14 day JR Rail pass trip (Japan March 2024)

Thought I’d start a thread on my 14 day JR pass trip. I started the train portion of the trip on Sunday March 10th. Just to be thorough the trip so far:

March 3rd: New Jersey Transit Gladstone branch with change of train at Summit, NJ and continuing into Penn Station NYC. Switch to the LIRR to Jamaica Station and finally the JFK AirTrain to JFK terminal 8. AA flight to ORD with an overnight at the airport

March 4th: Japan Airlines 777-300 to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The reason for not taking a nonstop from JFK was I was extremely fortunate in finding a First Class award ticket on JAL using 80,000 AA miles.

March 5th: “Overnight” JAL flight (more accurately crossing of date line) arrives HND. Overnight at Haneda Airport.

March 6th: JAL domestic First Class on A350-900 to Okinawa (same 80k award ticket. I then spent 3 days of vacation before starting with the trains . Stayed at The Halekulani Okinawa.

March 9th: ANA 737-800 from Okinawa to Matsuyama Shikoku Island Japan.

Will continue to update… trains start 10th

But teaser:

I will enjoy this one.

xzperu42 said:

Thought I’d start a thread on my 14 day JR pass trip. I started the train portion of the trip on Sunday March 10th. Just to be thorough the trip so far:

March 3rd: New Jersey Transit Gladstone branch with change of train at Summit, NJ and continuing into Penn Station NYC. Switch to the LIRR to Jamaica Station and finally the JFK AirTrain to JFK terminal 8. AA flight to ORD with an overnight at the airport

March 4th: Japan Airlines 777-300 to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The reason for not taking a nonstop from JFK was I was extremely fortunate in finding a First Class award ticket on JAL using 80,000 AA miles.

March 5th: “Overnight” JAL flight (more accurately crossing of date line) arrives HND. Overnight at Haneda Airport.

March 6th: JAL domestic First Class on A350-900 to Okinawa (same 80k award ticket. I then spent 3 days of vacation before starting with the trains . Stayed at The Halekulani Okinawa.

March 9th: ANA 737-800 from Okinawa to Matsuyama Shikoku Island Japan.

Will continue to update… trains start 10th

But teaser:

Click to expand...

Wow!
Those windows make an Amfleet one look enormous by comparison…

railiner said:

Wow!
Those windows make an Amfleet one look enormous by comparison…

Click to expand...

Yeah, the Shinkansen's were designed to make you feel thoroughly like you were on an airplane, and somehow they continue down the same path. The original idea has its genesis at the same time that Budd was thinking it was designing airplanes on wheels too, as in the Metroliner, the precursor to Amfleet I.

They have had some good Japan Rail Journey episodes on PBS lately. The trains have great visibility and some of them slow down for animals (even cats) near the tracks so people can enjoy the scenery.

March 10:

Iyonada Monogatari at Matsuyama Station (Shikoku)

This train is very popular and tends to run only on weekends and holidays. I believe you can purchase a green seat on this train (meaning free if you have JR Green pass) at a ticket window in Japan at 30 prior to your journey. Obviously difficult in my case. I was not able to book this train using the online booking tool for the JR Pass. I purchased my ticket and meal vouchers from a travel agent that JR Shikoku directs you to. They sell the tickets a bit earlier than 30 days and you do get credit for having an ordinary JR Pass, but I saw no was to get credit for having a Green Pass. Anyway, T he tickets were delivered to my hotel in Matsuyama. Everything worked perfectly, but I did pay a premium. The train was sold out.

A few additional photos of the train and service:

March 11: itinerary for the day. Photo follow, but I only have access at the moment to those I have taken on my iPad.

Matsuyama(Ehime) → Onomichi → Kure → Hiroshima
Mon, Mar 11 9:15 - 17:22
8 hr 7 min Transfer 2 times 10,990 yen
--------------------
9:15 Matsuyama(Ehime) Platform 1Depart[Dept.]
Shiokaze No.12 (For Okayama)
Time：2 hr 55 min
Fare：To Hiroshima is 7,040 yen Reserved Seat：To Okayama is 2,950 yen
12:10 Okayama Platform 6Arrive
▼Transfer 5 min Wait 41 min
12:56 Okayama Platform 2Depart[Dept.]
San-yo Line (For Itozaki)
Time：1 hr 20 min
14:16 Onomichi
▼Transfer 1 min Wait 21 min
14:38 Onomichi [Dept.]
Etsetora (For Hiroshima Via Kure Line)
Time：15 min
Green Car Or First Class Car：To Hiroshima is 1,000 yen
14:53 Mihara
▼Direct 1 min
14:54 Mihara
Etsetora (For Hiroshima)
Time：2 hr 28 min
Green Car Or First Class Car
17:22 Hiroshima Platform 2Arrive

Shiokaze No.12 at Matsuyama Station (For Okayama)


Shiokaze Green car (First Clas)


Ordinary class


Made a last minute change and got this




The EtSETOra “Joyful Train” from Onomichi to Hiroshima Via Kure Line

March 12:
This is the plan for today. I will add photos later.

