Vouchers and miles nearing their end led me to a new path: a flight to Tajima via Itami. The propeller plane offered a lower, closer gaze at the mountains of northern Hyogo prefecture.
It was my first ride on the express train Hamakaze. As the seats emptied past Hamasaka station, the journey slowed down. A nearly empty carriage, and beyond it, the vast, tranquil San’in Sea.