The Hakubi Line — A Mountain Railway with Character
The Hakubi Line is one of western Japan’s most fascinating railway routes, stretching from Okayama Prefecture through the heart of the Chugoku Mountains to Tottori Prefecture. Connecting the Sanyo region on the Seto Inland Sea with the Sanin region on the Sea of Japan, the line serves as an important transportation artery while offering railway enthusiasts an impressive combination of dramatic scenery, challenging gradients, and varied train operations.
From the broad plains around Okayama, the railway gradually enters increasingly rugged country. As it climbs into the mountains, the scenery changes dramatically, with the tracks following rivers through narrow valleys and passing dense forests, steep hillsides, and spectacular mountain landscapes. In many sections, the railway feels remarkably remote and isolated, making a journey along the Hakubi Line an especially memorable experience.
The line is best known for the Limited Express Yakumo. Connecting Okayama with Matsue and Izumo City, the Yakumo is the principal passenger service over the route and provides a fast link between the Sanyo and Sanin regions. Alongside these limited express trains, local services continue to serve communities scattered throughout the mountainous interior.
For railway enthusiasts, however, the Hakubi Line has another major attraction: freight trains. Four round trips of container freight operate each day, adding a distinctly industrial character to this otherwise scenic mountain railway. The sight of a long freight train winding its way through the valleys is one of the highlights of the line.
The motive power is particularly noteworthy. Freight trains are hauled by EF64 electric locomotives, descendants of the Japanese National Railways era and veterans of Japan’s electric railway network. Built for mountainous routes, the EF64 combines substantial tractive effort with the ability to handle the demanding gradients of the Hakubi Line. Watching an EF64 work its way through the mountains with a heavy string of container cars is a reminder of the locomotive’s original purpose and enduring capabilities.
For enthusiasts interested in Japanese railway operations, the Hakubi Line offers a rare combination: high-speed limited express trains, local services, regular container freight, powerful electric locomotives, and spectacular mountain scenery. It is a line where the railway itself remains an integral part of the landscape—and where every journey can offer something different to discover.
All photos: Taken by Hiroshi Naito on July 8th through 9th, 2026.
A set of 273 series EMUs working Limited Express Yakumo No. 16, bound for Okayama, climbs the ascending track as it winds its way through a deep valley in the heart of the Chūgoku Mountains.
The overnight sleeper limited express Sunrise Izumo, formed of 285 series EMU set, races past Niimi in the stillness of the early morning. Having left Tokyo the previous evening, the train is now making its way through the Chugoku mountains towards the Sanin region.
EF64-1049 leads Okayama Freight Terminal-bound freight train #3082, roaring across a bridge as it emerges into a secluded, narrow basin deep in the Chugoku Mountains.
EF64-1045, leading train #3084 bound for Okayama Freight Terminal, ventures deep into the mountains, rolling alongside a quiet agricultural field in the Kurosaka area, some 60 km inland from the Sea of Japan coast.