A trip around Iwate Prefecture!? Express trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" from and to Morioka

Yuto Ono
2024.12.06
Last updated: 2026.03.17

table of contents

1 What are the circular trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo"?
2 What kind of people used it?
3 Is this train useful for people who want to take the trouble to go the long way around?
4 Discontinued with the full-scale opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen
5 The Reiwa circular train that was lost

Many trains on lines such as Tokyo's Yamanote Line, Osaka's Osaka Loop Line, and Aichi's Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line operate in a loop.
Therefore, if you board a train at a certain station, the train will complete a full loop of the line, bringing you back to the station where you boarded
(whether there is any point in riding in this way, and how the fare is calculated in such a case, are separate issues).
In addition to these trains that run on loop lines, during the era of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the predecessor of JR, there were several "circular trains" that departed from a starting station, ran across several lines, and ultimately returned to the starting station.
that we will introduce hereSotoyama" and "Goyo" trains

What are the circular trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo"?

The "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains debuted in 1965, initially as "semi-express" trains.
They were upgraded to "express" trains the following year, 1966.

"Sotoyama" is a general term for the mountains located in the northeastern part of Morioka.
The name "Goyo" is thought to originate from Mount Goyozan, which rises in the southeastern part of Iwate Prefecture.
In other words, both names are derived from mountains within Iwate Prefecture.

Let me describe the route of the "Sotoyama" train.
First, it departs from Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture and travels east along the Yamada Line to Miyako Station.
Upon arriving at Miyako Station, it then travels south along the Pacific coast to Kamaishi Station.
The section from Miyako Station to Kamaishi Station has been part of the Sanriku Railway's Rias Line since 2019, but at the time, this section was also part of the JNR Yamada Line.

From Kamaishi Station, take the Kamaishi Line and head to Hanamaki Station

The Kamaishi Line (or more precisely, its predecessor, the Iwate Light Railway) is said to have been the model for "Night on the Galactic Railroad," a novel written by Kenji Miyazawa, a writer from Hanamaki.
themed after "SL Ginga,operated a train called the
Night on the Galactic Railroad." However, it sadly ceased operation in June 2023.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

It's been a year since the SL Ginga's last run: "Thank you SL Ginga!" [Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/30345

A steam locomotive called "SL Ginga" ran on the Kamaishi Line, connecting Hanamaki Station and Kamaishi Station in Iwate Prefecture. The SL Ginga sadly made its final run about a year ago in June 2023. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what kind of train the SL Ginga was. What kind of train was the SL Ginga? The SL Ginga Kamaishi Line, which runs near the former Kamaishi Mine, is a JR East line connecting Hanamaki Station and Kamaishi Station. The SL Ginga ran on this section for nine years, from 2014 to 2023, mainly on Saturdays and Sundays. As you can imagine from the name SL Ginga and the fact that it runs through Iwate Prefecture, it was a train that ran mainly on Hanamaki...

Then, from Hanamaki Station, the train heads north on the Tohoku Main Line, returning to Morioka Station, which is its final destination.
This trainthe exact same starting and ending stations.
Such trainscircular trainsare called

The route for the "Goyo" train was the same as the route for the "Sotoyama" train, but in the reverse direction, or counterclockwise.
The total travel time from the first to the last stop for both the "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains was approximately 6 hours.

What kind of people used it?

Riding a train that operates in a loop for the entire duration of one full rotation is unlikely unless the purpose itself is to complete the loop.
The same applies to the "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains; it's unlikely that anyone would normally board at Morioka Station and alight at Morioka Station.
So, who used these circular trains? For example, people who wanted to go from Morioka to Miyako, from Miyako to Kamaishi, or from Kamaishi or Hanamaki to Morioka.
In other words, the passengers on board changed many times during the journey.

One could view the "Sotoyama" as a train that combined two express trains: one connecting Morioka to Kamaishi via Miyako, and another connecting Kamaishi to Morioka via Hanamaki. It seems that combining them into one train
was more efficient for the Japanese National Railways (JNR) than operating separate trains.
Furthermore, for passengers who wanted to travel across multiple lines (for example, passengers wanting to travel from Moichi Station on the Yamada Line to Tono Station on the Kamaishi Line), it was a convenient train as they could travel without leaving the station.

Is this train useful for people who want to take the trouble to go the long way around?

Apart from the practical advantages already mentioned, trains like the Sotoyama were also useful for people who wanted to take the long way around

written by the late travel writer Shunzō MiyawakiThe Longest One-Way Ticket JourneyThere is a book called
The longest one-way ticket is the one-way ticket that can be issued under the rules of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and JR, covering the longest possible route.
In this journey, the traveler repeatedly takes long detours on JNR lines throughout Japan, while making sure not to pass through the same station twice.
The route Miyawaki took on the longest one-way ticket in the autumn of 1978 spanned a staggering 13,319.4 kilometers.

