Beyond the Brilliant Roof of Hokkaido

A Route Through Time Bookended by the Two Seas in Western Japan

Kyle Card embarks on a 250-kilometer train journey from the Seto Inland Sea in Okayama Prefecture to the Sea of Japan in Tottori Prefecture. While it's a bicoastal train ride, Kyle spends his time discovering the inland, mountainous area that was opened up when the tracks, he travels on, were completed more than 100 years ago. His trip kicks off on the sightseeing train, "La Malle de Bois," which affords spectacular views of the Seto area. But he soon parts from the water taking first the Tsuyama Line and later the Inbi Line to explore the inland area. As he heads deeper into the mountains he feels like he slips back in time. At Tsuyama, he visits an old railway depot and heritage museum. At Chizu he stays with a family in their farm-inn, learning about the local way of life, which is deeply connected with nature. From Tottori Station, he takes another sightseeing train, the "Ametsuchi" to the Sea of Japan ... his goal.