Hiroshima → Midorichuo → Kuga → Tokuyama → Hiroshima
Tue, Mar 12 8:43 - 13:32
4 hr 49 min Transfer 5 times 6,630 yen
--------------------
[Mar 12]
8:49 Hiroshima
San-yo Line (For Itozaki)
Time：20 min
Fare：To Seno is 330 yen
9:08 Seno
▼Transfer 3 min Wait 9 min
9:20 Midoriguchi [Dept.]
Skyrail (For Midorichuo)
Time：6 min
Fare：To Midorichuo is 170 yen
9:26 Midorichuo
▼Transfer 1 min Wait 3 min
9:30 Midorichuo [Dept.]
Skyrail (For Midoriguchi)
Time：6 min
Fare：To Midoriguchi is 170 yen
9:36 Midoriguchi
▼Transfer 3 min Wait 14 min
9:53 Seno
San-yo Line (For Iwakuni)
Time：1 hr 11 min
Fare：To Tokuyama is 1,980 yen
11:04 Iwakuni
▼Transfer 3 min Wait 19 min
11:26 Iwakuni [Dept.]
Gantoku Line (For Tokuyama)
Time：31 min
11:57 Kuga
▼Direct
11:57 Kuga
Gantoku Line (For Tokuyama)
Time：48 min
12:45 Tokuyama Platform 3Arrive
▼Transfer 5 min Wait 21 min
13:11 Tokuyama Platform 6Depart
Sakura No.552 (Series N700) (For Shin-Osaka)
Time：21 min
Fare：To Hiroshima is 1,690 yen Reserved Seat：To Hiroshima is 2,290 yen
13:32 Hiroshima Platform 14Arrive

Hiroshima → Aki-Kameyama → Hiroshima
Tue, Mar 12 15:48 - 17:42
1 hr 51 min Transfer 1 time 750 yen
--------------------
[Mar 12]
15:48 Hiroshima Platform 3Depart[Dept.]
Kabe Line (For Aki-Kameyama)
Time：44 min
Fare：To Aki-Kameyama is 420 yen
16:32 Aki-Kameyama
▼Transfer 1 min Wait 17 min
16:50 Aki-Kameyama [Dept.]
Kabe Line (For Hiroshima)
Time：52 min
Fare：To Hiroshima is 420 yen
17:42 Hiroshima

The main purpose of staying in Hiroshima was to ride the soon to close skyrail Midorizaka line. This is a very unusual suspended monorail that will shut down for good at the end of April 2024 (too expensive to maintain… getting old, no spare parts, only one like it, etc.) It will be replaced with electric buses.
















Unfortunately my other videos are too large to upload.

Just learned that you can only have 10 attachments, so I’m going to have to go out of sequence here. BTW I also learned you can’t bold anything which seemed odd as the rules page has Bolded headings in it!

March 10th continued:


Took this limited express back to Matsuyama from Iyo Ozu. It returns via the Yosan Line rather than the much slower coastal route.


Next was riding all three lines of the Iyotetsu Railway centered at Matsuyama





Unfortunately only photos that I have taken on my iPad are included as I have not downloaded and processed the photos on my camera (will not do until I have returned)

Great photo's, thanks for posting!
That diner certainly has an interesting seating arrangement...

You have been able to see more of Japan in the first two days than I have after living there for 18 years and spending 10 days back in December! Maybe not quite, but certainly a different set of views. I'm thoroughly enjoy this and living vicariously through your photos until I can make it back.

Today March 13th was another fine day of train rides. I have included my itinerary further down in this individual post. The weather was also nice today. Cool, but mostly sunny.

The day started out in Hiroshima Station seeing a series 500 Shinkansen. These are getting old now and are only used in Kodama (all stops local) trains.


Comments were made about the window size. This is the window of a 700 series Green car

These seats have a very deep recline, so you can position yourself well.

Ride this “one man diesel rail car” from Karatsu to Imari.


