Everybody’s heard of Takachiho Gorge, the stunning volcanic waterfall canyon in Miyazaki prefecture. But the true hidden gem is Hinokage-Onsen, a defunct railway station just 20 minutes downstream. After massive landslides forced the Takachiho Railway to permanently close in 2005, Hinokage converted their train station into a ramen restaurant with an onsen on the second floor. And if that’s not enough, visitors can rent one of the old train cars to stay the night.

It’s not first-class sleeping by any means; the interior is identical to when the train was in service. The driver’s seat, gauges, fare box, windows, and luggage racks remain unchanged.

Now, the station entrance sells onsen tickets rather than train tickets. Timetables still paper the walls, and the upstairs baths have sweeping views over the river valley. The second floor onsen is all natural, and has both indoor and outdoor baths. I never thought I’d be taking a bath literally inside of a train station, but Japan has truly thought of everything.

The ramen is, quite frankly, fantastic, and just like the location, one-of-a-kind. Miyazaki is located in Kyushu prefecture, which is famous for champon. Thick noodles, a rich broth of pork and chicken, with oodles of seafood and vegetables. With champon, you cook everything together in the same wok—even the noodles—which thickens and melds the flavors together into a comforting hearty experience. At Hinokage Onsen, the champon is heavy on the seafood and an extra thick tonkotsu pork base. It’s perfect for when the mountains get chilly at night.

Hinokage Onsen is an era suspended in time. It’s one of my favorite places in Miyazaki. Less