Moka, Tochigi / 真岡鐵道
Moka Railway
Known locally as the "Cotton Way" because the area along the line once produced cotton, the Moka Railway runs the steam locomotive "C12" all year, mainly on Saturdays and Sundays, through seasonal scenery: cherry blossoms with rape flowers in spring and sometimes snow in winter. As the line is not electrified, you can see the SL as it looked in its working days. It opened in 1912 and marked 100 years of full operation in December 2020.
Last official check
28 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
27 Dec 2026
Decide before you go
A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.
- Getting there
- Train / Bus / Car
- Booking
- Some things need booking (see the rows below)
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
The SL runs mainly on weekends.
Checked 28 Sept 2026 on the official site- Closed
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Admission
See the official website for details.
Checked 28 Sept 2026 on the official site- Getting there
Shimodate Station: about 20 minutes by train from Oyama Station (JR Mito Line), about 70 minutes from Moriya Station (Kanto Railway Joso Line), about 40 minutes from Tomobe Station (JR Mito Line), or about 15 minutes by car from Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC; Moka Station: about 50 minutes by bus from JR Utsunomiya Station or about 10 minutes by car from Moka IC; Mashiko Station: about 60 minutes by bus from JR Utsunomiya Station, or about 25 minutes from Moka IC / 20 minutes from Sakuragawa-Chikusei IC by car; Motegi Station: about 70 minutes by bus from JR Utsunomiya Station or about 40 minutes by car from Moka IC (all Kita-Kanto Expressway).
Checked 28 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Moka Station about 150, Mashiko Station about 90, Motegi Station about 30 spaces (free).
Checked 28 Sept 2026 on the official site- Payment
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Accessibility
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Official site: https://www.tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s10144/
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
- No photo yetYokoyama Pottery Workshop, MashikoTochigi10 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetMashiko Sankokan Museum, Hamada Shoji MemorialTochigi10 km away (straight line)
Photo: Photo ACUtsunomiya Gyoza-kan, Banba-doriTochigi17 km away (straight line)- No photo yetKasama Inari ShrineIbaraki23 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetShunpu Banri-soIbaraki24 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Visiting respectfully
- RulesThe SL must be booked (on the official website).Checked 28 Sept 2026 on the official site
Verification log
- 28 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s10144/Hours, access, parking, booking and crowds, description and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.