Osaka Spring 2010 Trip

[Guest ___]

This was sup[pose to the be the spring 2009 trip but I was laid off from bp solar which essentially killed my trip. I was planning two separate trips but may just ended up combining them becasue it's easier than flying in and out of Heneda.

 

Fly in to Narita from DC, and crash in a capsule till morning.

 

D1: Taken the Shinkansen to Koriyama, and shoot there for half a day before transferring over to the Ban'etsu Saisen Line to Aizu-Wakamatsu.

D2-D4: Shoot Aizu-Wakamatsu and vicinity with various one off trips for two days.

D5: Ride back to Koriyama and head north to Aomori and shoot

D6: Aomori to Sapporo, shooting Sapporo

D7-D9: Shoot Sapparo and vicinity with various one off trips for two days.

D10: Sapparo to Osaka via Shinkansen connect to line bound for Wakayama Line (day trip)

D11-D13: Shoot Wakayama and vicinity with various one off trips for two days.

D14: Wakayama to Tokyo, shoot Tokyo as time permits, crash in a capsule.

D15: Return to DC

 

Might have to add days depending on whether or not my Japanese friends want to hangout out OR if I have model shoot with some of the Japanese models I know in Tokyo want to shoot. I figure I can get my use out of the JR pass this way.

[Guest ___]

Thought about it, not covered under the JRP. Ride that long, I'll take a few cat naps along the way, still not as long a run as the flight over from Washington DC

[Tenorikuma]

The railpass doesn't cover the fast Shinkansen (Nozomi), does it?

[bikkuri bahn]

The railpass doesn't cover the fast Shinkansen (Nozomi), does it?

 

That's right- you're restricted to Hikari and Kodama trains.  Though not a major handicap IMO, given the frequency of services.

[Guest ___]

Meh, Nozomi isn't a big deal for me. I can live with Hikari. The price to take the train from Sapporo to Osaka is still cheaper than flying, overall, the cost of the pass will save me a good bit over flying from Tokyo to Sapporo then to Osaka then back to Tokyo.

[alpineaustralia]

If you model the real trains that you photograph in Japan, will you also start modelling the female models that you also photograph?  

If so, you will need to factor in an afternoon in Akihabara to buy those pervert models that they sell.

[Guest ___]

Akiba, forget it, Last time I went there to look for trains some weird guy kept trying to sell me the mystery box. Besides, I can get real models, I don't need some crazy otaku cosplayer in a maid get up.In fact I have a set to shoot tomorrow in Baltimore. http://www.modelmayhem.com/601929

[alpineaustralia]

Curiously, does anyone in the forum actually model those female model kits that you see in Akihabara and in all Japanese hobby store?

BTW, what is a "otaku cosplayer"?

[to2leo]

I love Akiba with all the model trains!!! The mystery box sometimes holds very good products for a much discounted price.  But like you I rather know what I am going to get!

[bikkuri bahn]

BTW, what is a "otaku cosplayer"?

 

Otaku= a nerd, often railfans are labeled such: i.e "tetsudo otaku"

 

Cosplayer, short for "costume player", i.e someone who like to dress up in a costume, be it a maid, anime character, lolita, train conductor...

[Guest ___]

Simply put densha otaku = all of us :P

 

I never find deals in Akiba. I think it's a place for all the suckers to go especially for computers and electronics. If you want a deal on computer parts, go to Ikibukuro. Half the stores in Akiba seem to be Laox, LOL

[bikkuri bahn]

Simply put densha otaku = all of us :P

 

I never find deals in Akiba. I think it's a place for all the suckers to go especially for computers and electronics. If you want a deal on computer parts, go to Ikibukuro. Half the stores in Akiba seem to be Laox, LOL

 

Yeah, I think Akihabara used to be the place for parts, tools etc.  It was more low profile back in the eighties (pre-maid and anime boom).  I remember as a child visiting a back alley that was a warren of parts suppliers, stalls selling tools, etc.  I got alot of my first modeling tools there- including types of tweezers and sprue cutters unavailable back in the US at any stores except maybe by ordering through walthers or some specialty house.

[Guest ___]

Sadly thanks to the economy, I might have to push the trip back to early '10 which is sorta annoying me now. Guess I'll have to settle for my trip to Pittsburgh in two weeks as a vacation this year.  

 

Sadly, shooting in kansai may be tough as at the moment I have several gf's English students there who I need to juggle.  

