The limited express Super Inaba train guide. The fastest train access to Tottori from Okayama

Okayama
Date: 2004.08.12 Camera: OLYMPUS CAMEDIA C5050Z Location: JR Okayama Station
2012.10.29
Super Inaba is operated by KIHA 187 series. It is usually only two cars in the formation. (C) Mitsuki-2368 – West Japan Railway DC kiha 187 series Super inaba

Limited Express Super Inaba (スーパーいなば) connects Okayama (岡山) with Tottori (鳥取). It is connected with Shinkansen and Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto. This is the fastest access to Tottori from Tokyo by Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo. If you access to Tottori from Okayama and to the west from Okayama, such as Hiroshima, Hakara and all places in Kyushu and Shikoku. But this train goes through non JR line, Chizu Kyuko Railway. It is operated on same route as Super Hakuto between Kamigori and Tottori. That means you need to pay extra if you use this train by Japan Rail Pass. If you don’t want to pay extra, get on Limited Express Yakumo from Okayama to Yonago and transfer to another Limited Express Super Matsukaze or Limited Express Super Oki to Tottori. However travel time of this combination is at least 1.5 hours longer than Super Inaba. Sometimes it may take more because of connection at Yonago.

Super Inaba is the best route to Tottori from Okayama and west part of Japan anyway. I will show you about route, schedule and accommodations.

Route, schedule and travel time

Tottori-sakyu Sand Dunes is most popular spot in Tottori. ©Tottori Prefecture/©JNTO

There are six round trips between Okayama and Tottori. Trains are operated mostly every 2 hours. Travel time is 1 hour 50 minutes from Okayama to Tottori. If you take Sunrise Izumo from Tokyo, you can continue to travel to Yonago and transfer to Super Matsukaze or Super Oki to Tottori. You don’t need to pay any extra charge on Japan Rail Pass. You can take Limited Express Yakumo from Okayama to Yonago as well if you travel from Okayama or other cities in west part of Japan. You can avoid to pay extra on Japan Rail Pass too. But travel time to Yonago from Okayama is 2 hours 10 minutes. And you have to spend sometime to transfer at Yonago. And then you will spend another 1 hour to get Tottori from Yonago. If you don’t want to spend more than 1 hour, you have to accept extra charge. I will tell you about extra charge on Japan Rail Pass later.

Find your hotels in 218 cities throughout Japan!!!

 

Hotels and Ryokans in Tottori
Hotels in Okayama

If you travel from Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Himeji, get on Limited Express Super Hakuto or Limited Express Hamakaze.

Limited Express Super Inaba makes a stop at these stations:
Okayama (岡山) – Kamigori (上郡) – Sayo (佐用) – Ohara (大原) – Chizu (智頭) – Koge (郡家) – Tottori (鳥取)


View Limited Express Super Inaba in a larger map

Extra charge on JR Pass

As I mentioned, you have to pay extra if you use this train by Japan Rail Pass. You have to pay 1,260 yen for the base fare. And also you have to pay one of these following fares:

Non Reserved Oridnary seat420 yen
Reserved Oridnary seat520 yen
Green seatNot available

Accommodation and train formations

Super Inaba is operated by KIHA 187 series. There is only ordinary class. No Green seat is available on this train. The seat configuration is 2+2 and the seat pitch is 970 mm. There is no difference between non reserved seat and reserved seat. On board sales is not available. Please prepare drink or food if you want before boarding.

Train formation

12
RNR

*R=Reserved ordinary seat NR=Non reserved ordinary seat
Smoking is not allowed on this train.

Ordinary class interior (C) W0746203-1

Comments

  1. Soh says:
    December 3, 2019 at 1:37 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    My parents are going for a trip to tottori/ Okayama and I am trying to help them find the best route and most appropriate pass.

    They will only require the following train rides:

    1) Shin-osaka – tottori
    2) Tottori – Okayama
    3) Okayama – Shin Osaka

    Do you think I should buy a JR pass? Or just individual train rides tickets.

    If yes, is Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass more suitable or Sanyo-San’in Area pass?
    Both passes will require extra changes for Limited Express Super Hakuto ( Shin-osaka to tottori) and Limited Express Super Inaba (Tottori to okayama) is that correct?

