I've just returned from a seishun 18 trip to Akita and back. Photos below.The way up was a way I have travelled many times; it is particularly beautiful in the winter. It's also the quickest route of the many that are available.
Seishun 18 tickets only allow travel on local trains, with a very few exceptions. Searching for the route requires unchecking options such as express trains, shinkansen, planes, sleeper trains, buses and walking! It's a long long trip - on the way up 14 hours - but it works out at only 2,500 yen (less than 30$) for the 700+ km trip in conrast with about 17,000Y for a ticket that includes shinkansen.
 |
| Utsunomiya |
 |
| Shirakawa Castle |
 |
| The Shinkansen line and the mountains from the Tohoku main line. |
 |
| Kuroiso |
 |
| Fukushima |
 |
| Heading north west from Fukushima station |
 |
| A woman selling food along the tracks |
 |
| Entering Yamagata |
 |
| Yamagata |
 |
| The line to Yonezawa |
 |
| The end of the winter |
3 comments:
The local lines are so much prettier than the Shinkansen. I wonder how much snow would be left by early to mid April. It would be nice to have a squiz, though only as a day trip from Tokyo. :(
Early to mid April... very little. But this line is the same line as the Yamagata Shinkansen. It's the primary exception to the rule of Shinkansen covering ugly territory.
I'm about to post one of the Nairiku sen. It probably will still have snow early April, but mid April I'd be doubtful. Actually I went up this way several years ago in Golden Week and Tamagawa onsen had reasonable snow. But in a previous year, the Nairiku had little. Early April, my guess is the non JR Nairiku is probably your best bet.
I've just read your post!
You're very familiar with the Yamagata line. Definitely a good decision to go to Kakunodate via Shinjo rather than the Akita Shinkansen from the point of view of scenery!
Post a Comment