1. 100th anniversary of the opening of the entire line! Flower Nagai Line

The Yamagata Railway Flower Nagai Line starts at Akayu Station in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, passes through Nagai Station, and runs for about 30 km to its terminus at Arato Station in Shirataka Town.

The stations themselves are attractive, including Nagai Station, the first in Japan to be integrated with a city hall, and Uzen-Narita Station, which has been designated a national tangible cultural property. However, there are also other popular tourist spots near the stations, including Ayame Park, which has been open for over 110 years and where you can see some of Japan’s best irises, and Kumano Taisha Shrine, one of the most powerful spots in Yamagata and famous for matchmaking, making this a great place for a day trip.

The Nagai Line opened in 1913.
The Akayu-Nashigo section opened as the Nagai Light Railway in 1913, and the entire line (Ayukai-Arato section) was opened in 1923.

In other words, this year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the full opening of the Nagai Line!

Therefore, events commemorating the 100th anniversary will be held in 2023.
For more information, please visit the official website .

2. Enjoy a day on the Flower Nagai Line

There is so much to see along the Flower Nagai Line that it can be hard to decide how to get around, but this time I started from Akayu Station and went to Uzen-Narita Station, then got off at Ayame Koen Station, Nagai Station, and Miyauchi Station before returning to Akayu Station.

From Yamagata Railway Co., Ltd. website

And for this Day trip, I used the Saturday and Holiday Pass Ticket.

If you purchase this ticket, you can ride the Flower Nagai Line as much as you want for just 1,000 yen per day! Up to two children under elementary school age can ride for free per adult!
This is cheap…

Please use this ticket to enjoy your train journey.
*Available on: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays only
*Sales locations: Akayu Station, Miyauchi Station, Nagai Station, Arato Station, and on board the train (please ask the driver when boarding)

Click here for more details.

Now, let’s get started by introducing some recommended day trips on the Flower Nagai Line!

① Akayu Station (Departure 8:59)

First, start from Akayu Station.

Akayu Station is a cute station building with an arched roof modeled after a paraglider.
It even won the Ministry of Industry’s Good Design Award.

You can experience paragliding at Nanyo Sky Park in Nanyo City, so if you’re interested, be sure to check it out.

Now, let’s board this gorgeously wrapped train, with its yellow carriages and dotted with colorful dahlias.

In addition to this dahlia train, there are also trains with motifs of the flowers of the four regions along the Flower Nagai Line – the iris of Nagai City, the cherry blossom of Nanyo City, the safflower of Shirataka Town, and the dahlia of Kawanishi Town – with the aim of spreading the appeal of the main line, which is dotted with famous flower spots.

I’m excited to see what kind of train I’ll be riding.

Will I be able to ride all the cars on this trip?

Now, let’s begin our journey on the Flower Nagai Line!

Saturday and Holiday Free Tickets can be purchased from the driver on the train.

It’s nice to relax and enjoy the view outside the window.

Now, let’s go to the next station!

② Uzen-Narita Station (Arrives at 9:37, Departs at 10:38)

Uzen-Narita Station has a wooden station building, which is rare these days.
It opened in 1922 and is said to be a valuable piece of architecture that conveys the history of railways from the Taisho period onwards.

In 2015, it was registered as a tangible cultural property.

The lights are also retro and have a warm feel to them.

Inside the station, the wooden chairs and hanging iron kettles give off a historic atmosphere, making you feel as if you’ve traveled back in time.

When I opened the door leading to the platform at the station entrance, a refreshing breeze blew in.

Since I still have a little bit of time before my train leaves, I decide to take a walk around the area and check out the map of the area in front of the station.

● Confectionery store Nisshindo
There seems to be a sweets shop nearby.
Let’s go.

After walking for about 5 minutes, I came across a cute Appearance store.

Sokadokoro Nisshindo is a long-established sweets shop that has been in business for 100 years and has won numerous awards, including the Honorary Grand Prize at the National Confectionery Exposition.

I bought the “White Rabbit” and the “Ayamekko” iris dango.

I wondered why it was called a rabbit, but it turns out that the station next to Uzen-Narita Station is actually called “Hakuto Station.”
And Nagai City is famous for its iris flowers.

When I see these local products, I just can’t help but want to buy them.

While I was relaxing and eating sweets, the train came in.

This time, the train has an orange-based body and is dotted with “Shirataka Town safflowers.”
This is also nice.

