Part 1 ~ Our First Trip Towards the Gotemba Premium Outlets
On the morning of Tuesday (1 June), all of us woke up at around 9.30 a.m. after having a well-earned good night's sleep. Having a shower and changing into our attires for the day, my parents informed us that we would be taking a day trip towards the Gotemba Premium Outlets on this day.
With all our necessary belongings ready after breakfast, we took the elevator down to the main apartment lobby, arriving there by ten o' clock. From the entrance towards the Somerset Serviced Apartments Roppongi Tokyo, we flagged down a cab, and told the driver to take us towards Tokyo Station. Soon enough, we left the Somerset Serviced Apartments Roppongi Tokyo by 10.10 a.m. for a short 20-minute taxi ride towards Tokyo Station.
Upon arrival at Tokyo Station by 10.30 a.m., we immediately proceeded to the JR Central Ticket Office to purchase our in-bound tickets for the in-bound segment towards Gotemba. According to my mum, our itinerary for the in-bound journey to Gotemba would be to catch the Shinkansen HIKARI Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama, which would depart Tokyo Station at 11.03 a.m., and arrive at Mishima Station at 11.47 a.m.. Upon arriving at Mishima Station, we would connect to a JR Tokaido Main Line towards Numazu, and transfer to the JR Gotemba Line for the final segment towards Gotemba at Numazu Station.
Tokyo Station (東京駅) is a railway station located in the Marunouchi business district in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. It is the main intercity railway terminal serving the national capital of Japan, and the busiest railway terminal in Japan in terms of the number of trains, with at least 3,000 serving the station. Many of the high-speed Shinkansen services start and terminate at the station.
The station also serves as the starting point for the Tokaido Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Sobu Main Line (Rapid), Keiyo Line and Chuo Main Line, as well as a major stop along the Keihin-Tohoku Negishi Line, Yamanote Line and the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. Several limited express trains bound for the Izu and Boso Peninsulas also start and terminate here. The Narita Express limited express service towards Narita International Airport also stops here.
The Tokaido Shinkansen (東海道新幹線) is a high speed Shinkansen line operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) linking between the major cities of Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. Opened on 1 October 1964, it is the oldest Shinkansen line in Japan, and the most heavily-travelled high-speed railway line in the world, with 5.3 billion passengers travelling on it between 1964 and 2012. The line has a maximum top speed of 270 km/h (170 mph).
As of 16 March 2013, 16-car 700 series and N700 series sets operate on the line on the various NOZOMI, HIKARI and KODAMA services. Many of the NOZOMI and HIKARI services offer direct service to the Sanyo Shinkansen beyond Shin-osaka Station as far as Okayama, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. NOZOMI trains are not covered under the Japan Rail Pass. The line is also scheduled to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2014.
HIKARI (ひかり) is a high-speed train service that operates on the Tokaido & Sanyo Shinkansen lines in Japan. Slower than the NOZOMI but faster than the KODAMA, the HIKARI is the fastest train service on the Tokaido & Sanyo Shinkansen lines that can be used with the Japan Rail Pass. The service is capable of reaching a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).
The service commenced on 1 October 1964, in collaboration with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen line, using 0 series equipment until their ultimate retirement from these services on 14 December 2008. From 1985, 100 series sets were introduced on these services, along with 300 series sets in 1992, until they were retired from revenue service on 16 March 2012.
From late 2000, 700 series sets were introduced on these services, displacing the older 300 series sets used on these service by 16 March 2012. From 15 March 2008, newer N700 series sets were introduced on some of these services. All services operated by new N700 series trains are completely non-smoking, with smoking permitted only in the enclosed smoking areas available in Cars No. 3, 7, 10 and 15.
A special promotional service, known as HIKARI Rail Star (ひかりレールスター), was introduced by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) on 11 March 2000. The service was introduced to provide competition against airliners between the cities of Osaka and Fukuoka. It mainly uses special 8-car 700 series sets painted grey with black stripes over the windows, separated by a sunny yellow stripe.
The service is limited to the Sanyo Shinkansen line and operates at a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). Green Car (first class) accommodation is not available on these services, though the reserved seating cars are arranged in a 2-2 seating configuration. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, HIKARI Rail Star services using the special 8-car 700 series sets became entirely non-smoking.
