Riding Japan’s Fastest Limited Express Thunderbird Train 🇯🇵 Osaka – Tsuruga 大阪～敦賀～福井・越前大野 特急サンダーバード
Today, I’m taking a limited express train bound for Tsuruga. I’ll be riding the Thunderbird Limited Express. From Tsuruga, I’ll head further north and explore Ōno City for souvenirs. Please enjoy the trip! Good morning! Current location: Osaka Station, Osaka Pref. The time is now 6:30 AM. Today’s journey starts at Osaka Station on a limited express train. Then, I’ll transfer at Tsuruga Station to a local train bound for Echizen-Hanando Station. After that, I’ll transfer again to reach Echizen-Ōno Station. Lunch stop: the bento shop “Ekiben Tabibento.” It’s located on the first floor of Osaka Station. Some items are already sold out. I bought the Summer Flavor Bento (1,080 yen). The round-trip fare was 9,800 yen. Both are reserved ordinary cars. The platform is number 11. I’m boarding the Thunderbird No.3 departing at 7:00. It’s an early morning departure. Being in the last car, the platform feels quite far… 06:55, the Thunderbird enters the station. It’s a long train with 12 cars. The Thunderbird limited express debuted in 1964. At the time, it was known as the “Raichō” service. It got its current name during the 1997 timetable revision. All cars on this train require reserved seats. The seating layout is 2+2 across the aisle. Here’s my reserved seat. Car 21, seat 14D. It’s the last seat in the last car. At 7:00 sharp, the train departed on schedule. (Train interior melody) Announcement: Thank you for riding JR West today. Announcement: Thunderbird No.3 bound for Tsuruga. Announcement: Cars are numbered from the front: Car 1, Car 2… with Car 12 at the rear. Announcement: Green car is Car 1. Announcement: All cars require reserved seats. Announcement: A reserved seat ticket is required in addition to your train ticket. Announcement: Next stops will be announced after departing Shin-Osaka. Announcement: We are approaching Shin-Osaka. Announcement: After Shin-Osaka, the next stop is Takatsuki. The onboard announcements were made in Japanese and English. 07:04, departing Shin-Osaka Station. Announcement: Thank you for riding JR West today. Announcement: Thunderbird No.3 bound for Tsuruga. Announcement: Stops are Takatsuki, Kyoto, and the final stop, Tsuruga. Conductor: Good morning. Conductor: Thank you for riding JR West today. Conductor: Thunderbird No.3 bound for Tsuruga. Conductor: I will announce the upcoming stops and arrival times. Conductor: Next stop, Takatsuki, 07:14. Conductor: Kyoto, 07:28. Conductor: Final stop, Tsuruga, arriving at 08:23. Conductor: Next stop is Takatsuki. Conductor: Arrival at 07:14. Conductor: Please exit on the left. Let’s take a look around the seating area. On the right armrest, there’s a small foldable table. In front, there’s a standard foldable table. Seat recline is operated via a button at the lumbar area. Power outlets are only available at the front and rear end seats. Other seats have none. Curtains are only on the window side seats. This is useful for morning trips. Next, let’s check the train facilities. On the Thunderbird, Car 1 is the Green Car. Car 3 is a women-only area. All other cars are ordinary cars. Accessible restroom for passengers with disabilities. It can be opened and closed with a single button. Wheelchairs can enter, but it seems a bit narrow. Men’s restroom. Equipped with a small sink. Washbasin with a large mirror and built-in lighting. This is what they call an “actress mirror.” Curtains with low friction. You can use it without worrying about being seen. Unisex restroom. The sink inside was not in use. Between cars 9 and 10 is the conductor’s area. You can walk forward through the connected passage of the through-type cars. The entrance of this car was closed. The entire train is non-smoking. Spaces that look like smoking areas are actually for phone calls—be careful. The phone space is small, only enough for one person to stand. Trash cans near the entrance. Arriving at the deck of Car 4. This car has a wider area, easier to use even with a wheelchair. The accessible restroom is larger than the one in Car 12. This restroom also opens and closes with a button. The washbasin is also spacious. The multipurpose room was not available. The train is running at speeds between 112–114 km/h. Let’s check the onboard Wi-Fi speed. The test showed 36ms, a normal speed. Fast enough for video streaming without issues. I’ll try using it later for work. Breakfast time. The package illustration has a summer festival design. On top of the rice, there was simmered whitebait. The portion size is just right. It’s delicious. Ah… I forgot to buy tea… I planned to buy tea on the platform. But the train just arrived too soon… (Train interior melody) Announcement: Thank you for riding. Announcement: Approaching the final stop, Tsuruga. Announcement: Transfer to the Hokuriku Shinkansen and Obama Line “Happy Line Fukui.” Announcement: Passengers transferring to the Hokuriku Shinkansen, please check your train name and seat number in advance. Announcement: Thank you for riding Thunderbird No.3 today. Just a little further to Tsuruga. I got motion sickness. 