Utsunomiya Light Rail will be offering the “Haga Onsen Roman no Yu 30th Anniversary Collaboration One-Day Pass” for a limited time from September 1 (Mon) to October 31 (Fri), 2025. This pass offers all the benefits of a regular Light Line one-day pass, plus additional perks like free admission to the hot springs.
Unlimited Light Line rides and hot springs for just ¥1,000
They has a partnership agreement with Haga Town Roman Development (Haga Town, Tochigi), which operates the Haga Roadside Station and Haga Onsen Roman no Yu, and has been working to attract tourists to the Light Line. The jointly developed collaborative one-day pass comes with special perks, including free admission to Roman no Yu, a popular hot spring known for its two springs known for their skin-beautifying and heat-retaining properties, and a discount on gelato at the adjacent Haga Roadside Station. In addition to unlimited travel on the entire Light Line line for one day, you can also enjoy the usual perks available at stores and facilities along the Light Line, and a free round-trip bus ticket from Hagamachi Industrial Park Management Center to Haga Onsen Roman no Yu is included.
During the sale period, the regular one-day pass (¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for children) will be replaced with the ticket with the collaboration perks at the same price, and the previously available one-day pass (¥2,000 for adults) that includes a meal/shopping coupon and a bathing discount coupon for Haga Roadside Station Roman no Yu will no longer be on sale. Additionally, the existing one-day pass with gyoza coupon (¥1,300 for adults) will still be available for purchase during the sale period, but will not be eligible for the collaboration perks. Purchases can be made from three days prior to the date of use up until the day of use at any ticket counter, such as the Utsunomiya Station East Exit Commuter Pass Office. Simply wear the pass around your neck and you can board and alight at any door; there is no need to show it to the driver.
Some connecting bus routes discontinued
The Light Line, the region’s first light rail transit (LRT) system, opened in August 2023 and has achieved a cumulative ridership of 10 million in just two years. One of the reasons for its success is the company’s focus on developing transit centers (TCs)—transfer hubs with other modes of transportation, including buses, taxis, and private cars. While the collaborating Roman no Yu is located about 5 km from the Light Line route, it can be easily accessed by transferring to a local bus from the TC located adjacent to the Hagamachi Industrial Park Management Center bus stop.
JR Bus Kanto, which operates the bus route, will discontinue operation of the “Suito Nishi Line,” which runs from Sakushin Gakuenmae (Utsunomiya City, Tochigi) to Motegi Station on the Moka Railway (Motegi Town, Tochigi), passing through Hagamachi Industrial Park Management Center and Roman no Yu, on September 30 (Tue), due to declining ridership. The towns of Motegi, Ichikai, and Haga will lose one of the public transportation shortcuts from the Mooka Railway Line to the prefectural capital, Utsunomiya, and are preparing to secure alternative transportation, such as expanding the operating area of reservation-based demand taxis. JR Bus Kanto will continue to operate the Akabane Industrial Park/Ichihana Line and Soyagaoka Danchi Loop Line from the Light Line to Roman no Yu roughly once an hour during the day, so there is unlikely to be a major loss of convenience for tourists.
