Bitchu-Takahashi: Getting there and around
How to travel to Takahashi
By train
Takahashi lies north of Okayama along the train line to Matsue. From Okayama Station take either a Yakumo limited express (35 minutes, about 2000 yen, hourly departures) or a local train (one hour, 860 yen, 1-2 trains per hour) along the JR Hakubi Line and get off at Bitchu-Takahashi Station. The trip is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
By Sunrise Izumo night train
Japan's last surviving night train, the Sunrise Izumo, connects Tokyo with Matsue and Izumo every night, stopping in Bitchu-Takahashi Station along the way. The overnight journey between Tokyo and Bitchu-Takahashi takes about nine hours and costs around 15,000 yen one way if using the most basic, carpeted nobi-nobi compartment. Other compartments are considerably more expensive. Advance reservations are mandatory.
The Japan Rail Pass fully covers the journey in nobi-nobi compartments, but it covers only the base fare if using another compartment, in which case the express supplement and compartment fee (totaling around 10,000 yen or more) have to be paid separately.
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Getting around
Takahashi is a compact town. Its old town is in easy walking distance of Bitchu-Takahashi Station and can be explored entirely on foot. The castle, however, is located on top of a steep mountain north of the town. While good walkers will enjoy walking there, others will prefer taking a taxi to the castle's parking lot from where it is a shorter hike to the castle. Public transportation unfortunately deteriorated badly during the coronavirus pandemic, and there are now no more convenient, easy-to-use buses to reach the tourists sites in the city center.
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