To Japan's Three Great Nageire-do Halls by Wakasa Railway and Bus - Thorough Tottori Trip: Walking the Castle Town of Wakasa-juku

Thank you for joining today's Nagu-Nagu Tourist (Nagu-Tsu) tour. Our 6-day, 5-night Tottori trip finally reaches its finale.

On the last day, we'll be traveling by train and bus. We'll ride the local railway (Wakasa Railway), explore the area around the terminal Wakasa Station (Wakasa-juku), and then, we're going to Nageire-do again!

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Let's depart from Tottori Station right away.

Setting off!

Let me explain a little about the Wakasa Railway.
To be precise, the starting station is Koge Station, three stops away from Tottori Station. It is a third-sector (separated infrastructure and operation) railway that runs about 20km across 9 stations from Koge to Wakasa. As is often the case, it has been in the red, surviving by the skin of its teeth to this day.

Thanks to the deficit? Six out of the nine stations are registered as Tangible Cultural Properties (because they can't afford to rebuild them). It's a line where you can enjoy a good old-fashioned railway.

Also, perhaps due to its former JNR ties, some trains operate starting from and arriving at Tottori Station (no transfer required).

Sitting in the box seat and looking at the scenery,
I passed through the city area, and the buildings gradually became lower.

Typical of a local line

Even though it's Sunday, there are only a few passengers in the car.

Or so I thought!

As we approached Koge Station, the platform was overflowing with passengers.
And they were all families with children.

It seems to be a popular mystery-solving event.
The car is packed.

After a while,
when we arrived at Hayabusa Station,
a crowd of families got off.

The train car became quiet again. Like waves coming in and going out...
Oh, that's right, Hayabusa Station is also a sacred place that motorcyclists dream of visiting.
Let me explain! The Hayabusa is a ridiculously fast motorcycle manufactured by Suzuki that boasts a top speed of over 300 km/h. It's a station with the same name as that dream bike.

A railway company operating in the red will do anything (lol).

A train with a motorcycle face (Hayabusa face)!!
The train's eyes (lights) and the bike's eyes (lights) are confusing me (lol).

Tokumaru Dondo

Next, I'd like to introduce the area along the line.
Three stops past Hayabusa Station is Tokumaru Station, where you'll find 'Tokumaru Dondo,' a place that train photographers dream of. I couldn't go due to time constraints, but you can see scenery like this.

Fudoin Iwayado

The train journey of just under an hour has ended.
Once you arrive at Wakasa Station, transfer to the bus immediately.

Even though it's called a bus, it's a 7-8 passenger van.
There are no announcements at all!
Even if you want to press the stop button... you don't know what the next stop is (sweat). The car proceeds calmly through the silent interior.

After a 10-minute drive filled with anxiety,
I was able to get off the municipal bus (van) at Iwayado safely.
A few minutes walk along the river

Ta-da!

Unfortunately, Iwaya-do is only open to the public during two festivals a year. Let's pay our respects from a distance at the bottom of the stone steps.

According to a local I met at the bus stop on the way back,
You really have to come during the festival!

There are so many 'Three Greats' in Japan, aren't there?
It feels like whoever says it first wins, but two of the three great Nageire-do temples are in Tottori Prefecture.

This Iwaya-do andMt. Mitoku, which I visited the other day.
I've conquered two of them on this trip!

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The return bus is in 30 minutes.
That is just enough time.

Wakasa-juku

Around the station, let's stroll through the railway facilities and
the townscape unique to a castle town and post town.

Oops, lunch before that.

Restaurant 'Yamaneya', run by Yamaneya, famous for its 'Grilled Mackerel Sushi'.

The grilled mackerel bowl set, and what you can see peeking out in the back is
the venison hamburger steak set.
The scattered salted mackerel is coated in a kabayaki-style sauce, and the miso soup is from the local (presumably) Fujiwara Koji store; it's a miso soup with a very gentle flavor. It was a dish with a comforting taste.

In the old days, mackerel caught at Tottori's fishing ports were transported to Himeji via the Wakasa Highway and Inaba Highway. Because of this, the tradition of eating salted mackerel remains in this inland post town.
And game meat was also a valuable source of protein in Wakasa.

Full

After filling my stomach, I strolled through the townscape and Wakasa Station.

From here, I'll introduce some recommended spots in Wakasa-juku and Wakasa Station.

1. Ota Sake Brewery (Benten Musume)
First, sake!! (lol)
After much deliberation, I selected a few bottles. According to the landlady, the taste varies slightly with each batch, so I should enjoy that. If you look closely, even with the same brand, the barrel (tank) number is labeled, like 'No. 13 Daughter'.

She said it's best enjoyed warmed! I also got some 'Nara-zuke' pickles. Something to look forward to, hehehe.

2. Fujiwara Koji Shop
I went right up to the front of the shop, but it had such an intense aura (sweat).
I couldn't bring myself to slide the door open... so I gave up.
But! I remembered that the Yamaneya where I ate earlier sold miso, so I picked some up on the way back! I'm happy since it was a shop I was curious about, hehehe.

3. Kura-dori (Storehouse Street)

A toilet?

It was 'Tomare' (Stop)... lol

4. Wakasa Station

I've returned.

If you pay a separate entrance fee,

There were still so many places I wanted to go, but
that's all for today.

And, this long-running Tottori trip ends here too.
Thank you for reading!

Well then, on the train ride home, I'll have a beer
and head back...


(The End)