July 30, 2026 — 5:00amThe train: Kintetsu Shimakaze, JapanRoute Osaka-Namba to Toba (Ise-Shima)Distance 152 kilometresOperator KintetsuClass Premium expressFrequency Osaka to Ise-Shima, return, Wednesday to Monday; Kyoto to Ise-Shima, return, Thursday to Tuesday; Nagoya to Ise-Shima, return, Friday to Wednesday.The journeyThe train’s generous windows have been designed with sightseeing in mind.Osaka-Namba Station to Toba Station, a key jumping-off point for Ise-Shima National Park and Japan’s most sacred shrine, Ise Jingu. I’m onboard the Kintetsu Shimakaze (“Island Wind”) premium sightseeing express train heading to Kashikojima, with a scheduled duration of just under two hours at speeds up to 130mh/h (most of the journey is much slower than the top speed). This popular train is a show pony, not a workhorse, designed for sightseeing with ultra-comfortable, leather reclining seats, observation cars, large windows, an upscale dining car and luxurious private compartments.BoardingSign up for the Traveller newsletterThe latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.Osaka-Namba Station is enormous, encompassing several distinct stations. However, it’s also well-signposted, so I simply pay attention and follow the signs to the platform. I’ve pre-booked my premium express ticket on the Kintetsu website and have an assigned seat number. At the station, I purchase an additional basic fare ticket for 2770 yen ($24.40) from a vending machine (both tickets are required for this journey). The station has many cafes, bakeries, takeaway food and convenience stores. The train arrives right on time, in typical Japanese fashion.The seatSeating is more like flying business class than taking a train.