Yokohama train watching

[GrahamH]

I'm going to stay in Yokohama in September staying at the Intercontinental . I booked this all nearly a year ago and was able to get a good rate. I have stayed once before and it's good for getting into Tokyo etc. I'm not travelling using a rail pass .

Is there a suitable plass / station I can go to locally to watch Shinkansen for a couple of hours ?

Or even some suggested cheaper rail experiences in the area I might not know.

Thanks Graham

[bikkuri bahn]

The closest station to see shinkansen trains going by at speed is Odawara. All shinkansen trains stop at Shin Yokohama.

[railsquid]

Cheapest way to get onto a Shinkansen platform is buy a single ticket between two adjacent stations. Shin-Yokohama to Odawara is 1,950 yen, Shin-Yokohama to Shinagawa is 1,270 yen. Odawara is definitely a good viewing spot, there are four tracks (two stopping tracks on the outside and two passing tracks in the centre, all on a slight curve)/

[bikkuri bahn]

Without knowing your specific railway interests it's hard to make recommendations, but I would definitely take a ride on the Keihin Kyuko Line between Shinagawa and say Kanazawa Hakkei, or Uraga if you're on a local. Very precise and high performance operating. Rarely if ever seen anywhere outside Japan.

Edited August 8, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[railsquid]

Tragically large parts of the Keihin Kyuko between Shinagawa and Kawasaki are now elevated, which is even more efficient but somewhat less dramatic.

 

I also like the JR lines between Tsurumi and Yokohama - 3 parallel lines (Keihin-Tohoku, Tokaido and Yokosuka/Shonan-Shinjuku) with the Keihin Kyuko running more-or-less parallel as well.

[bikkuri bahn]

A suggested itinerary if you're going to Odawara but not using the Shinkansen:

1. from Yokohama Sta. take Sotetsu to Ebina(hill and dale running)

2. at Ebina take Odakyu Rlwy to Odawara. You may have to change trains somewhere.

3. buy a platform ticket (called nyujouken) for 170yen(?) to watch shinkansen trains whizzing by.

4. take the Tokaido line train to Fujisawa. Transfer to Enoden there, and ride to end of line at Kamakura.

5. at Kamakura, transfer to Yokosuka line for the ride back to Yokohama.

*if you're feeling adventurous, from Kamakura you can take a local Keikyu bus which will take you over the hills to the other side of the Miura peninsula, where you can catch a Keikyu train at Kanazawa Hakkei back to Yokohama.

Edited August 9, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[GrahamH]

Many thanks everyone . I will have a look at the suggestions over next couple of days . They all look really interesting and useful

Graham

[Kb4iuj]

If your in between stations and maybe have a GoPro camera... Find a kite that'll support that thing in flight and fly up a ways but can you imagine the wide angle view and all the scenery and there that thing goes flying by... Of course, don't fly it over the tracks or near electrical lines. This of course is the poor mans drone, but it still works and your in the picture too.

 

Checkout all the video on YouTube. Guys standing behind a huge fence and really missing out on a grander view.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Kb4iuj

[railsquid]

If your in between stations and maybe have a GoPro camera... Find a kite that'll support that thing in flight and fly up a ways but can you imagine the wide angle view and all the scenery and there that thing goes flying by... Of course, don't fly it over the tracks or near electrical lines. This of course is the poor mans drone, but it still works and your in the picture too.

 

Have you ever been to Japan?