Akita Nairiku Line

Akita Nairiku Line
Akita Nairiku Line
	Akita Nairiku Line and Mount Moriyoshi
Overview
Native name	秋田内陸線
Status	Operational
Owner	Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Company
Locale	Akita Prefecture
Termini	Takanosu; Kakunodate;
Stations	29
Website	www.akita-nairiku.com
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Company
Rolling stock	AN8800 series DMU, AN8900 series DMU, AN2000 series DMU
History
Opened	1930; 96 years ago
Technical
Line length	94.2 km (58.5 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map
Route map

The Akita Nairiku Line (秋田内陸線, Akita Nairiku-sen), nicknamed Smile Rail (スマイルレール), is a Japanese railway line located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. It operates between Takanosu in the city of Kitaakita and Kakunodate in the city of Semboku. The Akita Nariku Line is the only railway line operated by the third-sector company Akita Nairiku Jukan Tetsudo (秋田内陸縦貫鉄道, Akita Nairiku Jūkan Tetsudō; lit. 'Akita Inland Longitudinal Railway').

Service outlines

Trains on the line are operated as "Local" (all-stations), "Rapid", or "Special Rapid", along with the Express Moriyoshi service.

Station list

All stations are in Akita Prefecture.

Transfers are available only at Takanosu (JR Ou Main Line) and Kakunodate (JR Tazawako Line and Akita Shinkansen).

Local trains stop all stations.
- Rapid = Can only be used by paying a rapid fare.
- Express Moriyoshi - Express fare costs 160 yen up to 50 km, 320 yen for longer journeys
- ●：All trains stop
- ◆・▲・▼：Partly trains stop（▲：Only inbound、▼：Only outbound）
- |：Pass

Stations			km		Rapid	Express Moriyoshi	Connects	Locale
Stations			Distance	Amount distance	Rapid		Connects	Locale
Former Aniai Line section	Takanosu	鷹巣	-	0.0	●	●	JR East：■Ou Main Line（Takanosu Station）	Kita-Akita
	Nishi-Takanosu	西鷹巣	1.3	1.3	●	\|
	Jōmon-Ogata	縄文小ヶ田	2.4	3.7	●	●
	Ōnodai	大野台	2.4	6.1	●	\|
	Aikawa	合川	3.6	9.7	●	●
	Kamisugi	上杉	2.4	12.1	●	\|
	Yonaizawa	米内沢	2.9	15.0	●	●
	Katsurase	桂瀬	5.5	20.5	●	\|
	Ani-Maeda Onsen	阿仁前田温泉	4.7	25.2	●	●
	Maeda-Minami	前田南	1.9	27.1	●	\|
	Kobuchi	小渕	2.0	29.1	●	\|
	Aniai	阿仁合	3.9	33.0	●	●
	Arase	荒瀬	2.4	35.4	◆	\|
	Kayakusa	萱草	2.7	38.1	◆	\|
	Okashinai	笑内	2.8	40.9	◆	\|
	Iwanome	岩野目	2.4	43.3	◆	\|
	Hitachinai	比立内	2.7	46.0	●	●
New section	Okuani	奥阿仁	3.7	49.7	▲	\|
	Ani-Matagi	阿仁マタギ	2.6	52.3	●	●
	Tozawa	戸沢	8.9	61.2	▼	\|		Semboku
	Kami-Hinokinai	上桧木内	4.7	65.9	●	●
	Sadori	左通	1.8	67.7	▼	\|
	Ugo-Nakazato	羽後中里	4.0	71.7	▼	\|
Former Kakunodate Line section	Matsuba	松葉	3.3	75.0	●	●
	Ugo-Nagatoro	羽後長戸呂	2.9	77.9	▼	\|
	Yatsu	八津	5.0	82.9	▼	\|
	Saimyoji	西明寺	4.0	86.9	●	●
	Ugo-Ota	羽後太田	3.0	89.9	▼	\|
	Kakunodate	角館	4.3	94.2	●	●	JR East：■Akita Shinkansen・■Tazawako Line

History

Aniai Line

On December 10, 1934, the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) opened the Aniai Line (阿仁合線) connecting Takanosu with Yonaizawa over a length of 15.1 kilometers.^[1] Following World War II, the JGR became the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and the line was further extended to Hitachinai by October 15, 1963.^[1]

Kakunodate Line

On November 1, 1971, the JNR Kakunodate Line began operations from Kakunodate to Matsuba,^[1] with construction continuing north towards Hitachinai to provide a connection to the Aniai Line. However construction was suspended in 1980 due to JNR funding constraints.

Closure

The Kakunodate Line was closed by JNR on 11 September 1981, and the Aniai Line on 22 June 1984.

Reopening

The third-sector Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Company reopened both the Aniai Line – as the Akita Nairiku Kita ("North") Line – and the Kakunodate Line – as the Akita Nairiku Minami ("South") Line – on November 1, 1986.^[1] It also recommenced construction of the suspended link which opened on April 1, 1989, creating the current through-route.^[1]

Nicknames

Between 2012 and 2017, the line was nicknamed the Akita Bijin Line (あきた美人ライン, Akita Bijin Rain), referencing the prefecture's beautiful women, known as Akita Bijin [ja]. On November 1, 2017, the nickname was changed to Smile Rail Akita Nairiku Line (スマイルレール秋田内陸線, Sumairu Rēru Akita Nairiku-sen).^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
^ "秋田内陸縦貫鉄道，新愛称「スマイルレール秋田内陸線」に". railf.jp (in Japanese). November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2026.

External links

Official website (in English)
Official website (in Japanese)

[terada2013-1] Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.

[2] "秋田内陸縦貫鉄道，新愛称「スマイルレール秋田内陸線」に". railf.jp (in Japanese). November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2026.

[1]

[2]

v t e Transit in Akita
Shinkansen	Akita
JR East	Gonō Hanawa Kitakami Oga Ōu Tazawako Uetsu
Other railways	Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Akita Nairiku Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku
Bus	Akita Chūō Kōtsū Shūhoku Bus Ugo Kōtsū
Public ferries	Shin Nihonkai Ferry
Terminals	Rail Akita Airports Akita Odate-Noshiro Ports Akita Funagawa Noshiro
Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Chūkyō Fukuoka–Kitakyushu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Hakone–Fuji–Izu Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen monorails (list) trams (list) aerial lifts (list)