Ibusuki no Tamatebako (or nicknamed Ibutama)

Some facts about this train below!

Ibusuki no Tamatebako! Its a diesel powered sightseeing train that runs in southernmost Japan! It goes between 2 stations, Kagoshima-Chūō Station and Ibusuki Station. Originally it was made up of 2 KiHa 47 cars (2 car train!) but since then has a third car has been added (but only added on busy days such as holidays and weekends). The train is painted in a way where the black side faces landward and the white side faces seaward.

The Train’s theme is based off the story of Urashima Taro! If you aren’t familiar with the story, the gist of it is that a fisherman saves a sea turtle that turns out to be a Princess of the Dragon King. As a reward he is brought to a palace under the sea where he stays for a couple of days. When asked to be returned home he receives a box called the Tamatebako, and is warned to never open it. When the fisherman returns to the surface he discovers that hundreds of years has passed, and not heeding the warning, he proceeds to open the box where a puff of smoke comes out and he instantly turns into an old man.

Thats where the Tamatebako part of its name comes from! Its also why the train is decorated in box imagery (Tamatebako roughly translates to “jewel box”) Also when the doors open, the train shoots off a puff of white smoke to emulate the puff of smoke in the story!

The train ride is about 50 minutes, due to irregularities in the track its a bit of a bumpy ride. In the second car there are seats facing the windows so you can get a view of Kinko Bay.

Yup yup!