Ohmi Railways

Ohmi Railway (近江鉄道; Ohmi (also Omi, Oumi) Tetsudo)
Location	Shiga Prefecture(s)
Terminal Stations	Maibara Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, Yokaichi Station, Kibukawa Station
Major Stations	Maibara Station, Yokaichi Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, Kibukawa Station
Train Types	Futsu only
Train Schedule	Main line at ekikara.jp, Taga Line, Yokaichi Line
Total Distance	Main Line 47.7 km, Yokaichi Line 9.3 km, Taga Line 2.5 km
Opened	Main Line first opened in 1898 and completed in 1931. Yokaichi Line opened in 1913. Taga Line opened in 1914.
Operator	Ohmi Railway Corporation
Others	Other Railways in Shiga, Railways in Japan
Links

Updated: Jan. 31, 2022

Ohmi Railway Corporation (Ohmi Tetsudo 近江鉄道) (sometimes spelled Omi or Oumi) is a private railway company (subsidiary of Seibu Railway based in Saitama Prefecture) operating a few train lines and bus routes in the interior area of eastern Shiga Prefecture, namely Maibara, Hikone, Higashi-Omi, Hino, and Koka.

The trains are short, usually only two or three cars, and they run on single tracks. Travel time is quite slow. All the trains stop at every station. No express trains. The train line is nicknamed "Gachakon" (ガチャコン) which refers to the banging sound it makes on the rails. Ohmi Railway official Website

On Fri., Sat., Sun., and national holidays (except Dec. 31-Jan. 3), the "One Day Smile Ticket" is available for only ¥900 for adults (¥450 for kids) and you can use it to ride the Ohmi Railways all day. A good deal if you plan to ride the Ohmi Railways train at least twice. Showing the ticket to temples and museums along the Ohmi Railways will also give you a discount on the admission. (Details in Japanese here.)

If you plan to also ride the Shigaraki Kogen Railway on a weekend or national holiday, you should buy the Biwako Keihan-nasen Free ticket (びわこ京阪奈線フリーきっぷ) for unlimited rides on both Ohmi Railways and Shigaraki. Details here.)

Also, during 9 am - 4 pm, you can bring your bicycle aboard the train at most Ohmi Railways stations except Hikone, Minakuchi Ishibashi, and station from Omi-Hachiman to Shin-Yokaichi. (Details here.)

For residents, there are more discounts available. If you have a commuter's pass, you can travel beyond your commuter's pass on Ohmi Railways on weekends and national holidays for only ¥100. (Details here.)

There are three train lines:

• The Main Line (Honsen) is the longest, passing through Maibara, Hikone, Higashi Omi (Yokaichi), Hino-cho, and Koka.
• The short Taga Line (Taga-sen) is for people wanting to worship at Taga Taisha Shrine.
• The Yokaichi Line (Yokaichi-sen) connects Yokaichi with Omi-Hachiman Station. The terminal stations are Maibara, Omi-Hachiman, Yokaichi, and Kibukawa.

Ohmi Railways has a close historical connection to Hikone and Hino. The group of 44 people who founded Ohmi Railways Co. consisted of former Hikone samurai and Hino merchants. The first president of Ohmi Railways was a former samurai (Ohigashi Gitetsu 大東義徹) from Hikone, and the second president (Shono Genzo 正野玄三) was a Hino merchant (drug maker).

Ohmi Railways was founded in 1896 because the forerunner of the Tokaido Line which started running in Shiga in 1889 and the now-defunct Kansai Railway running between Kusatsu and Yokkaichi (Mie) never came close to the interior part of eastern Shiga.

However, this part of Shiga was and still is a rural area, and Ohmi Railways has struggled financially almost from the beginning. It still operates in the red annually and receives subsidies from local governments in eastern Shiga. The company has been racking its brains on how to get more passengers. It has not been very successful.

In 2019, meetings between the company and local governments were held to decide the fate of the railway. They even compared the costs of converting the railways into bus routes. In the end, they decided to keep Ohmi Railways operating, but they still need to decide how to manage it financially.

Interesting that the company name of "Ohmi Railway" (近江鉄道株式会社) has remained the same since its establishment in 1896. Although the company's ownership has changed twice (currently a subsidiary of Seibu Railways), the company name has remained the same. Only three railway companies in Japan established during the Meiji Period (1868–1912) have retained their original company name. The other two is Tobu Railway Co. in Tokyo and Shimabara Railroad Co. in Nagasaki.

Train Stations

List of all train stations including transfer lines and popular destinations. Click on the station name to see a map of the station's location.

