A new tourist train is set to launch in Japan connecting visitors to the sacred Buddhist temple settlement of Koyasan.
Nankai Electric Railways will launch its new tourist train, Gran Tenku, on Friday, 24 April, running from Namba Station in Osaka to Gokurakubashi Station in Wakayama Prefecture.
The tourist train will consist of four cars, each with its own distinctive character.
Passengers who book tickets for the fourth car will be served breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea by chef Atsushi Motokawa, depending on the time of the journey.
The spring menu will include dishes such as Kawachi duck and Senshu octopus, made with ingredients from the surrounding areas.
Free soft and alcoholic drinks will also be offered alongside the menu.
As part of its launch, a platform at Namba Station will be renovated and will be used solely by the Gran Tenku train.
To reflect the train’s luxury experience, Namba’s Platform 0 has been upgraded with wooden cladding and modern feature lighting.
The crimson coloured trains will also run on solar-powered renewable energy.
The upgraded train will replace another tourist service which has shuttled visitors to Koyasan from Hashimoto Station since 2009. That service will end on 20 March.
Koyasan, or Mount Koya, attracts visitors who wish to see more than 2,000 Shingon Buddhism temples scattered across the forested mountain.
The Unesco World Heritage site is a peaceful place to experience monastic life, with vegetarian cuisine served and temple lodging available for booking.
Many tourists may decide to retreat to more rural areas of Japan after its recent visitor boom, which has largely seen its cities fill with international arrivals, soaring to a record 42.7 million in 2025.
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