Foot Bath Train in Central Japan Resumed after 4 Years Suspension

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:06 JST, December 15, 2023

Kintetsu Railway Co. will resume operation Saturaday of a sightseeing train in central Japan that features a steaming “ashiyu,” or foot bath, that had been halted for four years during the COVID pandemic.

Named the Ashiyu Train, it will run from Kintetsu Nagoya Station to Yunoyama-Onsen Station in the town of Komono, Mie Prefecture. During the 1-hour 45-minute journey, passengers can also savor local sake and sweets from Komono.

The revival of the Ashiyu Train is aimed at stimulating demand for hot spring travel during the winter tourism season. The train consists of three cars, one of which have two foot baths made of cypress wood. The baths are filled with hot spring water collected in Komono.