It looks like “Hankyu Railway Nishinomiya Depot Tour & Experience” will be available as a return gift for Nishinomiya City’s furusato nozei hometown tax program.
(Thanks to Akichan-san and Kagayaki 509-go @ Nishitsu SP for the tip.)
Limited to 4 groups. This sounds like a pretty premium experience. However, please note that Nishinomiya residents cannot receive return gifts.
It seems you can enjoy these seven experiences:
- Rooftop view experience: Take in a full view of Nishinomiya Depot from the rooftop of the office building 🚋
- Train equipment tour: See underfloor equipment and rooftop equipment from inside the pit 🔧
- Transportation training: Try out crew essentials and an evacuation ladder 🚨
- Train wash experience: Go through the train wash while inside the crew cab of a Hankyu train 🚿
- Onboard announcement experience: Make announcements using a microphone with guidance from a professional 🎤
- Commemorative photo in the driver’s cab: Take photos wearing children’s and adults’ conductor caps 📸
- Depot tour: Take a thorough look deep inside areas of the depot that are usually off-limits 👀
So you’ll actually get to sit in the driver’s cab and try making conductor announcements — basically “experience Hankyu work” firsthand. It sounds especially good for people who love how railways work, or families with kids. Since the number of participants is small, it feels extra special too. So jealous.
And what everyone’s probably wondering about is the donation amount.
The donation amount is a whopping 120,000 yen! That’s premium.
Please share this information with friends and acquaintances who live outside the city. The event date appears to be Sunday, March 9, from 10:00 to 12:30. Applications open on Saturday, February 1, and Satofull is here. We’ll say it again: Nishinomiya residents cannot receive return gifts, so please be careful.
For Miyakko locals thinking, “Ah, so this one’s impossible for us,” there’s also a Hankyu Railway event, although it’s not in Nishinomiya.
Here it is ↓
On Thursday, February 20, it looks like the “Hankyu Fan Meeting” will be held at Hankyu Railway’s Shojaku Depot in Osaka.
When is it?
Thursday, February 20, 2025, around 9:30 to 16:30 ※The ending time may vary
Where is it?
Hankyu Railway Shojaku Depot (right by the west exit of Hankyu Shojaku Station)
Here it is on the map ↓
The address is in Settsu City, Osaka Prefecture.
What will they do?
- Chartered ride on Kyo-Train Garaku: Travel along a special route covering the Kyoto Line, Takarazuka Line, Imazu Line, and Kobe Line 🚃
- Depot entry experience: Enter all depots at Katsura, Hirai, Nishinomiya-kitaguchi, and Shojaku (no getting off the train) 🏭
- Train wash experience: Experience the train being washed at Hirai Depot on the Takarazuka Line 🚿
- Photo time on the platform: Stop at Track 1 of Takarazuka Station to photograph different train types and destinations 📸
- Mini photo session: Special shots of multiple train sets lined up at Shojaku Depot 📷
- Active crew members and train dispatchers onboard: Includes a Q&A session and fun prize drawing 🎤🎁
How much is it?
25,000 yen (tax included)
Capacity?
86 people (up to 4 people per group)
Can anyone join?
- Limited to ages 18 and up (those under 18 and wheelchair users cannot participate)
How to apply
Lottery sale (applications accepted through Ticket Pia)
Application period
Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 10:00 to Tuesday, February 4, 18:00
Application page
Ticket Pia dedicated page
Since we’re here, let’s summarize how it differs from the furusato nozei event.
🔍 A quick comparison of the two events!
| Item | Hankyu Railway Nishinomiya Depot Tour & Experience | Hankyu Fan Meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Event date | Sunday, March 9, 2025 | Thursday, February 20, 2025 |
| Location | Hankyu Nishinomiya Depot | Hankyu Shojaku Depot + chartered train |
| Participation requirements | First grade elementary school and older (guardian accompaniment allowed) | Limited to ages 18 and up |
| Capacity | 4 groups (up to 2 people × 4 groups = 8 people) | 86 people |
| Fee | Furusato nozei donation: 120,000 yen | 25,000 yen (tax included) |
| Main event focus | Experiences and tours inside the depot | Riding Hankyu lines on a chartered train and photo sessions |
| Highlights | – Tour deep inside the depot 👀🚋 – Onboard announcement experience 🎤 – Commemorative photo in the driver’s cab 📸 – Train wash experience 🚿 | – Charter Kyo-Train Garaku 🚆 – Ride the Takarazuka Line, Kobe Line, and Imazu Line 📍 – Enter each depot (no getting off the train) 🏭 – Special photo time at Takarazuka Station 📸 – Mini photo session at Shojaku Depot 📷 |
| Participation style | A small-group, in-depth experience | A lively chartered train trip with a larger group |
Lastly
For Nishinomiya City, which wants to increase its furusato nozei donations, this seems like a pretty powerful offering. The Osaka event also includes routes that trains normally don’t run and special photo sessions, making it irresistible for Hankyu fans 🚋✨ Since it’s a lottery sale, anyone interested should apply early.
※Akichan-san and Kagayaki 509-go @ Nishitsu SP, thank you for the information!!
■■■We’re looking for tips!■■■
