Conquering JR Dead-End Lines with the Seishun 18 Kippu <Central Japan Edition>

Introduction
Last time, I traced the JR dead-end lines in the Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, and Kinki regions, but this time I would like to explain how to conquer those in the Chubu, Hokuriku, Kanto, and Koshin regions. Please refer to the <West Japan Edition> below.

Meisho Line: From Ise-Okitsu Station to Nabari Station

To travel from Ise-Okitsu Station to Nabari Station, you must pass through Nara Prefecture. Since there are no route buses running across the Mie Prefecture border, you must walk 6 km west for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to the Shikitsu bus stop near the Nara Prefecture Roadside Station Ise Honkaido Mitsue. From there, it takes just under an hour to reach the Kintetsu Osaka Line Nabari Station West Exit for 1,090 yen, with 6 buses per day.

Etsumi-Hoku Line: From Kuzuryuko Station to Hokuno Station

The most difficult part of this dead-end line journey is the transfer from the Etsumi-Hoku Line. Unfortunately, there is no route bus that directly connects this section. For this reason, you must travel on foot near the border between Fukui and Gifu Prefectures. From Kuzuryuko Station on the Etsumi-Hoku Line, take the Ono City Bus for 200 yen to the Maesaka Kazoku Ryokomura bus stop, which requires a reservation up to one hour in advance (or the previous day for morning trips).
From here, after a walking journey of about 8 km taking just under 2 hours, you will finally arrive at Hokuno Station on the Nagaragawa Railway after a 30-minute, 310-yen ride on the Shiratori Kotsu demand bus. Please note that this bus also requires a reservation for daytime trips and only runs 3 times a day.

Himi Line: Himi Station to Nanao Station ⇔ Nanao Line: Wakura-Onsen Station to Himi Station

Use the Kaetsuno Bus from in front of the station. Since there is no direct route, you must transfer once at the Waki bus stop near the city border. It takes 29 minutes to reach this bus stop for 400 yen, with 11 buses on weekdays and 8 on weekends/holidays. After transferring, it takes 36 minutes to reach Nanao Station on the Nanao Line for 780 yen, with 6 buses on weekdays and 5 on weekends/holidays.
If you use the "Waku Liner" express bus departing from Takaoka Station, you can travel from Himi Banya-gai to Wakura-Onsen Station on the Nanao Line (approx. 1 hour, 800 yen), but it operates on an irregular schedule on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, and only runs 2 round trips per day. Also, since it does not stop at Himi Station on the Himi Line, you must take the city loop bus for 100 yen from the station to the Himi Banya-gai bus stop. If you walk from the station, it should take about 25 minutes to cover the 2 km.

Johana Line: From Johana Station to Takayama Station

Use the Kaetsuno Bus from in front of the station. Again, there is no direct route, so you must transfer once at the Shirakawa-go bus stop, which is a tourist destination. It is a 1,750-yen, 1-hour and 15-minute ride with 5 buses per day. From Shirakawa-go, take the Nohi Bus, which is a 2,800-yen, 50-minute ride with 19 buses per day. You will arrive at the Takayama Nohi Bus Center, and Takayama Station on the Takayama Main Line is right next door.

※ With this, the round-trip route for visiting dead-end lines is complete: Tsuruga - Echizen-Hanando - Kuzuryuko - Hokuno - Mino-Ota - Takayama - Toyama - Takaoka - Himi - Wakura-Onsen - Tsubata - Takaoka - Johana - Takayama - Mino-Ota. Although the JR dead-end lines were separated by the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, I think they can be visited very efficiently in the three Hokuriku prefectures. In particular, the bolded section forms a figure-eight centered on Takaoka Station, and multiple routes can be considered depending on trains, buses, and sightseeing time, not limited to the route above.

Taketoyo Line: From Taketoyo Station to Chita-Taketoyo Station/Tokoname Station

Both JR and Meitetsu stations exist in Taketoyo Town, but they are not adjacent for direct transfers and are about 600m apart. Therefore, although it requires an 8-minute walk, it is possible to use Chita-Taketoyo Station on the Meitetsu Kowa Line.
Also, if you use the Gruun Taketoyo Line of the Tokoname Town Community Bus from in front of Chita-Taketoyo Station, you can travel to Tokoname Station on the Meitetsu Airport Line in about 30 minutes. There are 7 buses per day, and it is free, which is very helpful. This would be effective when using Chubu Centrair International Airport.

Ito Line: From Ito Station to Shuzenji Station

Ito Station connects to the Izukyu Corporation, but it cannot be used because it is in a different direction from other JR lines you would transfer to. Therefore, as an alternative route using a bus, you should aim for Shuzenji Station on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line. For this, use the Tokai Jidosha route bus. It is a 1,360-yen, approximately 1-hour ride with 6 buses per day.