During this journey, Mr. Miyawaki needed to travel from Morioka Station to Hanamaki Station via the Yamada Line and Kamaishi Line.
The "Sotoyama" train was perfectly suited for this roundabout route, as it
allowed him to travel from Morioka Station to Hanamaki Station without any transfers along the way.
And Mr. Miyawaki actually rode this train.

For someone in a hurry to complete the longest one-way ticket route, this train was convenient. I, of course, didn't get off at Miyako or Kamaishi, but rode the entire U-shaped route to Hanamaki.
　Shortly after departure, the conductor passed by, so I said, "Could I have an express ticket to Hanamaki, please?"
"What? Sir, this is the Miyako route,"
　the conductor said, sounding astonished. The Tohoku Main Line express train to Hanamaki takes less than 30 minutes. However, this express train via Miyako and Kamaishi takes a staggering 5 hours and 18 minutes, so the conductor's surprise was understandable.
(From "The Longest One-Way Ticket Journey," Shincho Bunko, pages 131-132)

Looking at the timetable from that time, the "Sotoyama" train departed Morioka Station at 8:58, arrived at Miyako Station at 11:07, Kamaishi Station at 12:21, and Hanamaki Station at 14:16. It arrived back at
Morioka Station at 14:50.
On the other hand, the Tohoku Main Line express train "Kurikoma No. 2" from Morioka to Sendai departed Morioka Station at 9:20 and arrived at Hanamaki Station at 9:47.
Traveling from Morioka to Hanamaki by this route, which takes longer and involves higher fares and express train charges than taking the Tohoku Main Line, was not at all a sensible thing to do, as the conductor's reaction shows.
However, for people like Mr. Miyawaki, the "Sotoyama" was a useful train.
If such a train still existed today, railway YouTubers and the like might have found various ways to enjoy it.

Discontinued with the full-scale opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen

With the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982, the number of limited express and express trains on conventional lines running in the Tohoku region was drastically reduced and streamlined.
As a result, the "Goyo" was discontinued in the November timetable revision. The
"Sotoyama" train retained its name, but was downgraded to a rapid train, and its operating section was shortened to between Morioka Station and Miyako Station
(for the record, it is a train that goes directly via the Yamada Line without taking a roundabout route).
It can be said that the "Sotoyama" express train before the revision is a completely different train, despite having the same name.

In the March 1985 timetable revision, the special rapid train "Rias," which had fewer stops than the "Sotoyama," began operating between Morioka Station and Miyako Station.
Eventually, the rapid train service between Morioka Station and Miyako Station was consolidated into the "Rias," and the "Sotoyama" was discontinued, ending its history.

The Reiwa circular train that was lost

The circular express trains "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" were discontinued during the Showa era, but in 2024, the Reiwa era, they will be revived as special rapid trains

From October to December 2024, Iwate PrefectureIwate Autumn Travel Campaign - Autumn is Shortwill be hosting
, Travel to Iwate -". The revival of the "Sotoyama" and "Goyo" trains was a prelude to this campaign.

JR East announced in May that on September 28, 2024, the "Goyo No. 1" train would depart from Morioka, via Hanamaki, and go to Kamaishi, and the "Goyo No. 2" train would depart from Kamaishi, via Miyako, and go to Morioka. The following day, September 29, the "Sotoyama No. 1" train would depart from Morioka, via Miyako, and go to Kamaishi, and the "Sotoyama No. 2" train would depart from
Kamaishi, via Hanamaki, and go to Morioka. The 2024 versions of the "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" trains were officially set up as separate trains with Kamaishi Station as the dividing point, but the timetable was set up so that passengers could transfer between No. 1 and No. 2 (presumably the same rolling stock used for No. 1 was planned to be used for No. 2 as well), which was effectively a revival of the circular express trains from the JNR era. The fact that they
would also operate on the section between Kamaishi Station and Miyako Station, which is now operated by the Sanriku Railway, attracted attention.

JR East's Kiha 110 series diesel railcar used for special express trains (pictured is the rapid "Rias" train)

However, this Reiwa-era circular train unfortunately became a pipe dream. This
was because the Yamada Line was damaged by torrential rains in August, which occurred after the announcement of the temporary rapid train service, and it took time to resume operations.
The temporary rapid trains "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" did run, but since they could not use the Yamada Line, they could not operate in a circular route, so the operating section was shortened from Morioka Station to Miyako Station via Hanamaki Station and Kamaishi Station.
Although it was not a recreation of the "Goyo" and "Sotoyama" routes, I thought it was a recreation of the "Rikuchu" train.
In addition, another point of interest, that was JR's Kiha 110 series diesel railcars ran on the Sanriku Railway line, was successfully realized.

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