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| The busy roads of Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo near Tokyo Station on a bright summer's day |
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| The Shinkansen ticketing concourse of Tokyo Station, with lots of areas of the station being renovated |
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| A Shinkansen advertisement located in the Shinkansen ticketing concourse of Tokyo Station |
After purchasing our Green Car (first class) Shinkansen tickets from the JR Central Ticket Office, the clock was finally showing 10.40 a.m.. Being sure to have all our belongings with us, we went through the ticket gates and went to check the departure information board to see which platform the Shinkansen HIKARI Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama would depart from.
According to the departure information board, the Shinkansen HIKARI Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama would depart at 11.03 a.m. from Track No. 16. Since we had only 15 minutes left before our train towards Mishima, we immediately headed towards a nearby station kiosk to purchase some food and beverages for our trip.
Soon enough, we finally took the escalators up towards Tracks No. 16 and 17, arriving there by 10.50 a.m.. On the platform, we found a 16-car JR West 700 Series Shinkansen Set No. B15 on Track No. 16. The train had arrived from Nagoya as the Shinkansen KODAMA Superexpress No. 634 earlier, and was still undergoing extensive cleaning before forming the Shinkansen HIKARI Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama.
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| The departure information board located in the Tokaido Shinkansen concourse at Tokyo Station |
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| The Tokaido Shinkansen concourse at Tokyo Station under renovations |
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| The logo of the 16-car JR Central N700 Series Shinkansen train, operating on the Shinkansen "NOZOMI" Superexpress No. 105 bound for Hiroshima, on Track No. 17 at Tokyo Station |
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| The LED destination panel of the 16-car JR Central N700 Series Shinkansen train, operating on the Shinkansen "NOZOMI" Superexpress No. 105 bound for Hiroshima, on Track No. 17 at Tokyo Station |
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| Tracks No. 16 and 17 serving the Tokaido Shinkansen trains at Tokyo Station |
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| The passenger car information board scrolling the details of the Shinkansen "HIKARI" Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama |
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| The Green Car (first class) logo on the 16-car JR West 700 Series Shinkansen Set No. B15, operating on the Shinkansen "HIKARI" Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama, on Track No. 16 at Tokyo Station |
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| The LED destination panel of the 16-car JR West 700 Series Shinkansen Set No. B15, operating on the Shinkansen "HIKARI" Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama, on Track No. 16 at Tokyo Station |
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| Track No. 16 shortly before we boarded the Shinkansen "HIKARI" Superexpress No. 469 bound for Okayama at Tokyo Station |
Mishima Station (三島駅) is the main railway station serving the suburban city of Mishima, Shizuoka, Japan. The station serves as a transferring station for the Tokaido Shinkansen, Tokaido Main Line and Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line. All KODAMA trains, as well as some HIKARI trains, stop here. Several early morning and late night KODAMA services also start and terminate here.
Part 2 ~ Sampling the Limited Express Narita Express to Narita International Airport
The Narita Express (成田エクスプレス) is a limited express train service operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between Narita International Airport and the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The service frequency is approximately every 30 minutes, with some services stopping at Chiba, Yotsukaido and Narita Stations in the early morning and evening hours. The service is capable of reaching a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph).
The service commenced operations on 19 March 1991, using 253 series EMUs in either 3-car or 6-car formations. These sets were frequently coupled together between Tokyo and Narita International Airport. From 1 October 2009, new E259 series EMUs were introduced on these services, replacing the older 253 series EMUs by 30 June 2010.
Green private compartments were available on services operated by the older 253 series EMUs. These were eventually phased out on 30 June 2010, as the new E259 series EMUs do not feature these compartments. There is no extra charge for the Narita Express for tourists travelling with a Japan Rail Pass.
However, following the Great East Japan Tsunami on 11 March 2011, all Narita Express services were completely suspended until further notice. They were partially restored on 4 April 2011, until the pre-earthquake and tsunami timetable and services were finally reinstated on 3 September 2011.
