Nankai Electric Railways is launching a new tourist train, Gran Tenku, which will link Osaka with the sacred Buddhist settlement of Koyasan. The service will begin on Friday 24 April, running from Namba Station in Osaka to Gokurakubashi Station in Wakayama Prefecture.
The train will comprise four cars, each with its own distinctive character. Passengers booking seats in the fourth car will be served breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea by chef Atsushi Motokawa, depending on the time of the journey. The spring menu features local ingredients such as Kawachi duck and Senshu octopus, with free soft and alcoholic drinks also offered.
As part of the launch, Namba Station's Platform 0 has been renovated with wooden cladding and modern feature lighting, and will be used exclusively by Gran Tenku. The crimson-coloured train operates on solar-powered renewable energy. It replaces a previous tourist service from Hashimoto Station that has operated since 2009 and will end on 20 March.
Koyasan, or Mount Koya, is a UNESCO World Heritage site home to more than 2,000 Shingon Buddhism temples scattered across a forested mountain. Visitors can experience monastic life, with vegetarian cuisine and temple lodging available.
The new route comes as Japan records a surge in visitors, with arrivals reaching a record 42.7 million in 2025, prompting some tourists to seek less crowded rural destinations.