Leaving behind the somewhat nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere of Uzen-Narita Station, we head to Ayame Koen Station.

③ Ayame Koen Station (Arrives at 10:41, Departs at 12:04)

Arrived at Ayame Park Station!

The symbol of Nagai City is the iris.
Nagai City is home to one of Japan’s leading iris parks, where irises bloom in abundance.

Now, let’s head to Ayame Park, which is just a few minutes’ walk from Ayame Koen Station.

This time, we were given a special tour of the park by Mr. Sato from Nagai City Hall.

Thank you for joining us today, Sato-san!

From here on, I will proceed in a conversational format.

Sato-san: “There are many varieties of irises in Ayame Park, but there are also varieties that are unique to Nagai. They are called Nagai Ancient Species, and there are 34 varieties in total. In addition, 13 of them are designated as natural monuments of Nagai City, and Ayame Park is the only place in the country where you can see all 13 varieties!”

I said , “Oh really? I didn’t know that!”

Me : “There are a lot of irises in the garden, but how many varieties are there?”

Sato-san: “We have over 500 varieties in this park.”

Me : “500?! There are so many varieties! Looking around, I can see that the flowers are all different colors, but what other differences are there?”

Sato-san : For example, this one has six petals. It’s a variety that has been improved to look better.

Sato-san: “In contrast, Nagai Koshu always has three petals. This one has a dignified cuteness to it.”

Me : “Wow! That’s true! So not only were the flowers different in color, but the number of petals was different, too!”

Sato-san: “By the way, these flowers are in full bloom now!”

Me : “Huhhhhh!”

Sato: “They open like claws, so this way of blooming is called claw blooming.”

I: “I see! So that’s why the name is “Nagai Eagle Talon.”

I said , “I was wondering, the names of each flower are so cool, aren’t they?”

Sato-san: “That’s right! All of the irises in Nagai are named after Nagai. There are many flowers with lovely names given to them by our ancestors, such as “Mibuchi no Nami” (waves of Mibuchi) from the Mibuchi Valley and “Unohanahime” (Princess Unohana), the name of the princess who is said to have thrown herself into the valley!”

Among the Nagai Koshu varieties, there are many different colors, shapes, and lengths of irises, so please take a look and compare them all.

Me : “This is the Umbrella Sky that everyone is talking about on social media!”

Sato-san: “That’s right! We started this project because we couldn’t hold any events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we wanted to give our customers something to enjoy with their eyes.”

The shadow of the umbrella on the ground is also cute.

Mr. Sato: “This is a souvenir shop.”

Me : “The door is open and the open atmosphere is really nice!”

Sato-san: “I recommend the ‘ayame dango’ (a type of sweets made in honor of the iris flower) sold at each sweets shop.”

Me : “In addition to the Nisshindo Ayame Dango I ate today, there are so many more! It’s great to have a variety to choose from.”

Me : “What is this amazing karinto?”

*I obtained permission to bring it with me for the purpose of taking photos.

Sato-san: “These are karinto snacks made to resemble large straw sandals. These are also very popular.”

Before we knew it, it was time for the train.
Thank you, Sato-san, for your continued support over such a long period of time.

I had a lot of fun learning about iris flowers.

As I was waiting for the train, soaking up the afterglow of Ayame Park, a pink train came into view.

We board the train, which has a “Nanyo City Cherry Blossoms” motif, and head to Nagai Station.

④ Nagai Station (Arrives at 12:07, Departs at 13:45)

Take the train one stop from Ayame Koen Station to arrive at Nagai Station.

This station is the first of its kind in Japan, but do you know what makes it the first of its kind?

The correct answer is that it is the first building in the country to combine a government office and a station.

The building was just completed in 2021, so the inside is very clean.

What was striking was that the free space at the station had become a social space for locals, with old ladies chatting with their friends and high school students studying.

It’s lunchtime, so I’m going to lunch.
I heard there’s a recommended café near the station, so I headed over there.

● Cafe & Lunch Yamanoshita
This time, we visited Yamanoshita.

You can see Nagai Station in the background. It’s close to the station and has great access!

Upon entering the shop, there were counter seats at the front and table seats at the back.

The interior of the store is filled with natural light, creating a refreshing and lovely atmosphere.

I ordered food and sweets.

Taco rice is taco filling served on rice.

[Taco rice]

It’s delicious with spicy meat and lots of vegetables.

We also ordered some cute looking pancakes.

