Chuo Main Line Nagoya-Nakatsugawa
Chuo Main Line Nagoya-Nakatsugawa: read a guide to the Chuo Main Line and the 20 stations between Nagoya Station and Nakatsugawa Station.
The Chuo Main Line between Nagoya Station and Nakatsugawa Station in Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture to the north east is part of the much longer Chuo Main Line that runs between Nagoya Station and Tokyo Station in Tokyo.
No direct trains make that 425 km, around 6 hour journey on the Chuo Main Line between Nagoya and Tokyo. In fact, the journey would necessitate changes of train at Nakatsugawa, Shiojiri, Takao and Mitaka.
Nagoya and Tokyo are more conveniently connected by the quicker and more direct Tokaido shinkansen in just under 2 hours.
JR Chuo Line trains are covered by the JR Rail Pass.
After Nakatsugawa, the Chuo Line then continues on to Shiojiri, Takao, Mitaka and eventually Tokyo Station.
Chuo Line Stations
Nagoya Station | Kanayama Station | Tsurumai Station | Chikusa Station | Ozone Station | Jokoji Station |
Tajimi Station| Ena Station | Nakatsugawa Station
Notable Stations
Nagoya Station
JR Nagoya Station has Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, Yokohama and Shinagawa. JR trains from Nagoya Station run to Okazaki, Gamagori, Toyohashi, Gifu, Maibara, Ogaki and Tajimi. The JR Hida Express runs from Nagoya to Takayama and Toyama via Gero Onsen. The JR Shinano Express goes to Nagano. The Shirasagi Express service runs to Kanazawa.
The Sakura-dori Line and Higashiyama Line of the Nagoya subway intersect at Nagoya Station.
Tajimi Station
Tajimi is a pleasant town with a long history of ceramic production, in particular, sake cups and flasks. Tajimi's attractions include Honmachi Oribe Street, the commercial center of Tajimi's ceramics business since the Meiji Period and Kokeizan Eihoji Temple, an historic Zen temple with a beautiful garden. Eihoji Temple was founded in 1313 and is still a practicing monastery for young Zen priests. Museums connected with ceramics in the area include the striking Tajimi Mosaic Tile Museum and the Museum of Modern Ceramic Art (MOMCA). At Tajimi Station the Chuo Main Line connects with the Taita Line, a small railway line linking Tajimi Station with Mino-Ota via Koizumi, Nemoto, Hime, Shimogiri, Kani (connects with the Meitetsu Line) and Mino Kawai.
Ena Station
Ena Station is the gateway to the town of Ena on the Nakasendo and is an interesting place in its own right. Nearby Ena Gorge offers beautiful scenery and boat rides on the Kiso River and Ena town has a number of Edo period buildings and the Hiroshige Museum of Art has a collection of over 500 ukiyo-e woodblock prints on display including the "Sixty-nine Stations of Kiso-kaido" (Nakasendo) by Utagawa Hiroshige and Keisai Eisen, a follow up to Hiroshige's more famous "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido". Adjoining Ena Station, the Akechi Railway connects south to Iwamura and its castle ruins, Hanashiro and the Taisho Village in Akechi.