Connect Mainland (Aomori) with Hokkaido (Hakodate). Limited Express Hakucho / Super Hakucho

Aomori, Shin-Aomori, Hirosaki
Limited Express Hakucho connect Honshu island with Hokkaido island.
Limited Express Hakucho connect Honshu island with Hokkaido island.

Limited Express Hakucho connect Honshu island with Hokkaido island.

Super Hakucho and Hakucho is no longer running after Hokkaido Shinkansen opened in March, 2016. Now Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo and Hokkaido directly. Please see the following link to see the details of this Shinkansen line.

Direct access to Hokkaido from Tokyo, Hokkaido Shinkansen (bullet train)

Hakucho/Super Hakucho is operated between Shin-Aomori (新青森) and Hakodate (函館). These trains go through the longest tunnel in Japan, “Seikan Tunnel” and connect the main island in Japan, “Honshu” (本州) and Hokkaido (北海道). All these trains are scheduled to be connected with Tohoku Shinkansen at Shin-
Aomori station and Limited Express “Hokuto” and “Super Hokuto” to Sapporo at Hakodate. These trains used to connect Hachinohe with Hakodate via Aomori. But Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori on December 4, 2010. Departure location had been changed to Shin-Aomori instead of Hachinohe.

Both Hakucho and Super Hakucho are fully covered by Japan Rail Pass. But the accommodation between Hakucho and Super Hakucho is very different. So I would like to show you the difference and other details.

Route, schedule and trip time

Hakucho services operates 2 round trips and Super Hakucho services operates 8 round trips between Shin-Aomori and Hakodate. It takes around 2 hours and 10-20 minutes to get Hakodate from Shin-Aomori. “Super Hakucho” is operated by newer train 789 series. It has nicer accommodation and a bit faster.


View Hakucho / Super Hakucho in a larger map

Stations

Shin-Aomori(新青森)x
Aomori(青森)x
Kanita (蟹田)*
Tsugaru-Imabetsu (津軽今別)*
Shiriuchi (知内)*
Kikonai (木古内)x
Goryokaku (五稜郭)*
Hakodate (函館)x

x:All train stop *:some train stop

Accommodation

Hakucho is operated by refurbished 485 series. (C) Sonic Rail Garden

Hakucho is operated by refurbished 485 series. (C) Sonic Rail Garden

Hakucho is operated by JR East refurbished 485 series. Super Hakucho is operated by JR Hokkaido 789 series. Super Hakucho is newer and faster than Hakucho. Especially if you take Green seat, Hakucho gives you 2+2 seat configuration. But Super Hakucho gives you 2+1 seat configuration and the power outlet for the laptop or charging small batteries. It is quite different. Don’t take Hakucho. Try to take Super Hakucho.

If you take Ordinary seat, it is not much different between Hakucho and Super Hakucho. But Reserved ordinary seat on car#1 of Super Hakucho has the power outlet. If you like to use it, try to book it.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images of accommodations below.

Train formation

Super Hakucho 6 cars formation

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*G=Green seat R=Reserved seat NR=Non reserved seat

Hakucho 6 cars formation

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Images – 789 series (Super Hakucho)

Green seat
789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho

Ordinary seat
789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho

Sanitary space
789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho 789 series - Limited express Super Hakucho

Images – Refurbished 485 series (Hakucho)

Green seat
Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho

Ordinary seat
Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho

Sanitary space
Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express HakuchoRefurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho Refurbished 485 series - Limited express Hakucho

Comments

  1. Joyce says:

    Hello! I’m going to Japan on april. I am going to do the 7 days trip in hokkaido and 1 of kanazawa-Shirakawago trip (maybe 2 days). It’ better to buy the Hokkaido Pass for 7 days and pay for the other trains to go to Kanazawa and to the airport? Or is better to buy the Japan Rail Pass fo 7 days and pay the other trains? Or is cheaper to buy the japan rail pass for 14 days? I arrive to Tokyo airport.

    • Hi Joyce,

      Even if you use 14 days pass, it’s cheaper than single fare + 7 days. The difference of 7 days and 14 days is 17000 yen. Round trip fare to Kanazawa from Tokyo is 28000 yen. If you pay single fare to Hokkaido from Tokyo, it costs more.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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