08:23, arriving at Tsuruga Station. I felt sick for the latter half of the ride. The last car was quite bumpy. Next time, I’ll sit around the middle cars. The Thunderbird’s front cars come in two types: through-type and non-through-type. This time, I rode the non-through type with a sleek design. I’m thirsty, so I’ll buy water at a convenience store for now. “Welcome to Tsuruga.” Drank some water and revived. Poster from the previous “Hanaakari” train ride. Transfer to another train, heading for Fukui Station. On that train. I’ll throw away the trash first. This train is the “Happy Line Fukui.” I’ll be riding this pink train. 08:36, departing Tsuruga Station. It takes about 47 minutes to Echizen-Hanando Station. From there, it’s another 50 minutes to Echizen-Ōno Station. The train I transferred to is a small 2-car train. This train was introduced over 30 years ago. The driver’s cab is semi-enclosed. Most stations passed along the way are unmanned. Since each station has no ticket machines, numbered tickets are issued onboard. At departure, the issuing slot automatically closes. A person in the rear car taking notes while watching the scenery. Apparently, they were on duty for train operation surveys. 10:17, arriving at Echizen-Ōno Station. Ōno City, where water springs up everywhere in town. Even in front of the station, water springs up. It’s safe to drink. Endless spring water in Ōno City. It’s selected as one of Japan’s 100 famous waters. First, I’ll leave my luggage in the lockers in front of the station. All locker sizes cost 300 yen, very reasonable. You can use them with three 100-yen coins. Let’s go explore. For now, I’ll just borrow a bicycle first. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the station. It’s 35°C and hot, but near the river it’s not as bad. The road side is mercilessly hot. Here is the Ōno City Tourist Information Center. Echizen-Ōno Tourist Bureau. The bicycle rental is located in a warehouse behind the building. Bicycles cost 400 yen for 2 hours. Staff: Hello, welcome! Payment is made after use. I just filled out a form and could borrow the bike. Electric bicycles can be rented for 1,200 yen for 2 hours. This street is “Shichiken Street,” paved with stones. As a small Kyoto of the Hokuriku region, the townscape has charm. After touring the town, I arrived at a soy sauce shop. Yamamoto Soy Sauce & Miso Brewery. I bought a large bottle for simmered dishes and a bottle of soy sauce for sashimi. Shop owner: Thank you, take care! Souvenir shop: “Echizen-Ōno Yuurakuza.” Around 50 types, totaling about 200 Japanese hand towels were displayed. After shopping, I returned the bicycle. Heading back to the station for now. I need water or I might collapse. Good thing I brought a bottled water. I drank enough to almost drown. Even at this season, it felt as cold as straight from the fridge. Regained strength and set out again. After a few minutes, I arrived at Goshimizu. The rules for collecting water are strictly enforced. Use the provided funnel and ladle. Also, do not put containers directly into the water. The water level of the spring seems to vary daily. This is largely affected by the weather. The water volume depends on the amount of water seeping in from various places. Water hardness is about 47 mg/L. Sake made with this soft water is also famous. I finished the water I just collected, leaving the bottle empty. The spring water was so cold that condensation formed on the bottle. I should have collected more on the way back… Now I’ll carry 4 liters of water while exploring. Beyond the water collection area was a vegetable washing spot. Looking up, this is the view. The ceiling has brightly colored lanterns. And there are quite a lot of them. In Echizen-Ōno, there are said to be 12 spring water spots within 3 km². Amazing. Even the water in small ponds is this clear. The water is so clean that there are many dragonflies. There were crabs. When I looked around, there were more than I expected everywhere. I wonder if no predatory birds come around here? The spring water is still used as domestic water. Most households pump groundwater directly. As a result, Ōno City’s water supply coverage is astonishingly low at around 38%. Recently, the spread of water-saving devices has further accelerated the decline in usage. The water bureau has a tough job. The groundwater level units seem to differ depending on the location. I wanted to visit Echizen-Ōno Castle as well, but with this heat… I felt it was dangerous for my health, so I gave up. I’ll try visiting again in a cooler season. The last place I visited on this trip was a sake shop. Nanbu Sake Brewery. The shop owner’s wife led me outside. Seeing the sunburn on my arms, she guided me to a water source. Owner: Wow, You’re really quite sunburned. She even worried about my towel—can’t thank her enough. I hadn’t paid attention to my sunburn, so I only realized it when she mentioned it. Bought