[to2leo]

Hmm, I am seriously about going to Tokyo for a week from Nov 21 to 28.  If not, it will be my yearly month long vacation in Feb-Mar 2010.

 

Hmm, we might be able to meet if the timing is right.  :laughing7:

[Guest ___]

That'd be nice, but I think I'm getting pushed back to 2010 at this stage assuming I don't relocate to to Atlanta before then.

[Guest ___]

New plan. I'm cutting the trip in half due to time and money constraints. that and I got a good deal online so I took it. See the new thread I started. (Locked)

[Guest ___]

I've locked in for the 21st through the 28th of March. I'm planning to hook up with:

 

 

• That kick ass Buck Rodgers train.
  
• Meet Tama-chan the cat in Wakayama
  
• See that bridge where the trains and pedestrians share
  
• See a 700-railstar train
  
• ...and a few other things
  

[Guest ___]

Any ideas on the best route to transit from Itami Airport to Shin-Osaka? I assume it would be the monorail, but fro mthe monorail, I'm unsure of the connection to what line to run to Shin-Osaka.

[bikkuri bahn]

but fro mthe monorail, I'm unsure of the connection to what line to run to Shin-Osaka.

 

Monorail line to Senri Chuo, then Subway Midosuji Line to Shin-Osaka station.

[Guest ___]

Sounds easy enough.

[alpineaustralia]

I cant believe you are flying out of Japan on 28 March.

My boy and I will be flying from Sydney to Japan on the same day for a 2 week trip.

At some point I would like to fit in a trip on an overnight sleeper.

Any suggestions on a side - trip that I can do incorporating an overnight sleeper?

[Guest ___]

Wish I knew the area better for fanning, alpine. Not sure about JR West blue trains and sleepers.

 

It's been nearly 5 years since my last trip to Kansai and that wasnt even a train trip so Kansai has become rather weak area of fanning for me.

[stevenh]

From what I now understand, there are very limited sleeper trains passing through Kansai.

You get the:

• Twilight Express
  
• Nihonkai
  
• Sunrise Izumi and Seto
  
• Kitaguni
  

 

There is a site with good information here.

 

Of course, with your railpasses, you still need to pay the extra overnight fare. The link above tells you all about it.

 

As for railfanning in Kansai, you've got the Tokaido line between Osaka and Kyoto at your disposal. Take a local the entire stretch, get off at  Senrioka, Takatsuki, Ibaraki and you'll see all sorts of services... The Twilight (around lunch time in both directions), Freight, the Nihonkai returns around 10am (leaves at 5pm), express passenger services, the kitaguni, etc... You also get to see convergence of Hankyuu, Shinkansen and Main lines as you get closer to Kyoto.

 

Otherwise head up to Kyoto and check out Eiden, Kurama (from demachiyanagi), Arashiiyama (torokko railway), Kyoto light rail (starts from shiijooomiya with depot at 'sai').

And then head to Hamaotsu to see trains driving all over the road.

 

For a day trip, take the ocean arrow or kuroshio (first service) from Shinosaka to Shingu, then the Wide view hida to Tsu, then the kansai line (single-car DMU sorta like the KIHA110) back via nara to osaka

 

 

I'm sure there's a shitload more, and if anyone can suggest them, then we should get there.

etc, etc... I think we need a Kansai railfan page in the wiki...

[alpineaustralia]

I didnt mean necessarily an overnighter from Kansai.

I am happy to consider other options eg. from Tokyo

 

Steven - did you actually stay overnight on the Twilight Express?

 

I have a little 6 years old and so I didnt want to catch an overnighter just to return the next day the same way. I'd rather make a side trip out of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka etc. using the overnighter. Im not sure if that makes sense. 

[stevenh]

Sorry, Kansai is where I always start from as it's usually cheaper via JetStar and it's where all my university friends are.

 

So, the other options are also listed on that link... Cassiopeia (totally over-priced, but looks amazing), Hokutosei, etc...

I intend on travelling on either of those this time to Japan after going via Aizu and Sapporo. This will take me to Fukushima of which I then swap to the trusted shinkansen to get me back to Osaka.

 

I caught the Twilight Express from Higashi-Muroran to Shin Osaka after catching the Nihonkai from Osaka to Aomori (then taking the hakucho/hokuto through the tunnel to Higashi-Muroran).

 

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See all of the photos here.