The Inaho limited express train has been connecting the Sea of ​​Japan side of the Tohoku region with the Tokyo metropolitan area and Niigata Prefecture [Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, Yamagata Prefecture]

JR East's limited express train "Inaho"Niigata Stationin Yamagata Prefecture or Akita Station in Akita Prefecture, via the Hakushin LineSakata StationtoLine.
There are only two round trips per day between Niigata Station and Akita Station, and five round trips per day between Niigata Station and Sakata Station. Currently, itsmain roleis to connect the Shimogoshi region of Niigata Prefecture with the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture.

However, the "Inaho" train used to run as far south as Ueno Station in Tokyo and as far north as Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture.
This time, let's trace the changes in the operating section of the limited express "Inaho."

The birth of the Inaho limited express train

The limited express "Inaho"October 1969, coinciding with a timetable revision by the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of JR)between Ueno Station and Akita Stationbegan operation
The route included the Tohoku Main Line, Takasaki Line, Joetsu Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, and Uetsu Main Line. The
"Inaho" was the first limited express train to connect the areas along the Uetsu Main Line (between Niitsu Station and Akita Station) with the Tokyo metropolitan area.

I don't have a timetable from October 1969, but according to the timetable from August 1970, the intermediate stops were Takasaki and Minakami (both in Gunma Prefecture), Nagaoka, Niitsu, Shibata, and Murakami (all in Niigata Prefecture), Atsumi (now Atsumi Onsen), Tsuruoka, and Sakata (all in Yamagata Prefecture), and Ugo-Honjo (Akita Prefecture).
The nickname "Inaho"the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture, one of Japan's leading rice-producing regionscomes from the fact that it passed through

The southbound train departed Ueno Station at 1:50 PM and arrived at Akita Station at exactly 10:00 PM, taking a total of 8 hours and 10 minutes.
The northbound train departed Akita Station at 9:25 AM and arrived at Ueno Station at 5:40 PM, taking a total of 8 hours and 15 minutes.
By today's standards, this is quite a long journey, but the express train "Chokai," which ran the same route, took 9 and a half hours, so the travel time was significantly reduced.

The train used for the "Inaho" was the KiHa 81 series diesel railcar. It
was the first diesel railcar developed by the Japanese National Railways to run on diesel fuel and was intended for express trains, making its debut in 1960 for the "Hatsukari" express train.

The "Hatsukari" was the first limited express train in the Tohoku region, connecting Ueno Station and Aomori Station.
For more details, please see the article below.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The history of the Tohoku region's first express train, "Hatsukari"

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/28372

When people living in the Tokyo metropolitan area visit the Tohoku region by public transportation, they often use bullet trains such as the Tohoku Shinkansen. However, the Tohoku Shinkansen only opened in 1982, about 40 years ago. Before then, what did people travel to the Tohoku region by? One option was the Hatsukari, the first limited express train to run through the Tohoku region. The Appearance of the Tohoku Region's First Limited Express Train: In the prewar and immediate postwar period, the limited express trains of the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of today's JR) were truly special trains, as their official name "limited express train" suggests, and express trains were the main mode of long-distance travel.

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The line was converted to an electric train and began operating to Aomori Station

In 1972, the electrification of the Uetsu Main Line was completed, allowing electric trains to operate.
As a result, with the timetable revision in October 1972, the "Inaho" limited express train485 series electric trainswas replaced with
The 485 series electric train was one of the most representative trains used for limited express services during the Japanese National Railways (JNR) era.

At the same time, one round trip was added, bringing the total to two round trips per day. One of these round trips was extended to the Ou Main Line, north of Akita Station, anda train connecting Ueno Station and Aomori Stationwas set up as

With the introduction of electric trains, the travel time between Ueno Station and Akita Station was reduced to about 7 and a half hours.
The limited express "Tsubasa," which connected Ueno Station and Akita Station via the Tohoku Main Line and Ou Main Line, was still operated by diesel railcars at this time, and the travel time was about 7 hours and 40 minutes.
It doesn't seem like much of a difference, but apparently the advertisements for the "Inaho" at the time featured the catchphrase, "It's now faster than taking the Tsubasa."

