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Charles's Wain, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Izumo-Sakane Station
出雲坂根駅Shimane · Chugoku
出雲坂根駅 climbs 162 m to the next station, Mitsunogahara, using JR West's only three-stage switchback: the train pulls in, reverses up a spur, then reverses again to continue climbing, tracing a zigzag up the mountainside rather than a single curve. At 564 m elevation the station keeps a natural spring beside the platform, 延命水 ('life-extending water'), free for anyone to drink while waiting. The line's own nickname for the station is 天真名井 (Amenomanai).
- Best season
- Year-round
- Crowd level
- Hidden gem
- Admission
- No admission — a working railway station. The 延命水 spring water beside the platform is free to drink.
- Nearest station
- Izumo-Sakane Station (JR Kisuki Line) · at the site
Today
FreeHow to get there
On the JR Kisuki Line, in Okuizumo Town. Trains are infrequent on this rural line, so check the timetable before planning a stop; the switchback itself is best experienced by riding through rather than only viewing from outside.
Tags
scenic-stationstation
Location
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