Part 3 ~ Spending a Day in Nikko
I was rather excited, since this would mark our first time riding on the Tohoku Shinkansen line. Since this was in the middle of 2010, the Tohoku Shinkansen line extension between Hachinohe and Shin-aomori was still not opened at that time.
The Tohoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線) is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between Tokyo and Aomori in Japan. Opened in stages between 1982 and 2010, it is the longest Shinkansen line in the nation, with a total length of 674 kilometres (419 miles).
The line mainly passes through several less developed areas in the Tohoku Region, and has two mini-Shinkansen lines, the Akita and Yamagata Shinkansen lines. The line runs merged with the Joetsu and Nagano Shinkansen (Hokuriku Shinkansen) lines between Tokyo and Omiya Stations. The line is capable of a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 mph), like the TGV high-speed lines operating in France.
However, on the dreaded afternoon of 11 March 2011, all Tohoku Shinkansen services were suspended following the Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami. The line was re-opened in stages between 15 March 2011 and 29 April 2011, but at lower speeds due to repair works being conducted along the line. The pre-earthquake and tsunami services and timetable were finally reinstated on 23 September 2011, after approximately five months of re-construction works.
The Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線) is a high-speed Shinkansen line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between the cities of Tokyo and Nagano in Japan. It was opened on 1 October 1997, in preparation for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano. The line also forms the first segment of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線), which is currently under construction, with the section between Nagano and Kanazawa scheduled to be opened by mid-2015. The line has a maximum top speed of 260 km/h (160 mph).
As of 16 March 2013, a dedicated fleet of 14 8-car E2 series sets operate on the line on ASAMA services at a top speed of 260 km/h (160 mph), with the stop patterns varying for each of the services. The fastest journey time between Tokyo and Nagano takes just 1 hour 23 minutes.
However, with the opening of the sector between Nagano and Kanazawa by mid-2015, new 12-car E7 series and W7 series trains will be introduced on the new KAGAYAKI (Tokyo to Kanazawa limited-stop), HAKUTAKA (Tokyo to Kanazawa all-stations) and TSURUGI (Toyama to Kanazawa shuttle service) services. The existing 8-car E2 series sets will still be retained on the existing ASAMA services between Tokyo and Nagano when the line is extended. At the same time, the line will be operated jointly by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
YAMABIKO (やまびこ) is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Tohoku Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Morioka in Japan. The service generally stops along the stretch between Tokyo and Sendai, and at every station between Sendai and Morioka. The service is capable of reaching a top speed of 275 km/h (170 mph).
The service commenced operations on 23 June 1982, in collaboration with the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen line, using 200 series sets at a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph), until they were retired from these services on 19 November 2011. From 15 July 1994, 12-car E1 series sets (branded as Max YAMABIKO) were introduced on these services at a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) until they were withdrawn from all Tohoku Shinkansen services on 4 December 1999.
From 22 March 1997, E2 series sets were introduced on these services at a top speed of 275 km/h (170 mph). Services operated by these sets frequently ran coupled with Akita Shinkansen KOMACHI services, operated by E3 series sets, between Tokyo and Morioka. However, following the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen line extension to Hachinohe and Shin-aomori in late 2002 and 2010, all Akita Shinkansen KOMACHI services ran coupled with newer HAYATE services between Tokyo and Morioka.
From 20 December 1997, 8-car E4 series sets (also branded as Max YAMABIKO) were introduced on these services, operating at a maximum speed of 240 km/h (150 mph). These sets frequently ran coupled with Yamagata Shinkansen TSUBASA services between Tokyo and Fukushima, until 28 September 2012.
From 19 November 2011, E5 series sets were introduced on these services, eventually displacing the remaining older 200 series sets running on the Tohoku Shinkansen line. This eventually allowed GranClass, a special type of train accommodation that is beyond Green Cars, to be introduced on some services. While there are no extra charges required for the YAMABIKO with the Japan Rail Pass, Japan Rail Pass holders planning to use GranClass must pay the Shinkansen express charge, in addition to the GranClass surcharge.
Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅) is the main railway station serving the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan. The station serves as an interchange station for the Tohoku Shinkansen, Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line), Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Nikko Line and Karasuyama Line. Tobu Utsunomiya Station is located approximately 1.6 kilometres to the west of Utsunomiya Station itself.