    How do we pay for the charges?

    Thank you!

    • Takeshi (JPRail.com administrator) says:
      December 3, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      Hi Soh,

      Kansai Wide Area Pass is the perfect choice:
      https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai_wide/

      It covers non reserved seat only but all trips are covered. Super Hakuto is covered too. Please see the link below to find the info about the difference between the reserved seat and non reserved seat:
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/reserved-seat-vs-non-reserved-seat-how-to-get-a-seat-on-non-reserved-car.html

      If you don’t like non reserved seat, just add the reserved seat fee on top of the Kansai Wide Area Pass. In this case, the pass covers base fare only. But the total base fare is almost 10,000 yen. If you buy this pass at the travel agent in your countr, it’s still cheaper.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

      • Soh says:
        December 4, 2019 at 1:16 am

        Dear Takeshi,

        Thanks for your prompt reply. Sorry I wasn’t clear myself but they will be spending 5 days in tottori and 1 day in Okayama. The Kansai WIDE Area is only valid for 5 days? Any longer duration?

        1) Shin-osaka – tottori (day 1-5)
        2) Tottori – Okayama ( day 6)
        3) Okayama – Shin Osaka (day 7)

        Or should 1 buy full fare for Shin-osaka – tottori at ¥ 7,220 and then the Kansai wide area pass for Tottori – Okayama and Okayama – Shin Osaka at ¥9,200.

        How do I check how much is reserved seat fee for each individual?

        For example
        From Okayama to Shin osaka via SHINKANSEN SAKURA 540.
        The fare is Total:¥ 6,140(TicketFare:¥ 3,080 Seat Fee:¥ 3,060)
        How much do i have to pay to reserve my seat? is it ¥ 3,060?

        Thank you once again!

        • Takeshi (JPRail.com administrator) says:
          December 4, 2019 at 6:29 am

          Hi Soh,

          If they are okay with non reserved seat, they can use a regular ticket for Shin-Osaka to Tottori and use Kansai Wide Area Pass for Tottori to Okayama and Okayama to Shin-Osaka. But if they want to reserve a seat, Kansai Wide Area Pass does not work. Because they have to pay full amount of seat fee. For Okayama to Shin-Osaka, it costs 3,060 yen. Kansai Wide Area Pass covers only 3,080 yen portion. They cannot get the worth of it. In this case, just buy a regular ticket for all trips. Sanyo Sanin Area Pass covers all trips and reserved seat fee. But total amount of regular tickets is cheaper than Sanyo Sanin Area Pass.

          Cheers,

          Takeshi / JPRail.com

  2. Karmen says:
    September 17, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Hi Takeshi-san,
    I wish I found this page earlier, it is extremely helpful and I think I would have planned my trip differently. Like another traveller, I was planning to purchase the Kansai Hiroshima pass to get from Tottori to Okayama via Super Inaba to Hiroshima. But Super Inaba is quite expensive at 5010 JPY. Would it also work to take JR Imbi Line from Tottori to Tsuyama which says it would cost 1490 JPY then use the pass to get to Okayama then Hiroshima? (This seems to be a longer route however). Alternatively, there is the San’in Sanyo pass (but not preferable for me because I planned Kinosaki Onsen just before Tottori), but I’m wondering if I have to pay the surcharge for Chizu line anyway as you mentioned here for the JR pass? Wanted to get your opinion if maybe keeping the Kansai Hiroshima pass but paying separate ticket on Super Inaba from Tottori to Okayama is worth it, or if there is a cheaper alternative.

  3. Carlos Chua says:
    March 26, 2019 at 8:06 am

    hi we are planning an Osaka-Hiroshima-Miyajima-Okayama-Tottori-Osaka trip. We plan to be using the Kansai-Hiroshima Area pass. Does this mean we also need to pay extra to get to Tottori from Hiroshima/Okayama once i transfer from the sanyo shinkansen and board the Super Inaba in Okayama?
    thanks

  4. Laurie Lum says:
    March 22, 2019 at 11:28 am

    Hi!
    We are planning to take the Limited Express Super Inaba from Okayama to Tottori. Is there a place to put our luggage on thtis train?