The Inaho train took just over 10 hours to travel between Ueno Station and Aomori Station

For more information about the Tsubasa express train, please see the article below

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From diesel express trains to Shinkansen bullet trains... The history of the "Tsubasa" [Akita and Yamagata Prefectures]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/42467

As of 2025, the Yamagata Shinkansen's "Tsubasa" primarily connects Tokyo Station with Yamagata Station or Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture. Even if you're not particularly a train enthusiast, many who live in or have visited Yamagata are familiar with or have ridden the train. The Yamagata Shinkansen opened in 1992, but trains named "Tsubasa" had been running before then. This time, we'll introduce the limited express "Tsubasa," which can be considered the predecessor of the Yamagata Shinkansen. The "Tsubasa" began operating as a diesel limited express train in the October 1961 timetable revision...

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With the opening of the Joetsu Shinkansen, service to Ueno Station ceased

On November 15, 1982, the Joetsu Shinkansen line opened, running from Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture to Niigata Station in Niigata Prefecture.
With the opening of the Joetsu Shinkansen, the "Inaho" trainfour round trips per day between Niigata Station and Akita Station, and one round trip per day between Niigata Station and Aomori Stationservice was revised to
This effectively ended all service to lines and stations in the Kanto region, including Ueno Station.

At the time, the Shinkansen line between Tokyo Station and Omiya Station had not yet opened, so passengers wishing to use the Joetsu Shinkansen from within Tokyo had to first go to Omiya Station and transfer to the Shinkansen. Perhaps
because this transfer was cumbersome, one round trip of the "Inaho" train, which ran between Ueno Station and Aomori Station, was retained.
However,this train that entered Ueno Stationwas renamed "Chokai".

When the Shinkansen line opened to Ueno Station in March 1985, the "Chokai" became a temporary train
The "Inaho" servicerunningwas introduced.

In November 1986, the last nationwide timetable revision of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) took place.
With this revision, the "Inaho" train service was reduced to a total of seven round trips per day: four round trips originating from and terminating at Sakata Station (one of which was a seasonal service), two round trips originating from and terminating at Akita Station, and one round trip
originating from and terminating at Aomori Station. The reason for the reduction in trains originating from and terminating at Akita Station and the increase in trains originating from and terminating at Sakata Station is thought to be that the route via Morioka Station became preferred over the route via Niigata Station when connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and Akita Station.
With the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982, the travel time via Morioka had become shorter.

In 1987, Japanese National Railways (JNR) was privatized and divided into separate companies, and the "Inaho" train became a service operated by JR East.
In March of the following year, 1988, the service was expanded to a total of eight round trips per day: five to and from Sakata Station, two to and from Akita Station, and one to and from Aomori Station.
Meanwhile, the "Chokai" train, which had served Ueno Station, was discontinued even as a temporary train and ceased to exist.

"Inaho" after the launch of JR

After the launch of JR, the Inaho also underwent various changes

In 1991, the maximum speed on some sections was increased from 100 km/h to 120 km/h, and the "Super Inaho" train, with fewer stops, was introduced, shortening the travel time.
The "Super Inaho" name was discontinued in 1999.

In 1993,between Niigata Station and Murakami Stationtwo round trips of the "Inaho" train service were introduced, operating entirely within Niigata Prefecture,
However, just two years later, in 1995, one round trip was discontinued, and the other was extended to Sakata Station, resulting in the disappearance of trains originating from or terminating at Murakami Station.

In 1997, the Akita Shinkansen opened, and the "Komachi" train began operating between Tokyo Station and Akita Station. The
"Inaho" train finally lost its role as a means of transportation connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and Akita Prefecture, andtrains originating and terminating at Sakata Stationbecame the main mode of service.

