Tajima Transportation
From HyogoAJET
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Driving
Tajima is a rural area, so to get anywhere you need a car. Most schools do not frown on the ALT having a car, but some do. Keep in mind that (as I understand it at least) your school cannot technically prevent you from having a car, but they may be upset if you do, so weigh the pluses and minuses before buying. Some suggested places to buy/lease cars from:
- Wataki Motors (Toyooka): They have a history of working with the local JETs.
Main Highways/Expressways
Kita Kinki Toyooka Expressway
This expressway provides a link to the Maizaru expressway from Tajima. It is a very fast way to get to the Kobe/Osaka area, and in particular, Sanda and its neighboring areas. Currently under construction, it is completed from Wadayama (和田山) all the way to the Maizaru at Kasuga (春日). Eventually, it will go to Toyooka and then link up with another under construction expressway that runs East-West along the Sannin line.
Key Driving Routes
To Kobe (Sanda)
This route will take you to the Kobe-area via Sanda. You can either park in Sanda and then take the train into Kobe, or you can continue driving into Kobe.
- From Wadayama, take the Kita Kinki Toyooka Expressway all the way to the Maizaru. Get onto the Maizaru heading towards Osaka.
- If you want to park in Sanda, take the Sanda Nishi (三田西) exit, turn left, drive straight until you reach a T-intersection (about 3 or 4 lights) and turn right (onto the 141). Drive straight until you see Shin-Sanda Station (新三田駅) on your left (there will be signs for it). There is pretty cheap parking all around the station. Park and take the train in (cheap, slow trains will be about 500 yen to Sannomiya, the faster JR trains will be about 900). The trip into Sannomiya by train takes about 1 hour.
- The total road tolls from Wadayama to Sanda will be about 1300 yen for a white plate.
- If you don't want to stop in Sanda continue on the Maizaru until you hit the interchange for the Chuugoku Expressway and get onto that heading towards Osaka/Kobe.
- From Wadayama the drive to the Sanda-Nishi exit takes less than 1 hour.
To Akashi
This route will take you to Akashi City and then to the Driver Licensing Center. Many other places are easily accessible from this route, as well, such as Akashi Bridge (I guess), beaches, and a ferry to Awaji.
- From Wadayama, take the Bantan Expressway towards Himeji.
- Follow the signs that say Himeji Bypass.
- You will eventually hit a fork where you can either go left for Kobe/Osaka or right for Okayama. Go left (Kobe/Osaka).
- From this point it is simply a matter of driving straight and following the signs to Akashi (Dai-ni-shinmei).
- You will pay about 900 yen (white plate) for the Bantan and 100 yen for the Dai-ni-shinmei road.
- Take the Okuradani exit.
- Drive straight for from the exit and in about couple lights you will see a sign for the licensing center.
- Turn left and go straight down that street and you eventually see the licensing center on your right side. Parking is available in the area.
- If you keep going straight all the way down that street it will run up to (and end at) Highway 2. Turn left onto that and you will head towards Okuradani Beach (great views of the bridge). Turn right and you head towards Akashi eki and Nishi-Akashi eki.
- From Wadayama this route should take about 1 hour and 15 minutes under non-rush traffic conditions.
To Fukuchiyama from Toyooka-area
The most common way to get to Fukuchiyama (and then Kyoto) via Tajima is to get on the 9 and take it all the way to Fukuchiyama. If you live in Asago or near it this is the most direct route, but for those living closer to Toyooka there is faster way (using this route you can easily get to Fukuchiyama in under an hour from Toyooka). These directions will assume that you are starting from Toyooka Station.
- Drive straight down main street, and go over the bridge (this the way you would drive to the Konotori Park).
- Once over the bridge, turn right at the first traffic light.
- At the next traffic light, turn right again. You are now on 536 (a very straight and flat road surrounded by rice fields).
- Keep going straight, you will pass an elementary school on your right and then a Mini Stop on your left.
- Go straight through the lights at the intersection with the Mini Stop and at the next lights turn left onto the 706 (the sign will indicate that you are heading to the 426).
- Drive straight thru the next two sets of lights.
- You will then see a sign indicated the 247 (I believe the sign will say Tanto). Turn right onto that.
- Stay on that road. It is kind of a windy mountain road but it is very wide and the grades are not super steep. Eventually you will come to a T-Intersection (Yane 矢根). Turn left onto the 426 and from there simply follow the signs to Fukuchiyama and the 9.
Here is a map of the route on Google Maps.
Takeno to Yabu (Max Value, 100Man Bolt)
See this route on Google Maps. It avoids Toyooka City entirely and under light traffic and fair weather should only take between 45 and 50 minutes.
Trains
Tajima is small, so they are not many train lines and they run somewhat infrequently (this is why driving is usually your best option). The JR line running north and south from Wadayma is the Bantan Line. The JR line running north/south to Toyooka and then east/west is the Sanin Line. The key stations for transfers are Toyooka, Wadayama, Himeji (to get to Osaka/Kobe) and Fukuchiyama (in neighboring Kyoto-fu). Many towns do not have train stations (Izushi, Tantou, etc.) so you will need to use bus or car to get to/from those locations.
Key Train Routes
Tajima to Kobe/Osaka
Regular trains are the cheapest way to get down south (by train), but they are also slow and require more changes. If you want to get there quicker and minimize station changes, take express trains, but keep in mind they are more expensive and run less frequently.
- Regular (From Toyooka): Take the Sanin to Wadayama. Change to Bantan heading to Teramae/Himeji. You have to change trains in Teramae. From there, take a rapid express into Kobe/Osaka.
Time Tables
These links are to Japanese sites that list the time tables for the various lines serving each station. They are not difficult to read and they look very much like the schedules posted on the train platforms. Use Hyperdia to plan a trip for a specific time. But if you miss a train or don't have access to a PC, time tables can be useful for finding the next train to get where you need to go.
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