This is the interior:


This is the Matsura Railway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuura_Railway


Ate my supermarket sushi on the train: (it was pretty good)


This was a 3 hour local train ride


I’m now at the JR Hotel Okura at Huis ten Bosch (modeled on Central Station Amsterdam)





Rode a bunch of these on various journeys around Hiroshima yesterday:


Plan for the 13th.

Hiroshima → Karatsu → Imari → Tabirahiradoguchi → Huis Ten Bosch
Wed, Mar 13 9:05 - 16:32
7 hr 27 min Transfer 5 times 13,340 yen
--------------------
[Mar 13]
9:05 Hiroshima Platform 11Depart
Hikari No.531 (Series N700) (For Hakata)
Time：1 hr 6 min
Fare：To Imari is 6,840 yen Reserved Seat：To Hakata is 3,930 yen
10:11 Hakata Platform 12Arrive
▼Transfer 10 min Wait 15 min
10:36 Hakata
Fukuoka City Subway-Kuko Line (For Chikuzen-Maebaru)
Time：19 min
10:55 Meinohama
▼Direct 2 min
10:57 Meinohama
Chikuhi Line (For Chikuzen-Maebaru)
Time：20 min
11:17 Chikuzen-Maebaru
▼Transfer 1 min Wait 0 min
11:18 Chikuzen-Maebaru [Dept.]
Chikuhi Line (For Nishi-Karatsu)
Time：39 min
11:57 Karatsu
▼Transfer 2 min Wait 9 min
12:08 Karatsu [Dept.]
Karatsu Line (For Imari)
Time：10 min
12:18 Yamamoto(Saga)
▼Direct
12:18 Yamamoto(Saga)
Chikuhi Line(Imari) (For Imari)
Time：39 min
12:57 Imari
▼Transfer 3 min Wait 37 min
13:37 Imari [Dept.]
Matsuura Tetsudo (For Sasebo)
Time：2 hr 30 min
Fare：To Sasebo is 2,290 yen
16:07 Sasebo
▼Transfer 1 min Wait 5 min
16:13 Sasebo [Dept.]
Rapid Seaside Liner (For Nagasaki)
Time：13 min
Fare：To Huis Ten Bosch is 280 yen
16:26 Haiki
▼Direct 1 min
16:27 Haiki
Rapid Seaside Liner (For Nagasaki)
Time：5 min
16:32 Huis Ten Bosch

Fantastic. Thank you for posting your detailed itinerary details along with the pictures. I have always wanted to do a rail intensive visit to Japan. Your posts provide potential ideas and options. Looking forward to the rest.

The windows on the Shinkansen may be small, but they are perfectly aligned with the seats, and they provide better views of the scenery than amfleet cars IMHO.

These UP 44 seat chair cars also had individual windows aligned perfectly with each row of seats...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4619813

Today’s highlight (March 14th) will be the SL Hitoyoshi

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/train/sl.html

Unfortunately this locomotive will be retired at the end of this month

The day started with a visit to the Onsen (hot spring bath) at the Hotel Okura followed by their breakfast buffet. Huge selection of items that wiped out any health advantages of my trip to the onsen.

A last photo of the hotel (based on Central Station Amsterdam) on the walk to the train station.


Huis Ten Bosch train (the train is actually named this in addition to serving the Park):

This is a 783 series EMU originally called a “Hyper Salon” when they were introduced back in 1988. It was refurbished in 2017 and was a very comfortable and enjoyable ride.

The interior in Green car (First Class):



Ordinary class:


I rode that train to Hakata and had just enough time to get some Tonkatsu pork ramen at Ichiran: https://en.ichiran.com/index.php



Next was the Midori Express to Tosu which is also a series 783, but not as recently renovated. Both of these trains are actually coupled together and split at Haiki… one going to Huis Ten Bosch, the other to Sasebo.


Interior Green car:


At Tosu I caught the SL Hitoyoshi to Kumamoto. Its last run is March 23rd. Unfortunately I caught the return trip and it was basically hauled backwards by a diesel so disappointing (but I knew this beforehand… ) unfortunately the good direction was sold out. All of my locomotive shots are on m y camera. But this is the tender and lounge section:


One Railfan brought this model train which was the correct consist:

The Japanese breakfast shown on post #6 is interesting. Certainly healthier than our bacon/sausage, pancakes and eggs. I noticed that when in Seoul staying at the Hotel Lotte which I believe is Japanese owned, the breakfast buffet had western style on one side and Japanese style on the other with a heavy emphasis on salads.

Thank you for posting some very excellent photos.