On the snowy Tsugaru plain in Aomori, the Tsugaru Railway runs its signature winter train: the Stove Train, a set of old carriages heated by coal-burning stoves.
Passengers nibble grilled squid while the snow slides past the windows. The journey takes about 45 minutes, and the train usually runs each winter, from December through March.
Riding it takes a little planning. This guide covers the dates, fares, timetable and booking for the 2026-27 season, based on Tsugaru Railway's official information.
To ride the Stove Train you need a 1,000-yen "stove train ticket" in addition to the regular fare. There are no reservations: seats are first-come, so a busy weekend train can fill up before you board.
About the Stove Train
The Stove Train runs on the Tsugaru Railway between Tsugaru-Goshogawara and Tsugaru-Nakazato, a 20.7 km line. Carriages from Japan's Shōwa era are fitted with coal stoves (daruma stoves) for heating, two per carriage. One way takes about 43 to 45 minutes.
On board, staff sell dried squid (surume) and sake from around Aomori. The onboard attendant grills the squid on the stove, tears it into strips and hands it to you; you may also bring your own.
The old carriages run coupled to the Tsugaru 21 "Hashire Melos" railcars.
The 2026-27 season: dates and three daily round trips
For the 2026-27 season, the Stove Train runs daily from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, with three round trips a day.
The previous season was suspended after carriages came uncoupled in late December 2025. Tsugaru Railway says the preventive measures are complete and that it will resume coupling the carriages, restarting on December 1, 2026.
The timetable is below (from Tsugaru Railway).
Train | Dep. | Arr. |
|---|---|---|
Train 151 | 9:35 | 10:18 |
Train 153 | 12:00 | 12:44 |
Train 155 | 14:40 | 15:24 |
Train | Dep. | Arr. |
|---|---|---|
Train 152 | 10:46 | 11:29 |
Train 154 | 13:37 | 14:21 |
Train 156 | 15:54 | 16:37 |
For a round trip, take an outbound train toward Tsugaru-Nakazato and come back on the next return train. The wait at Tsugaru-Nakazato is about 30 minutes (Trains 151 to 152), about 50 minutes (Trains 153 to 154) or about 30 minutes (Trains 155 to 156).
Fares: the regular ticket plus the stove train ticket
Riding the Stove Train costs the regular fare plus a separate "stove train ticket" of 1,000 yen. A regular ticket alone will not get you aboard, so buy both before you board.
The fare depends on how far you ride. The full line (Tsugaru-Goshogawara to Tsugaru-Nakazato) one way is 870 yen for adults and 440 yen for children. The stove train ticket is a flat 1,000 yen for all ages, in effect since December 1, 2024.
Item | Fare |
|---|---|
Regular ticket (full line, one way, adult) | 870 yen |
Regular ticket (same, child) | 440 yen |
Stove train ticket (flat, all ages) | 1,000 yen |
One way across the full line comes to 1,870 yen for an adult and 1,440 yen for a child.
A full round trip comes to 3,740 yen for an adult, since the stove train ticket applies each time you board (2,000 yen for the two stove tickets alone). Payment is cash only.
The "Tsugaru Free Pass" is not valid on the Stove Train. Even with the pass, you still need a regular ticket and a stove train ticket.
Booking, seats and sell-outs
The Stove Train does not accept reservations; boarding is first-come, first-served. You buy the regular ticket and the stove train ticket at the station window and line up at the gate. At unstaffed stations, the conductor sells the stove train ticket on board.
Once a train is full, no more stove train tickets are sold for it. You then ride the coupled regular railcar (Hashire Melos) to Tsugaru-Nakazato and catch a returning Stove Train, or wait for the next service.
On busy days, plan for the possibility that the Stove Train is full. The busiest days are Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, especially the 12:00 departure from Tsugaru-Goshogawara (Train 153) and the 13:37 from Tsugaru-Nakazato (Train 154).
Getting there and how to ride
The starting station, Tsugaru-Goshogawara, sits right next to JR Goshogawara on the Gonō Line. Its buildings and gates are separate from JR's. From Shin-Aomori, take the Ōu and Gonō lines via JR Kawabe to Goshogawara.
For how to reach Shin-Aomori by bullet train, see our guide to riding the shinkansen.
You can also get off partway instead of riding the whole line. A round trip is about 90 minutes on the train itself, or about two and a half hours including the layover at Tsugaru-Nakazato.
What to wear and onboard notes
The Stove Train uses old carriages, and cold air seeps in. The platforms and open-air sections are bitterly cold, so dress warmly for the trip: thermal layers, a warm coat, gloves and a hat.
The area by the stove is warm, but the metal surface gets hot, so take care not to burn yourself. The carriages are non-smoking, there is no wheelchair space, and large bags are best left in a station locker.
Services may be canceled in bad weather, so check Tsugaru Railway's official site before setting out on a stormy day.
The roughly 45-minute journey crosses the snow-covered Tsugaru plain in a stove-heated carriage, with dried squid grilling on board. It runs daily from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.