Experiences – Life – Inspiration 🇨🇭🇯🇵

Just when I thought Japan had reached peak coziness, it casually raised the bar again.

We all know the kotatsu. That magical low table that turns winter into a highly questionable productivity season. Once your legs are under it, your motivation to move drops to approximately zero. I have written about it before, and in our home it is basically a seasonal lifestyle decision rather than a piece of furniture.

But this time, my wife found something that made me question reality for a brief moment.

A kotatsu train.

Yes. An actual train. With actual kotatsu tables inside. Rolling through the mountains of Gifu.

Apparently, this winter you can book a special Nagaragawa Railway kotatsu train that runs from Seki to Gujo Hachiman. Instead of sitting on normal seats and pretending you are not cold, you sit at a proper kotatsu table, wrapped in blankets, with warm air underneath your legs, while the winter scenery slowly drifts by outside the window.

If that sounds like peak Japan, that is because it probably is.

The concept is simple and therefore brilliant.

You board a cozy local train. Inside, the seats have been replaced by kotatsu tables. Under each table is a heating system that keeps your legs warm. You sit down, tuck yourself in, and immediately lose any remaining desire to ever stand up again.

To make things even more dangerous, this is not just a sightseeing ride.

They serve proper local food on board. Warm winter dishes, rice cooked in a pot, local river fish, mushrooms, miso soup. Basically the kind of meal that makes you want to sigh happily and stare out of the window for a long time while reconsidering all life decisions that do not involve being warm and comfortable.

The ride takes about an hour. Which sounds perfect. Long enough to relax. Short enough that you do not need to bring a pillow and negotiate with the staff about spending the night.

The Nagaragawa Railway is not just a way to get from A to B.

It is one of those beautiful local lines that follows the Nagara River, passing mountains, forests, small towns and quiet countryside. It is slow in the best possible way. The kind of slow that makes you notice things again.

In a world of bullet trains and tight schedules, this line feels almost nostalgic. You sit, you look outside, and the scenery does the work.

It also happens to go to Gujo Hachiman, one of the most charming towns in Gifu. Famous for its waterways, old streets and traditional atmosphere. Even without a kotatsu, it is already a lovely trip. With a kotatsu, it becomes something close to a moving winter dream.

The kotatsu is already known for one thing above all else. Once you are inside, you do not want to leave.

Now imagine combining that with a train.

You are warm. You are fed. You are comfortable. The scenery is pretty. There is absolutely no reason to move.

This might be the first form of public transport designed specifically to prevent passengers from wanting to get off.

If someone misses their stop, nobody should be surprised.

Here is the information about the kotatsu train, should you be interested in booking the trip.

Oh and here is my blog post fully explaining about a kotatsu. Just in case you have no clue what a kotatsu is.