This highly popular attraction leverages the infrastructure of the former Takachiho Railway which no longer operates. Open-topped “super carts” travel the roughly five kilometer distance from Takachiho to the Takachiho Iron Bridge, led by an engine running on biodiesel made from sources such as pork bone broth, making it environmentally friendly. A portion of the cart floors is made from reinforced glass, allowing passengers to see the rails as they travel.
But the best part of the ride is the Takachiho Iron Bridge, Japan’s highest railway bridge at 105 meters. The bridge offers wide open views of huge valleys and the Takachiho mountains, and you can really get a sense of your altitude at 105 meters if you look through the reinforced glass floor. Meanwhile, the tunnels along the route are illuminated inside.
With advance reservations, you can try your hand at being the conductor of a train formerly used on the Takachiho Railway. There is also an impressive diorama recreating the entire Takachiho line located within the Takachiho Railway Memorial Museum which opened on the site in 2023.