All Reviews of IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO

Riding Kagoshima's IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO sightseeing train is itself a journey filled with fairy-tale charm! The train's design was inspired by the Japanese legend of Urashima Taro. Its exterior is black and white, symbolizing how Urashima Taro instantly changed from a young man into an old man after opening the tamatebako. Even more interestingly, white mist appears when the train stops at a station, just like the smoke rising from the treasure box when it was opened. It brings the fairy tale into the actual train experience, and I really admire the Japanese ingenuity behind these thoughtful details.

Stepping inside the train reveals a whole different world. The interior has warm wood tones, and instead of the uniform rows found on ordinary trains, the seats are arranged along both sides of the car so passengers can comfortably enjoy the scenery outside. The train travels along the coast, and looking out at the deep blue sea and wide-open sky made me feel relaxed as well. There are also cute children's books inside, so families traveling with kids won't get bored. You can see the care put into every detail!

Trying the train's exclusive pudding is also a must. It's a popular item, so I recommend buying it as soon as you board. Otherwise, if you wait too long, you may only be able to watch enviously as other people enjoy theirs. The train also thoughtfully provides commemorative stamps and postcards for passengers to use for free, giving you a special keepsake from the journey~

It was such a shame. We had reserved and received our tickets, but when we arrived at Kagoshima-Chuo Station that day, we found out that the IBUSUKI NO TAMATEBAKO train had been canceled because of heavy rain. It was really disappointing. We could only take a regular train to Ibusuki Station. After arriving, we took some photos, and there was also a footbath outside the station. I hope I'll have another chance to ride it next time.

As a fan of Kyushu's specialty trains, of course I couldn't miss this one. Boarding the black-and-white Ibusuki no Tamatebako sightseeing train felt like instantly stepping into the legend of Urashima Taro.

Clouds of white mist spray out when the doors open, perfectly recreating the classic moment when the treasure box from the Dragon Palace is opened. The interior is made with warm southern Kyushu cedar and is full of details: swivel sofas facing the sea, charming bookshelves, and illustrations of schools of fish and the underwater world. Everywhere, there are clever touches inspired by the Dragon Palace legend we heard as children. Although the cars show some signs of age, that only adds a calm, nostalgic warmth.

Even on a rainy day, the scenery along the route looked like a painting from the window. During the ride, don't forget to ask for the postcard exclusive to each train and stamp it yourself with each train's limited-edition stamp, preserving forever the wonderful memory of this journey through legends, mountains, and sea.

There's a stretch where the train runs right along the sea—the sunlight reflecting off the water looks just like a movie scene! Watching the Kagoshima coastline while riding is super soothing.