    Thank you,
    Masako

  5. Chris says:
    March 17, 2019 at 2:55 am

    Dear Takeshi,
    thanks for your helpful article. We´ve got still one question left. We are planning to ride by Super Inaba from Okaymato Tottori with Japan Rail Pass. Where do we pay the surcharge of 1820 yens? Do we have to got the JR Ticket desk and purchase it there at Okayama station , can we pay it at a machine or even on board the train? We don´t have to change trains, right? we just keep sitting in the Super Inaba? We confused because at hyperdia it alsways adds the stop Kamigori.Thank you.
    Chris

  6. Melissa Goh says:
    February 19, 2019 at 6:52 am

    Hi Takeshi,

    My family and I plan to have a day trip to Tottori with a JR wide area pass from Akashi. Do you think I should take the limited Express super inaba train or the limited Express hamakaze train?
    Hoping to hear from you soon.
    Thank you.

    From,
    Melissa

  7. Mel says:
    January 15, 2018 at 8:23 pm

    Hi Takeshi,

    We will be buying the Kansai Wide Area Pass, and going to Tottori from Izumisano. Could you please help us to confirm that this route is okay?

    0618: Izumisano to Kansai Airport (Nankai Airport Express, fare: 490 yen, not covered by pass)
    0627: Arrive at Kansai Airport
    0640: Kansai Airport to Shin-Osaka (Ltd Exp Haruka 2)
    0737: Arrive at Shin-Osaka
    0753: Shin-Osaka to Okayama (Shinkansen Mizuho 603)
    0837: Arrive at Okayama
    0914: Okayama to Tottori via Kamigori (Ltd Exp Super Inaba 3, additional surcharge payable)
    1104: Arrive at Tottori

    a) I read online that the additional surcharge for Kansai Wide Area Pass holders is 1720 yen (non-reserved seat)/1820 yen (reserved seat) per way from Kamigori to Tottori. But from Hyperdia , the fare is 1880 yen + 1990 yen/1170 yen (surcharge for reserved/non-reserved seat). Which one is correct?
    b) Where do we pay this surcharge? Can we get on the train first and pay the conductor when he checks our passes?
    c) As we don’t have reserved seats on the Super Inaba, we plan to queue early at Okayama station. Do you think it will be crowded? We are taking this train on 24 March (Saturday) and we need 2 seats + space for one big suitcase.

    Thank you very much.

    Regards,
    Mel

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      January 15, 2018 at 9:40 pm

      Hi Mel,

      a) 1880 yen + 1990 yen/1170 yen is correct. Because 1720/1820 is the fare for Chizu Kyuko line between Kamigori and Chizu. If you use JR pass, this is the extra fare but Kansai wide area pass does not cover Chizu to Tottori either even though this is a part of JR line. It’s simply outside coverage area.

      b) You can purchase this extra ticket when you exchange/purchase Kansai wide area pass.

      c) I expect it will be busy. It will be weekend and also it will be public school spring break.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  8. Herman says:
    April 16, 2017 at 10:46 am

    Hi,
    I have JRpass my itinerary fukuoka – tottori – himeji. What is the best route ? Thanks

  9. Noel says:
    August 20, 2016 at 11:38 pm

    Can i take Limited Express Super Inaba from Tottori to Okayama with San’in-Okayama Area Pass?

    Thank you!

  10. Katy says:
    August 14, 2016 at 7:47 am

    Hello,

    I want to take Super Inaba for my trip to Tottori in late Aug.
    Can I check if I need to reserve my train ticket of Super Inaba? if yes, can you let me know the link?

    (P.S. I have already ordered my West Japan JR pass.)

    Thanks,
    Katy

    • Takeshi / JPRail.com says:
      August 14, 2016 at 9:04 am

      Hi Katy,

      Reservation is not required but recommended. If you have Sanyo Sanin Area Pass, you can book it at free of charge.
      You cannot book it online. You have to do it at the reservation window, “Midori no Madoguchi”. You can find this window at most of JR stations.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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