From Yamadera home

The seishun 18 kippu feels magnificent when sitting on one and two car trains that meander through far off places; it loses its shine on the well travelled track back to Tokyo.
I left Yamadera just before 3 on a Sendai bound train.  A change for Haranomachi, followed by a change for Iwaki, a change for Mito and a change at Nippori had me home at 11.30 pm - 81/2 hours. The shinkansen from Sendai takes a bit over 2 hours.  Changes were tight and there wasn't time to get anything other than chips or chocolate to munch on - after the Odate food fest arguably it was just as well.
All was going smoothly till I saw a super express train at Iwaki that was Ueno (Tokyo) bound.... Resisting temptation I perservered in my quest. And it was worth it;I would use the seishun 18  again in a flash - though two days for the last leg would have made it more relaxed and enjoyable.

Trains from Yamadera to Sendai run roughly every hour

The Yamadera-Sendai train about to return

Sendai

Countryside south east of Sendai

Haranomachi station

Haranomachi train about to return to Sendai

The Iwaki bound train.

Iwaki - the train behind was the Ueno bound express....

Iwaki to Mito

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiinally the train from Mito to Ueno which thankfully became an express at Toride, an hour out of Tokyo.

Home