Main Line (Honsen 本線)

From Maibara Station to Kibukawa Station.

• Maibara Station (米原駅) - Transfer point for the Tokaido Line, shinkansen bullet train, Hokuriku Line, and Ohmi Railways.
• Fujitec-mae Station (フジテック前駅) - New station opened in Mar. 2006. Near the factory of Fujitec, maker of elevators and escalators.
• Toriimoto Station (鳥居本駅) - Toriimoto-juku is a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. The Western-style station building was built in 1931.
• Hikone Station (彦根駅) - Hikone Castle and temples are nearby. The Ohmi Railway Museum (近江鉄道ミュージアム) at Hikone Station's east side has closed.
• Hikone Serikawa Station (ひこね芹川駅) - New station opened in April 2009. Near a few public schools.
• Hikone-guchi Station (彦根口駅) -
• Takamiya Station (高宮駅) - Transfer point between the Ohmi Railways Main Line and the Taga Line for Taga Taisha Shrine.
• Amago Station (尼子駅) - Buses leave this station for the Koto Sanzan Temple Trio. Bicycle rental at the station (drop off OK at Echigawa Station).
• Toyosato Station (豊郷駅) - Home base of Itochu Corporation founder.
• Echigawa Station (愛知川駅) - Bicycle rental at the station (drop off OK at Amago Station).
• Gokasho Station (五箇荘駅) - Famous for Omi merchant homes. Bicycle rental at the station.
• Kawabe-no-Mori Station (河辺の森駅) - Near Kawabe Ikimono no Mori nature park.
• Yokaichi Station (八日市駅) - Main station for Higashi Omi city and transfer point for the Ohmi Railways' Main Line and Yokaichi Line (for Omi-Hachiman). Bicycle rental at the station.
• Nagatanino Station (長谷野駅) -
• Daigaku-mae Station (大学前駅) -
• Kyocera-mae Station (京セラ前駅) - Near Kyocera factories.
• Sakuragawa Station (桜川駅) -
• Asahi Otsuka Station (朝日大塚駅) -
• Asahino Station (朝日野駅) -
• Hino Station (日野駅) - Main station for Hino Town. The station was recently renovated and there is now a cafe and small railway museum. Buses and bicycle rental in front of the station.
• Minakuchi Matsuo Station (水口松尾駅) - Very rural area.
• Minakuchi Station (水口駅) -
• Minakuchi Ishibashi Station (水口石橋駅) -
• Minakuchi Jonan Station (水口城南駅) - Main station for Minakuchi and Koka city. Minakuchi-juku was a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road. Minakuchi Castle is also nearby. Bicycle rental at station.
• Kibukawa Station (貴生川駅) - Transfer point between the Ohmi Railway Line, JR Kusatsu Line, and Shigaraki Kogen Line.

Ohmi Railways Taga Line (多賀線)

Only three stations on this line which shoots off the Main Line. From Maibara and Hikone Stations, some trains run directly to Taga Taisha-mae. On other train runs, you may have to transfer at Takamiya Station.

• Takamiya Station (高宮駅) - Transfer point between the Main Line and Taga Line. Takamiya-juku is also a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road.
• Screen Station (スクリーン駅) - New station opened on March 15, 2008. Near Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co. Ltd.'s semiconductor R&D center. The station was built by the company for its employees.
• Taga Taisha-mae Station - (多賀大社前駅) - Nearby is Taga Taisha Shrine, one of Shiga's most popular shrines.

Ohmi Railways Yokaichi Line (八日市線)

Runs between Omi-Hachiman Station on the Tokaido Main Line and Yokaichi Station in Higashi Omi.

• Omi-Hachiman Station (近江八幡駅) - Major city on the Tokaido Line.
• Musa Station (武佐駅) - Former stage town on the Nakasendo Road.
• Hirata Station (平田駅) -
• Ichinobe Station (市辺駅) -
• Tarobogu-mae Station (太郎坊宮前駅) - Unmanned train station. Mainly residential and farmland. Mountaintop Tarobogu Shrine is nearby.
• Shin-Yokaichi Station (新八日市駅) - Nice Taisho-Period station building.
• Yokaichi Station (八日市駅) - Main station for Higashi-Omi city (formerly Yokaichi city). Giant kite festival and museum.

Map of Main Line from Maibara to Kibukawa Station (gray). An alternate route is to take the Biwako/Tokaido Line from Maibara to Kusatsu, then transfer to the Kusatsu Line for Kibukawa.

Map of Yokaichi Line from Omi-Hachiman to Yokaichi Station.

Map of Taga Line connecting from Maibara Station.