Tag Archives: Kodama

Seasonal trains schedule

Schedule of 2017 fall seasonal trains of Japan Railways

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Renovated E3 series for Toreiyu Tsubasa

Autumn and spring are the good season to travel in Japan. In fall season, you may see the fall foliage in most part of Japan. You will be impressed by this amazing scenery.

JR Group operate lots of seasonal trains during fall season. In this post, I show you many seasonal trains that will run in major tourist spots until the end of November.

*Winter seasonal train schedule (December to February) will come up in late October. But you will find all JR Kyushu seasonal trains’ schedules until February, 2018. Continue reading →

Rail pass for residents, Rail pass for visitors

Platt Kodama, one way deal among Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka by Shinkansen

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Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. Kodama is the slowest train on Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line.
Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. Kodama is the slowest train on Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line.

When you move among Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, you may think to take Shinkansen (a.k.a. bullet train). If you have round trip between Tokyo and Kyoto/Shin-Osaka, JR pass is the best choice. But even 7 days JR pass price is almost equal to round trip fare and seat fee of Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. JR pass is not the best choice for one way movement.

Platt Kodama is a sort of Shinkansen one way trip discount ticket among Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. I would like to show you this ticket in this post. Continue reading →

Seasonal trains schedule

Schedule of 2016 fall seasonal trains of Japan Railways

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Fall foliage light up at Ninose station of Eizan Railway in Kyoto (C) Nkensei GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fall foliage light up at Ninose station of Eizan Railway in Kyoto (C) Nkensei GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Autumn is the best season to travel in Japan. The climate is very mild and the scenery of fall foliage is breathtaking. JR will operate many seasonal trains for autumn high volume demand.

It is too many to introduce all seasonal trains. So I pick up the trains that run in the popular spots only. Continue reading →

Seasonal trains, Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Namba, Tennoji, Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Hakata, Kokura

Limited time operation. Specialized Shinkansen train 500 TYPE EVA

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2016 winter Japan trip 1168

This is a collaboration of Shinkansen and very popular Japanese Anime “New Generation Evangelion (link to Wikipedia)” as Sanyo Shinkansen 40 years anniversary special project. This unique Shinkansen fleet has very different exterior that is painted by Evangelion color. And also it has Evangerion exhibition in car #1. There are many more Evangerion characters and designs in the trains. If you know this anime, you must be excited. Even if you are not familiar with this anime, you will be impressed by these decorations.

I just have got on this train in this early February, 2016. I would like to share the information and many photos of this train with you. Continue reading →

Seasonal trains schedule

Schedule of 2015 fall seasonal trains of Japan Railways

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Setouchi Marine View runs between Hiroshima and Mihara via Kure line along the shore of Setonaikai sea.
Setouchi Marine View runs between Hiroshima and Mihara via Kure line along the shore of Setonaikai sea.

Autumn is the best season to travel in Japan. The climate is very mild and fall foliage is amazing. JR will operate many seasonal trains and introduce some new trains.

It is too many to introduce all seasonal trains. So I pick up the trains that run in the popular spots only. Continue reading →

Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, Yokosuka, Odawara, Kofu, Otsuki, Kawaguchiko, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Toyohashi, Atami, Ito, Shimoda, Mishima, Shuzenji, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Namba, Tennoji, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, Maibara, Ogaki, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama

Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (Bullet Train), Most popular train to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakata from Tokyo.

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Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. It is known as Bullet Train too.
Shinkansen is the high speed train service in Japan. It is known as Bullet Train too.

Tokaido Shinkansen is the oldest and busiest Shinkasen line and it is operated between Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. Sanyo Shinkansen is operated between Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata (Fukuoka). Both lines are connected each other. Many trains, “Nozomi” that is the fastest train on Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, run from Tokyo to Hiroshima and some of those run to even Hakata.

Most of Hikari run between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, But some of those run to Okayama and Hiroshima.

Sanyo Shinkansen connected to Kyushu Shinkansen at Hakata. Many trains, Mizuho and Sakura are operated between Shin-Osaka and KUmamoto or Kagoshima-Chuo directly. Please see the post, Kyushu Shinkansen to get details.

Many of you will use this train system between Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo. In this post, I would like to share the information of this train system with you. Continue reading →

Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Namba, Tennoji, Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama, Hakata, Kokura

Sanyo Shinkansen image gallery. Check the interior and accommodations.

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The logo of Hikari Rail Star
The logo of Hikari Rail Star

Sanyo Shinkansen is operated between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. But Sanyo Shinkansen is connected with Tokaido Shinkansen (from Nagoya, Kyoto and Tokyo) at Shin-Osaka and Kyushu Shinkansen (from Kumamoto and Kagoshima) at Hakata.

Most of trains run from Tokyo (Nozomi and Hikari) are operated by Tokaido Shinkansen fleet, 700 series or N700 series. If you look for the images of these trains, please see Tokaido Shinkansen image gallery.

Most of trains to Kyushu, such as Kumamoto or Kagoshima-chuo (Mizuho and Sakura) are operated by Kyushu Shinkansen fleet, N700 series. If you look for the image of this train, please see N700 series for Kyushu Shinkansen Mizuho and Sakura.

In this post, I show you the images of 700 series and 500 series. These train sets are used as “Kodama” (stops at all stations) of Sanyo Shinkansen.

And you can find 800 series of Kyushu Shinkansen segment (Hakata – Kagoshima-Chuo) at Kyushu Shinkansen.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images below.
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Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu, Tokyo, Nagoya, Toyohashi, Osaka, Shin-Osaka, Namba, Tennoji, Kyoto, Nara, Maibara, Ogaki

Tokaido Shinkansen image gallery. Check the interior and accommodations.

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Original Shinkansen 0 series. It has been already disused.
Original Shinkansen 0 series. It has been already disused.

We cannot think about the travel in Japan without Shinkansen. Especially Tokaido Shinkansen (Tokyo-Shin Osaka) can be used for transfer to Kyoto and Osaka from Tokyo. Most of travellers take this Shinkansen once or more. Probably you want to see the interior of Shinkansen trains. There are several types of trains to be operated on Tokaido Shinkansen. I show you all types of trains of Tokaido Shinkansen trains. And also most of Tokaido Shinkansen trains go through on Sanyo Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. So if you take Sanyo Shinkansen, this post may be useful for you too.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images below.
Continue reading →

Kanto Area, Chubu Area, Tips for Japan Rail Pass

How to access to Atami, Ito, Shimoda and other places in Izu peninsula by railways.

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Atami hot springs resort night view. It is one of major spor in Izu peninsula hot springs resort. (C) JNTO

Izu is one of the most popular hot springs resort in Kanto area. It is very accessible from Tokyo. You can enjoy even day trip if you like. There are several popular spots in Izu peninsula. I would like to share the information about access to Izu with you in this post. Continue reading →