klook, Trip.com. the third parties used to provide discounts, but not at the moment. Look in the future for possibilities.
Seat reservation: Available, not required. You can take it reserved or non reserved.
Pass coverage: JR Pass, JR West Pass, Kansai-Hiroshima Pass and more – any JR passes covering Kansai region.
Onboard food: None
Haruka is another Hello Kitty themed train, although it’s not a sightseeing train and doesn’t have a buffet cart or souvenirs around. It’s an express train from Kansai airport adorned with Hello Kitty designs. It also depicts animals and flowers. There are in fact 4 different designs on Haruka trains – check out, which one you will get.
Unlike the Hello Kitty Shinkansen, this train doesn’t have themed interiors, a buffet car, or souvenir spots – so don’t expect a full kawaii experience. But it’s still charming and photogenic, especially if you’re a fan of character trains, so definitely worth a mention. Plus, it’s so easy to ride simply on your way to/from Kansai airport or traveling between Osaka and Kyoto.
We hopped on it with our Pass once within Osaka, it was full of people with huge suitcases 😊
Bonus tip: If you’re flying into Kansai Airport, do take Haruka to town – it’s designed to be a cheerful welcome to Japan, and it delivers exactly that.
Panda Kuroshio Train
Schedule: Osaka ↔ Shingu: 2 round trips daily, Kuroshio No. 1, 4, 25, and 26 – they sometimes change schedules, check on X
Price for one way full route: 7,790 yen
Booking: JR West Official website, in-person at stations, Klook
Seat reservation: Required.
Pass coverage: JR Pass, JR West Pass, Kansai-Hiroshima Pass and more
Onboard food: None
The panda train was the hardest to figure out, simply because information about it is limited. It’s part of the Kuroshio fleet, and it was very difficult to understand, which trains were panda-themed among the many running throughout the day. I found that usually they are Kuroshio No. 1, 4, 25, and 26. First two run in the morning and the other two in the evening hours.
There are two types of Panda Kuroshio trains:
- Smile Adventure Train – with various themes from the Adventure World in Wakayama. You will find scenes of different animals on the train – especially the exterior, on the gliding doors, and the headrests.
- Sustainable Smile Train – is themed after 6 of the 17 UN SDGs – “a world where people, animals, and nature can live together in abundance”. The difference with the previous one is the addition of the baby panda to the front of the train. Otherwise, similarly to the other train design, you will find the designs of various animals.
We hopped on the SDG train. It was an evening train and we wanted to check it out for a short section in Osaka. The train was almost empty at this time. While there are no unreserved seats, you can reserve on the day without any issues.
The train doesn’t have a dining car, but it has the Shinkansen style small tables in front of you, so you can bring snacks along for the ride.
One Piece Shinkansen
Schedule: Shin Osaka ↔ Hakata: 3 one way trips a day most days with some exceptions (approximately 3 hr. 20 mins one way). According to the timetable Kodama 840 departs Hakata at 6.21 am, Kodama 847 departs Osaka at 10.37am and Kodama 874 travels on the shorter Hakata-Okayama route departing at 8.32 pm.
Price for one way full route: 14,750 yen – non-reserved
Booking: JR West Official website, in-person at stations, Klook
Seat reservation: Available, not required.
Pass coverage: JR West Pass, Kansai-Hiroshima Pass, Sanyo-Sanin Northern Kyushu Pass and more
Onboard food: Drinks, snacks, bento boxes
The 3 One Piece themed character trains – blue, pink and yellow – are the brand-new addition to the Shinkansen fleet in 2025. I didn’t get a chance to ride it yet. If you did, please, share your experience.
Tango Kuro-Matsu Train
Schedule: Amanohashidate ↔ Fukuchiyama/Nishmaizuru, 3 round trips a day mostly on weekends and holidays.
Price for a meal course: starting from 5,500 – as this is a dining train, you pay for a meal course.
Booking: Willer website.
Note: bookings open at 10am three months in advance. They sell our very fast.
Seat reservations: required.
Pass Coverage: Willer’s Amanohashidate Passes
This is a sightseeing train featuring a wooden interior and offering gourmet meals with local ingredients. You need to book with the meal course, it’s not possible otherwise. You get lovely views of the Sea of Japan and landscapes.
Tango Ao Matsu
Schedule: Amino/Toyooka ↔ Nishmaizuru, 2 round trips daily
Price for the full one way route: 1200 yen.
Booking: you can use your IC card or buy basic fare ticket
Seat reservations: fully non-reserved train available at basic fare.
Pass Coverage: Willer’s Amanohashidate Passes
Onboard food: Drinks, snacks
This little kawaii train runs in the same coastal region as the more expensive Kuro-Matsu train – but it’s way easier to board and, honestly, I think it’s even cuter 😊 Inspired by the pine trees of the area, its interior has wooden design, blue tones, and cozy sofas. If you make it to the Amanohashidate area, this is such a lovely way to add some scenic vibes to your itinerary.
Tango Aka Matsu
Schedule: Amanohashidate ↔ Nishmaizuru, 3 round trips a day Tuesdays and Wedensdays
Price for the one way route: 800 yen boarding ticket
Booking: Willer website
Note: bookings open at 10am three months in advance. They sell our very fast.
Seat reservations: while you don’t reserve seat, you should purchase a boarding ticket
Pass Coverage: Willer’s Amanohashidate Passes, JR Pass
Third cute train from Willer running in this area. It’s also themed with pine wood in mind, but has the orange colors, instead of Ao Matsu’s blue.
Blue Symphony
Schedule: Osaka Abenobashi ↔ Yoshino 4 round trips a day except on Wednesdays
Price one way: 1900 yen
Booking: Kintetsu Railway website, at stations.
Pass Coverage: None.
Another beautiful train from Kintetsu railway also has spacious seats, like Aoniyoshi train. Cars 1 and 3 have 2+1 seating arrangements, while car 2 has bar, the lounge style seats facing windows and even a tiny library. The train has classical music theme and provides lovely views of the Nara prefecture along the way.
Luxury expensive trains
Schedule: Seasonal – Tsuruga ↔ Osaka in Spring and Onomich ↔ Osaka in Summer
Booking: Official website
Price: 35,000 +
Seat reservations: required
Hana Akari is a luxury sightseeing train, which operates only seasonally – in Spring and Summer.
This is a super luxury train, not for us mortals. I don’t even ask the price 😊 But if you wanna splurge, this is a great option.
Have you taken any Joyful Trains in Kansai I missed? Drop a comment or message me. I’d love to add your picks to my next trip!
Want to take Sightseeing trains in other parts of Japan?
