gensoku Japan!

[Nick_Burman]

Hi all,

 

After years of delaying it sine die, it seems that I'll make it to Japan next year. My contract ends in April and between what I've been saving and my severance package there would be ample funds for a trip. The original plans was for me to travel alone on a mostly rail-related trip, however my mother has also been wanting to go to Japan for years and it would be unfair to leave her behind (she is afraid - more on linguistic grounds - of going alone), so she is coming along. This means that a potential (that is why I put gensoku rather than shinko in the title...) trip would have to take the tourist sites. Since I'm "in the bush" for the time being (I'm writing from home now as I'm on leave) she has taken over the task of choosing what to see and where to go. Because there is so much to see and because this would be our first time, so far we've been focusing on Kanto, Kinki and Kansai (with a detour into Hokuriku). I've been aske to list what I would like to see in terms of rail attractions, so far I've listed the following:

 

Tokyo area:

- Railway Museum, Omiya;

- Arakawa tram;

- Tobu Railway Museum;

- Tokyu Museum;

- Hara Train Museum, Yokohama;

- Choshi Dentetsu;

- Enoden.

 

Kinki/Kansai:

- Umekoji;

- JR West Nagoya Museum.

(Meiji Mura was on the cards - Ma is a Frank Lloyd Wright fan and she wanted to see the Imperial Hotel Annex. But with both trolley and steam train OOS this was quietly dropped)

- Sangi and Hokusei;

- Eizan

 

"The boondocks":

- Oigawa Railway;

- Iida line;

- Tateyama - Kurobe Alpenroute;

- Kurotetsu.

 

(entries in italics are just possibilities, it all depends on time, we won't be staying for an year, ye know... )

 

I've been reading all the posts in this forum about travel and attractions however I would like to hear any more ideas and suggestions. The idea is to go as soon as my contract is over. I've suggested to my mother a potential itinerary:

 

- Arrive, visit Tokyo and surrounding attractions;

- ride the Oigawa Railway;

- on to Toyohashi, ride the Iida Line;

- Matsumoto, ride the Alpenroute;

- Toyama, ride the Kurotetsu;

- On to Kinki and Kansai.

 

Please feel free to post ideas, I'll ask questions as they come in. I've also have questions to post on "practicalities".

 

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

Just a few things until others post...

 

- Choshi Dentetsu is all the way out east, that would be somewhat time-consuming to get to

- If you're going to be in the Kansai area, the Eizan need not be optional, it's pretty easy to get to, not that long, and frequent

- Umekoji is JR West's museum, at least until they build that new one, the Nagoya museum is JR Central's.

- Meiji Mura is in the greater Nagoya area, and accessible by Meitetsu I think (they might own it, I forget)

 

 

Bottom line, though, will you be using a Rail Pass?  If so, you can use bullet trains and limited expresses at will, and a lot of this will be completely doable.

[Nick_Burman]

Just a few things until others post...

 

- Choshi Dentetsu is all the way out east, that would be somewhat time-consuming to get to

- If you're going to be in the Kansai area, the Eizan need not be optional, it's pretty easy to get to, not that long, and frequent

- Umekoji is JR West's museum, at least until they build that new one, the Nagoya museum is JR Central's.

- Meiji Mura is in the greater Nagoya area, and accessible by Meitetsu I think (they might own it, I forget)

 

 

Bottom line, though, will you be using a Rail Pass?  If so, you can use bullet trains and limited expresses at will, and a lot of this will be completely doable.

 

Yes, Rail Pass would be in the plans. Also regional passes to cover subway and private lines in metropolitan areas (incidentally, what's my choice?)

 

Meiji Mura was pulled out out of the projected itinerary because both trolley car and steam train are out of service until second notice. If, IF, Meitetsu restores the train service between now and April, then I think we will factor it in, somehow.

 

Choshi isn't all that far...a check in Hyperdia shows express Shiosai #1 covering the run in 113 minutes, dep. Tokyo 07:37, arrive Choshi 09:35. One thing I don't understand is the existence of a "seat fee", even on unreserved seats. How does this work?

 

Also, I forgot to mention... I would like suggestions on railfanning locations, preferably with lots of freight...

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

It looks like what they call seat fee is a combination of limited express fee and seat reservation fee.  Basic fare for the trip you found is 2210.  Express fee alone is 1300, the reserved seat fare is 1810 which includes the flat 510 yen seat reservation fee, and then they show the Green Car fee.  I'm not sure how that breaks down.

[gmat]

Omiya Station or perhaps a station to the South is very good for freight trains. As it's a large station, it isn't easy to shoot north and south bound trains from the same platform. A station to the south might be easier, but the shooting angle might not be so good. You can shoot crew changes late in the afternoon (15:30 and later) from the northern edge of platform number # 11. South bound crew changes at the southern end of platform #4.

Another spot that is nice but is way up North is at Kuroiso Station. They change diesel engines here, usually red EH500 heading north and a mixture of blue engines (EF66, EF210, etc) going south. You can shoot them very close up and idling waiting to be disconnected/connected.

Also there is the overpass at the Tokyo Freight Terminal.(Oi Ward) One side overlooks the terminal, the other side overlooks the Shinkansen yard. Go to the Oi Keibajo-mae Station on the Tokyo Monorail and walk or catch a cab east. Get off at the overpass. If you do, e-mail me and I can give instructions on restrictions/off limits areas. Not always obvious. Ask the guard in the guard shack about where you can shoot. In the morning it is rather busy but tapers off from noon.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Nick_Burman]

It looks like what they call seat fee is a combination of limited express fee and seat reservation fee.  Basic fare for the trip you found is 2210.  Express fee alone is 1300, the reserved seat fare is 1810 which includes the flat 510 yen seat reservation fee, and then they show the Green Car fee.  I'm not sure how that breaks down.

 

How much of this does the Rail Pass cover? Or is it paid separately?

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

It looks like you get free seat reservations based on what kind of Rail Pass you buy.  The cheaper one gets you free seats on standard class cars, the other kind gets you seats on Green cars.

 

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en003.html

[JR 500系]

Yes like miyakoji has mentioned, booking seats using the JR Pass (normal) is COMPELTELY FREE for normal class and JR Pass (Green) is COMPLETELY FREE for normal & Green class. (Now who in the right mind would buy a green class ticket to sit in a normal car?)

 

I've always booked my shinkansen, or even express train seats using the JR Pass. Fast and convinent, and you'll know where to wait on the platform .~

[Kabutoni]

If you're visiting Enoden anyway, why not hop on the Shonan Monorail in Enoshima and hitch a ride to Kamakura? I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

[Nick_Burman]

Yes like miyakoji has mentioned, booking seats using the JR Pass (normal) is COMPELTELY FREE for normal class and JR Pass (Green) is COMPLETELY FREE for normal & Green class. (Now who in the right mind would buy a green class ticket to sit in a normal car?)

 

I've always booked my shinkansen, or even express train seats using the JR Pass. Fast and convinent, and you'll know where to wait on the platform .~

 

OK, so it means that if I have a Rail Pass and I decide to take Shiosai #1 to Choshi, I can hop on without paying that seat fee, right?

 

Green Card on Ordinary car...what about if one tries to book a Green Class seat on a particular train and all posts are taken? It stiill gives one a second chance...

 

Cheers NB

[Nick_Burman]

If you're visiting Enoden anyway, why not hop on the Shonan Monorail in Enoshima and hitch a ride to Kamakura? I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

 

That is one possibility. However I might like to ride the Enoden end to end. Also I'll be with a person who although she likes trains, she isn't a train buff - her main aim is visiting the Great Buddha.

 

Cheers NB