Kururi Line: From Kazusa-Kameyama Station to Awa-Kamogawa Station

There is no bus stop in front of the station, but you can reach the Kameyama/Fujibayashi Ohashi bus stop by walking 500m southwest for about 7 minutes. From here, you can use the "Kapina-go" express bus, which is jointly operated by Nitto Kotsu and Chuo Bus and runs 9 round trips per day. It is a 23-minute, 840-yen trip to the West Exit of Awa-Kamogawa Station on the Sotobo Line.

Suigun Branch Line: From Hitachi-Ota Station to Omika and Hitachi-Daigo Stations

By using Ibaraki Kotsu local buses, it is possible to transfer to both the Joban Line and the Suigun Line. Direct connections are available at Omika Station with 14 services on weekdays and 13 on weekends/holidays (11 services on weekdays and 8 on weekends/holidays in the opposite direction), and the 32-minute ride costs 630 yen.
On the other hand, Hitachi-Daigo Station can be reached by transferring at the Magiri-Iriguchi bus stop. It takes about 1 hour to reach Magiri-Iriguchi (8.5 round trips on weekdays, 3 on weekends/holidays, 510 yen), and from Magiri-Iriguchi, it takes about 40 minutes (4.5 round trips on weekdays, 2 on Saturdays, 910 yen). Please note that there is no service on Sundays.

Karasuyama Line: From Karasuyama Station to Hitachi-Omiya Station

There are not many local bus routes that cross prefectural borders, but there is one unique route between Tochigi and Ibaraki. This is the Nasukarasuyama City Bus, which runs to Takabu Depot via the roadside station 'Michi-no-Eki Miwa-mae' in Ibaraki Prefecture. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the transfer point at Michi-no-Eki Miwa-mae (4 round trips on weekdays, 3 on weekends/holidays, 610 yen). Ibaraki Kotsu operates a local bus to Hitachi-Omiya Station on the Suigun Line (3 round trips per day, 200 yen), and this transfer bus stop is named Michi-no-Eki Hokutosei.

Nikko Line: From Nikko Station to Mato Station

There are several routes connecting to the tourist destination of Nikko, but Nikko Kotsu provides the connection to the Watarase Keikoku Railway. It takes about 35 minutes to reach the starting station of Mato (6 round trips per day, 1,150 yen).

Shin-etsu Main Line: Yokokawa Station to Karuizawa Station ⇔ Agatsuma Line: Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi and Manza-Kazawaguchi Stations to Karuizawa Station

Karuizawa Station, the starting station of the Shinano Railway, can be accessed from the Shin-etsu Main Line and the Agatsuma Line by transferring to local buses. JR Bus operates from Yokokawa Station, and since the connection times with Shin-etsu Main Line trains are listed on the timetable, it is likely used by many passengers. However, please note that the Seishun 18 Kippu cannot be used. The 34-minute ride costs 520 yen.
From the Agatsuma Line, you can choose from three routes accessing two stations. From Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station, there are (1) a route transferring at Kita-Karuizawa and (2) a route transferring at Kusatsu Onsen, as well as (3) a route directly connecting Manza-Kazawaguchi Station and Karuizawa Station. The route outlines are provided below.
(1) Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi ⇔ Kita-Karuizawa (Kusakaru Kotsu): 3 round trips per day, 35-minute ride, 880 yen
Kita-Karuizawa ⇔ Karuizawa North Exit (Kusakaru Kotsu): 12 services from Kita-Karuizawa, 10 from Karuizawa, 40-minute ride, 1,210 yen
(2) Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi ⇔ Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal (JR Bus): 19 services from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi on weekdays, 20 on weekends/holidays; 15 services from Kusatsu Onsen BT on weekdays, 16 on weekends/holidays, 30-minute ride, 710 yen
Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal ⇔ Karuizawa Station North Exit (Kusakaru Kotsu): 9 services from Kusatsu Onsen BT, 7 from Karuizawa, 1 hour 20-minute ride, 2,240 yen
(3) Manza-Kazawaguchi ⇔ Karuizawa (Seibu Kanko Bus): 2 services from Manza-Kazawaguchi on weekdays, 3 on weekends/holidays; 1 service from Karuizawa on weekdays, 2 on weekends/holidays, 1 hour 10-minute ride, 1,870 yen

※This completes the grand loop route for touring the North Kanto JR dead-end lines: Mito - Omika - Hitachi-Ota - Kami-Sugaya - Hitachi-Omiya - Karasuyama - Nikko - Mato - Kiryu - Shin-Maebashi -Takasaki - Yokokawa - Karuizawa - Manza-Kazawaguchi - Shibukawa. You can travel through all these dead-end lines without having to backtrack. Since famous tourist spots are scattered along the way, your travel experience will be fulfilling. In thebold sections, you can also choose a reverse route depending on the train, bus, and sightseeing time.

The next and final installment will be a tour of the dead-end lines in Echigo, Tohoku, and Hokkaido.

※Image materials: photolibrary
※Map images: NAVITIME, Yahoo! Maps