Heisei Chikuho 401-402 COTO COTO Train 20201009

The Coto Coto Train is a touristic train service in the

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

region of

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

, southern

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The service started in 2019. The train is run by the

Heisei Chikuhō Railway The is a third-sector operator of four railway lines in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The railway's nickname is ''Heichiku.'' Principal investors Fukuoka Prefecture holds 27.5% of the stock in the railway. The cities of Tagawa, Nōgata, and Yu ...

Company. It was designed by

Eiji Mitooka is a Japanese industrial designer, illustrator, and managing director of the industrial design company . He also works as a design consultant for Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). Biography Mitooka graduated from Okayama Technical High Sch ...

and is based on the concept of “relaxation, delicious food, and fun”. The train is bright red on the outside with a wooden interior using Ōkawa "

kumiko Kumiko (くみこ, クミコ) is a feminine Japanese given name. Possible writings Kumiko can be written using different kanji and can mean: *久美子, "forever, beauty, child" *空見子, "sky, see, child" *公美子, "public, beauty, child" * ...

" (lattice) woodwork and stained glass ceilings. Food is served using local natural ingredients. The service is slow for sightseeing purposes and has 48 seats. The train passes through the former coal mining area of Chikuhō (now part of

Iizuka is a city located at the confluence of the Honami and Onga rivers in central Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on January 20, 1932. History Iizuka was an important post-station on the Nagasaki Kaidō during the Edo Era. As Jap ...

, Kaho District). The name "Coto Coto" sounds like the noise of the train. The service includes

French cuisine French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the re ...

produced by Takeshi Fukuyama, a chef from

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

. The ingredients in the appetizers come from nine cities, towns, and villages on the route used by the train. Heisei Chikuho Railway Linemap

The service follows Nōgata – Tagawaita – Nōgata (again) – Yukuhashi, using the

Ita Line The is a 16.1 km railway line owned by the third-sector company Heisei Chikuhō Railway. The line runs north from Tagawa to Nōgata, all within Fukuoka Prefecture. History The line was first built by the Chikuhō Kōgyō Railway, later ...

(伊田線) and the

Tagawa Line The is a 26.3 km railway line owned by the Heisei Chikuhō Railway. The line runs west along the Ima River from Yukuhashi to Tagawa, all within Fukuoka Prefecture. History The line was first built in 1895 by the , which was merged in 190 ...

(田川線). It takes 3 hours 20 minutes in total.

References

External links

Coto Coto Train website
(in Japanese)
Official Coto Coto Train video
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

Alternative Coto Coto Train video
on

2019 establishments in Japan Rail transport in Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist attractions in Fukuoka Prefecture Heisei Chikuhō Railway Ita Line Heisei Chikuhō Railway Tagawa Line Iizuka, Fukuoka Nōgata, Fukuoka Tagawa, Fukuoka Yukuhashi, Fukuoka Restaurants in Japan French restaurants in Japan {{Japan-rail-transport-stub