If you want to enjoy the scenic views of the Sea of Japan on a JR local line, the Gono Line is probably the best-known option. It runs between Higashi-Noshiro Station in Akita Prefecture and Kawabe Station in Aomori Prefecture. If you want to fully enjoy the scenery, I recommend the Resort Shirakami sightseeing train; this was my second time riding it. The train slows down at about two or three scenic spots. The scenery from the train window is, as expected, magnificent. However, since I was still carrying the impressions from having ridden local lines all over Japan, the Gonō Line didn’t leave as vivid an impression as it did last time. This is because I felt that if other local lines were marketed as effectively as the Gonō Line, it would be difficult to easily determine which had the better scenery when comparing views from the train window.
