Tadami Line

The full Tadami Line from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Koide, a slow local train along the dammed Tadami River gorge and through the mountains between Fukushima and Niigata.

The route

The Tadami Line is a 135.2 km rural railway run by JR East between Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture and Koide in Niigata Prefecture. It was built in stages over more than forty years. The Aizu-Wakamatsu end reached Aizu-Yanaizu in 1928, and the Niigata end opened from Koide to Ōshirakawa in 1942. In between, a light railway was laid in 1956 to carry materials to the Tagokura Dam, then under construction, and was later rebuilt and extended to Tadami.

The final link from Tadami to Ōshirakawa opened in 1971 and completed the line. It passes under the prefectural border in the Rokujūrigoe Tunnel, 6,359 m long. The line follows the Tadami River for much of its course, crossing it again and again on numbered bridges as the valley twists, and so many curves mean even the through trains take over four hours.

In July 2011 torrential rain washed away several bridges, and the section between Aizu-Kawaguchi and Tadami was replaced by buses for eleven years. Fukushima Prefecture agreed to buy the track and land so that JR East could run trains again, and the whole line reopened on 1 October 2022. Only three trains a day in each direction run the full length.

What you will see

From the castle town of Aizu-Wakamatsu the train first crosses the flat, rice-growing Aizu Basin, then climbs into the hills to Aizu-Yanaizu. Soon after, the Tadami River appears below. Look for the First Tadami River Bridge, an arch high over the water and one of the most photographed places on the line, and further on the Third Tadami River Bridge, known for the mist that often hangs over the river.

Past Aizu-Kawaguchi comes the section that was closed from 2011 to 2022, with its rebuilt bridges. Dams hold the river back into long, still reaches, and the forested slopes come right down to the water. Tadami is deep snow country, and in winter the track runs between high banks of white.

Beyond Tadami the train enters the long Rokujūrigoe Tunnel and emerges in Niigata Prefecture at Ōshirakawa. The descent to the Uonuma area is through narrow wooded valleys with only a few small villages, until the line opens out into farmland and ends at Koide, where it meets the Jōetsu Line.

Riding it for real

Every train on the Tadami Line is an all-stations local run by JR East, so no seat reservation is needed and the Japan Rail Pass and JR East passes are valid. With only three through trains a day each way, and gaps of several hours in the middle section, plan your day around the timetable rather than the other way round.

Aizu-Wakamatsu connects with the Ban'etsu West Line towards Kōriyama and Niigata, and Koide with the Jōetsu Line, so the line can form part of a scenic route across Honshu. Check JR East for current timetables and fares before you travel, especially in winter, when heavy snow can disrupt services.

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