a 720ml extra dry Hanagaki (1,540 yen). There were several other types, so I want to come back to buy more. Indeed, now that I think about it, I am sunburned. In Ōno City, around 2 PM is the hottest period. I was walking around at the peak, so that’s probably why. Only 30 minutes left until the return train. At the station, I just collect water for the return journey. A bottle of soy sauce, sake, and 4 liters of water. My suitcase is unusually heavy. To catch the return limited express, I probably need to use the Shinkansen. The train should be arriving soon. This trip to Ōno Mostly resting and collecting water—it’s how the day ended. Well, a day like this is fine too. From an objective perspective, I’m just a delivery-service person carrying water all the way to Osaka For now, I probably should buy some moisturizer. At this rate, my arms might hurt too much to sleep tonight. 3:09 PM, departing Echizen-Ōno Station on schedule. I’d like to visit again around winter. It was a fun summer. The return Thunderbird departs at 16:43. It would be impossible to make it using the “Hapiline Fukui.” In fact, I bought a Shinkansen ticket to Tsuruga at the station earlier. To reach Tsuruga Station, I will take the Hokuriku Shinkansen “Tsurugi” limited express. 16:05, arrived at Fukui Station. Changed platforms to the Shinkansen platform. (Shinkansen arrival melody) Announcement: Thank you for using the Shinkansen today. Announcement: At platform 12, the 16:18 departure Tsurugi 31 bound for Tsuruga will arrive shortly. Announcement: Please stay back from the edge of the platform for your safety. The fare was 2,730 yen. The Tsurugi limited express used to run between Kanazawa and Toyama. In March 2024, it was extended to run from Toyama to Tsuruga. Thanks to the extension, I could ride it this time. The Thunderbird used to run all the way to Toyama and Kanazawa. Cutting it at Tsuruga improved the rotation efficiency of the Shinkansen extension and Thunderbird. Seats are arranged 3+2 across. 16:18, departed Fukui Station. Announcement: Thank you for using the Hokuriku Shinkansen today. Announcement: This train is the Tsurugi bound for Tsuruga. Hooks on the wall side. Blinds on the windows. Each seat has two power outlets. Also equipped with foldable drink holders and tables. Here’s a brief introduction to the train’s facilities. A detailed introduction will come another time. Clean and bright washbasin. Next to it is a shared restroom. Compact, but also has a diaper-changing table. Nearby are also gender-specific restrooms. That’s all from the scene. Travel time was about 17 minutes. Arrived at Tsuruga Station 30 minutes faster than a regular train. The Thunderbird departs 6 minutes later. At this time, due to the evening rush, there are many passengers. Arrived at my seat. 16:43, departed on time. (Train interior melody) Announcement: Thank you for using JR West today. Announcement: Thunderbird 32 bound for Osaka. Announcement: Stops at Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, and terminus Osaka. The view along the Kosei Line is always beautiful. I’d like to try going to Tsuruga using the conventional line someday. Shaken by the train for about an hour and a half. Buildings around Osaka Station came into view. Time to get off soon. 18:09, arrived at Osaka Station. Being in car 7 on the way back helped me avoid motion sickness. Honestly, I slept most of the way, so I don’t really remember much. Thank you for watching until the end!
Thunderbird (特急サンダーバード) is one of Japan’s fastest limited express trains. Today, I’ll be riding it from Osaka to Tsuruga. After arriving there, I’ll head further north to Ōno City, a beautiful area known for its pure spring water.
■Train Overview (One Way)
Name: West Japan Railway – Limited Express Thunderbird
Seat: Reserved seat
Route: Osaka (Osaka Sta.) → Fukui (Tsuruga Sta.) → Fukui (Echizen-Ono Sta.)
Travel time: Approx. 3 hours and 17 minutes.
Fare: JPY 6,430 ≈ $43.39 / €37.13 / £32.19 / C$59.87 / A$66.30 / ₩60,331 / ₽3,535.05
■How to Book & Travel Info
Official Website (Booking): https://www.jr-odekake.net/train/thunderbird/
Blog Post (Ride Experience): https://mitemil.com/ride_en/limited-express-thunderbird/
#JapanTravel #TrainTravel #Thunderbird #大野市 #福井 #敦賀 #特急サンダーバード
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00:00 Train Journey from Osaka to Fukui 大阪から福井までの鉄道旅
00:24 JR Osaka Station JR大阪駅
00:43 Map 地図
01:08 Bento shop ‘Ekiben Tabi Bento’ 駅弁ショップ「駅弁旅弁当」
02:08 Thunderbird pulling in サンダーバード入線
03:15 Departure from Osaka Station 大阪駅を出発
05:39 Seat area tour 座席周り
06:24 Inside Car tour 車両設備
09:38 Breakfast time お弁当タイム
11:28 Arrival at Tsuruga Station 敦賀駅に到着
12:29 Hapi-line Fukui ハピラインふくい
13:18 JR local train JRのローカル電車
14:17 Arrival at Echizen-Ono Station 越前大野駅に到着
15:43 Echizen-Ōno Tourist Bureau 越前大野観光ビューロー
16:44 Yamamoto Soy Sauce & Miso Brewery 山元醤油味噌醸造元
18:09 Oshōzu Spring 御清水
21:42 Nanbu Sake Brewery 南部酒造場
26:09 Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsurugi 北陸新幹線つるぎ
28:20 Riding the Thunderbird サンダーバード乗車
1件のコメント
日焼け痛そう〜