[Pancakes with ice cream on top]

The combination of pancakes and ice cream is truly sinful.
It was so delicious that I finished it in no time.

[Salt nuts & caramel thick pancakes (seasonal menu)]

Please take a look.
These thick pancakes.

The pancakes are so fluffy that you can stick a fork all the way in.
Salt nuts and caramel go really well together.

In addition to the seasonal menu item that I ordered this time, thick pancakes are also available on the standard menu, so you can choose your favorite pancakes depending on your mood.

Feeling happy after eating the delicious food and sweets, we head to the next station.
Let’s go to Miyauchi Station!

⑤ Miyauchi Station (arrives at 14:11, departs at 16:41)

We arrived at Miyauchi Station, seven stations from Nagai Station.

● Kumano Taisha Shrine
We head to Kumano Taisha Shrine, about a 15-minute walk from the station.

A large torii gate came into view.

Once you pass through this large torii gate, Kumano Taisha Shrine will be just around the corner.

Before praying, purify yourself at the temizuya (purification fountain).

The flowers were floating and it was very beautiful.

We go up a slope called Omisaka.

These stone steps have 47 steps, and are larger than normal because in the past, people would come to worship here on horseback.

It feels so good to climb through the sunlit trees.

Kumano Taisha Shrine is one of the most powerful spots in Yamagata Prefecture, famous for matchmaking.
It is said that a total of thirty gods are enshrined at Kumano Taisha Shrine.

When you think of shrines, you think of fortune telling slips.

This time, I tried drawing the water fortune that is only available in spring, summer, and autumn.

Hehehe. This time it was a great fortune.
Good things are going to happen this year!

A wind chime tunnel has appeared on the grounds of Kumano Taisha Shrine! (Photo taken in mid-June 2023)

The cute atmosphere will get you excited.

There was also a bench decorated with red wind chimes, and many visitors were taking photos there.

The sound of the wind chimes made me feel cool.

Depending on the season, the atmosphere changes from wind chimes to windmills, so you’ll want to visit again and again.

There are three rabbits hidden in the carvings on the back of the main shrine, and it is said that if you can find all three, you will be blessed with a good relationship and your wishes will come true.

I found two birds and was exhausted.
Everyone, please try to find the three rabbits.

● icho cafe
After visiting the shrine, take a break at the café inside the grounds.

This is the popular café icho cafe , which was renovated from the old shop at Kumano Taisha Shrine.

The stylish interior has a calm atmosphere and you can feel the warmth of wood, such as the wooden tables.

We had drinks and sweets.

For drinks, I ordered iced coffee and the limited edition rose soda.

The rose soda was created to coincide with the rose festival at Sosho Rose Garden, which is just a few minutes’ walk from icho cafe, and is a refreshing soda made with rose syrup.

Next year I’d like to go to the rose garden.

This is a raisin sandwich.

[Raisin sandwich]

Homemade rum raisins and buttercream sandwiched between cookies.
It has a cute rabbit design on it.

Next to the icho cafe store is a huge ginkgo tree that is over 900 years old.

The lush green ginkgo trees are beautiful, but in autumn you can see them colored a vibrant yellow, so be sure to visit during different seasons.

Photographed in November 2022

⑥ Akayu Station (arrival 16:46)

I’m back in Akayu, the city of ramen.

I wasn’t able to stop by this time, but next time I’d like to explore Akayu Station and eat Akayuramen!

3. Message

Mr. Kiyono from Yamagata Railway has sent a message to all readers of VISIT YAMAGATA.

(Left) Kiyono-san, (center) Yamada-san, (right) Nakagawa-san

It is used by a wide range of people, including tourists getting on and off the train along the line, people looking for a Tetsuin (the railway version of a Shuin stamp), locals visiting nearby, and even grandparents and their grandchildren during long holidays.

There are many shops around stations such as Nagai Station, Miyauchi Station, and Ayame Koen Station, so we recommend you enjoy them as part of a stroll around town.

4. Summary

In this article, we introduced a journey on the Flower Nagai Line.

Yamagata Prefecture is known as a car-oriented prefecture with one of the highest numbers of privately owned cars in the country.

I’m sure you usually travel by car, but I also recommend taking a leisurely train ride and walking around the city without a specific destination in mind.

If you just wander around the town, you might come across a wonderful shop you never expected.

We hope you will all enjoy a trip on the Flower Nagai Line.