In March 2001, following the discontinuation of the "Hakucho" limited express train that ran between Osaka Station and Aomori Station, the "Inaho" train, which connects Niigata Station and Aomori Station,the longest-distance regular daytime limited express train on Japan's conventional linesbecame

For more information about the Shiratori express train, please see the article below

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

From Osaka to Aomori in 16 hours! Japan's longest daytime express train, "Shiratori"

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/31986

There used to be a limited express train called the "Shiratori" operated by the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and JR, which ran over 1,000 km along the Sea of ​​Japan coast from Osaka Station to Aomori Station. When it was introduced in 1961, the journey time from Osaka Station to Aomori Station was as long as 15 hours and 45 minutes. However, despite its long service time, the Shiratori was not a sleeper limited express. It was a daytime limited express train with seated passengers. This time, we will introduce the Shiratori, which ran the longest distance of any daytime limited express train on a conventional line (apart from the Shinkansen). The origins of the "Shiratori" The term "limited express" is well-established among those who use trains on a daily basis, but...

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However, nine years later, in December 2010, it lost its status as the longest-distance train.
With the opening of the entire Tohoku Shinkansen line to Shin-Aomori Station, a timetable revision was implemented, and express trains running in the northern Tohoku region were streamlined.
At that time,operation between Akita Station and Aomoriceased
Station (in its place, the express train "Tsugaru" was introduced).
Since then, the "Inaho"has only operated trains connecting Niigata Station with Sakata Station and Akita Station, establishing the system that continues to this day.

Introduction of E653 series trains

The "Inaho" service had been operated for many years using the 485 series electric train, which debuted during the Japanese National Railways era, but it couldn't continue using it forever.
From September 2013,the E653 series electric trainthe service began using

The E653 series trains began commercial operation in 1997 and were originally used for the "Fresh Hitachi" limited express service on the Joban Line.
Following the withdrawal of the E653 series from the Joban Line limited express service, they were repurposed for the "Inaho" service.

For information on Joban Line express trains such as the Fresh Hitachi, please see the article below

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The trajectory of the Joban Line Limited Express "Hitachi," which has played a vital role in connecting the Pacific coast of Tohoku despite being tossed about by the times [Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/30690

The Hitachi Limited Express is a limited express train that runs between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and either Iwaki Station in Fukushima Prefecture or Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture via JR East's Joban Line*. As of March 2024, it operates 15 round trips per day, making it the most frequent limited express train currently operating on conventional lines. This article explores the history of the Hitachi Limited Express from its inception to the present day. *Although the sections between Shinagawa Station and Nippori Station in Tokyo and between Iwanuma Station and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture are not technically part of the Joban Line, for the sake of simplicity, this article will refer to the entire section on which the Hitachi operates as the Joban Line. Limited Express...

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Approximately one year after the introduction of the E653 series, in July 2014, all regular trains were standardized to be operated by the E653 series.
The 485 series train, which had been running as the "Inaho" since 1972, came to an end to its long history of service.

In 2018, the platform for the "Inaho" train at Niigata Station was elevated,allowing passengers to transfer to the Joetsu Shinkansen on the same platform, improving convenience.

The operating section of the "Inaho" train has become shorter compared to when it connected Ueno Station with Akita Station and Aomori Station.
The main reasons for passengers using the train have likely changed significantly between then and now.
Also, the rolling stock has been changed twice, so it can be said that the train no longer retains much of its original appearance.

That being said, the "Inaho" has always run through the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, from which its name originates.
Considering that all the other trains mentioned in this article, such as "Hatsukari," "Shiratori," "Tsubasa (as a conventional line limited express)," and "Chokai," have been discontinued, it's remarkable that the "Inaho" is still in service.

Yuto Ono

A former railway engineer and current freelance writer who has loved trains since childhood, his dream is to make train travel his career