Amarube, a coastal resort town in Hyogo Prefecture known for its railway viaduct, is one of seven possible destinations for JR Rail West Saikoro Ticket travellers from Osaka.This summer, West Japan Railways is sending passengers on what is probably best described as a mystery tour.
A customer wishing to travel from Osaka can access the dedicated JR West website, enter the number of passengers – a maximum of six - and the date of travel before paying 500 yen to “play” and 4,500 yen per ticket. At the touch of a button, the website will roll computerised dice and let the traveller know where they are going.
There’s a 13.9 per cent likelihood of a journey to Onomichi, and a 2.6 per cent chance of bagging a prized ticket to Fukuoka. Higashi Maizuru is the station for Maizuru, an attractive port town on the Sea of Japan coast of northern Kyoto Prefecture, while Kurashiki in Okayama Prefecture is on the Seto Inland Sea, and is famous for its old buildings, a network of canals and the Ohara Museum of Art.
By far the rarest of all the tickets passengers may win is one to Hakata, the rail hub of Fukuoka – more than 600km from Osaka. Widely considered one of the most liveable cities in Japan, Fukuoka is surrounded by stunning scenery, is famous for its restaurants and cultural attractions, and serves as the gateway to the rest of Kyushu.