Part 4 ~ My 15th Birthday Celebration Day Trip Towards Kobe
My itinerary for the in-bound segment towards Kobe would be to catch the Shinkansen NOZOMI Superexpress bound for Hakata (Fukuoka), which would depart Tokyo Station at 12.30 p.m., and arrive at Shin-osaka Station at 3.06 p.m.. The rest of my family would then follow on the Shinkansen HIKARI Superexpress No. 513 bound for Shin-osaka, which would depart Tokyo Station at 12.33 p.m., and arrive at the Shin-osaka terminal station at 3.30 p.m.. Upon arriving at Shin-osaka Station, we would connect to a Special Rapid Service train for the final segment towards Kobe.
NOZOMI (のぞみ) is the fastest train service operating on the Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in Japan. The service generally stops at the largest stations on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, and along the stretch on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. The service has a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), with the fastest service taking only 2 hours 25 minutes between Tokyo and Shin-osaka, and 4 hours 50 minutes between Tokyo and Hakata (Fukuoka).
The service commenced operations on 14 March 1992, using 300 series sets at a top speed of 270 km/h (170 mph), until they were ultimately retired from revenue service on 16 March 2012. From 22 March 1997, 500 series sets were introduced on these services at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), until they were gradually retired from these services on 28 February 2010.
From 13 March 1999, 700 series sets were introduced on these services at a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). From 1 July 2007, N700 series sets were introduced on these services at a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph), like the 500 series sets. There is no smoking permitted on the services operated by N700 series sets, with smoking permitted only in enclosed smoking areas in Cars No. 3, 7, 10 and 15 of the 16-car formation.
Since the start of the revised timetable on 13 March 2010, all through regular NOZOMI services towards Okayama, Hiroshima and Hakata (Fukuoka) were operated by new N700 series sets. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, all regularly-scheduled NOZOMI services, including runs limited to the Tokaido Shinkansen line, were operated by newer N700 series trains.
The NOZOMI service is not valid for tourists travelling with a Japan Rail Pass. Payment of the basic fare and the Shinkansen express charge is a mandatory pre-requisite to use NOZOMI trains, including the Green Car (first class) surcharge when using a Green Car (first class) seat, even if you have a Japan Rail Pass.
Shin-osaka Station (新大阪駅) is a major railway station located in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan, and is one of the central railway terminals serving the Keihanshin metropolitan area. The station was opened on 1 October 1964, in collaboration with the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen, since there was no space for a Shinkansen station in the city centre itself. The station serves as an interchange station for the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Main Line) and Osaka Municipal Subway Midosuji Line.
Many Shinkansen trains offer through service on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines through this station. The station also serves as a starting and ending point for direct Sanyo Shinkansen trains bound for the Kyushu Shinkansen line. On 16 March 2013, an additional Shinkansen platform (Track No. 27) was opened for service in order to ease overcrowding at the station. Track No. 27 is the only Shinkansen platform in the station to have half-height automatic platform screen doors.
Sannomiya Station (三ノ宮駅 / 三宮駅) is a railway station located in Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. It is the central railway terminal serving the urban port city of Kobe, and is located on the JR Kobe Line, Hankyu Kobe Line, Hanshin Main Line, Seishin-yamate Subway Line and the Port Liner. The Japanese name for the Sannomiya Station by JR West is written as 三宮駅, whereas for all other railway lines, it is written as 三宮駅.
The station name for the JR Kobe Line includes the katakana character 'no (ノ)' to avoid misreadings by foreign tourists and other locals from the country. Nishinomiya Station also included that particular katakana character, and its Japanese name was written as 西ノ宮駅.
However, for many years, the city of Nishinomiya had been legally requesting for the Japanese name of the station to be changed, in order to match the city's name. Finally, on 18 March 2007, in collaboration with the opening of Sakura-shukugawa Station, the station was renamed as 西宮駅, for the sake of the city. But, to avoid further reading confusions, I will continue to write the Japanese name for Nishinomiya Station operated by JR West as 西ノ宮駅.
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