Whiteroom Blog

Tokyo to Niseko Hokkaido on the Shinkansen Bullet Train

No journey to Japan would be complete without taking a trip on their world famous Shinkansen (or bullet) trains. In operation since 1964, these high speed trains were developed as a means to boost economic growth by connecting Tokyo to various regions on the main island of Honshu.

As a regular visitor to Hokkaido, I was looking forward to making a long journey across Japan to see more of this beautiful country. As of 2016 it has been possible to make the undersea journey via high speed rail from Honshu to the northern island of Hokkaido, and the city of Hakodate. Travelling further north than Hakodate still requires use of the regular speed regional train network. The Shinkansen is scheduled to operate all the way to Sapporo by 2031.

You’ll see a variety of Shinkansen bullet trains at Tokyo station

After flying in to Haneda Airport (close to Tokyo), I headed to Tokyo station from Terminal 1 on the Monorail Haneda Express (¥650 with a transfer at Hamamatsuchō station). Flying in to Narita Airport would also require you transfer to Tokyo station, which is made easy via the NEX: Narita express train service.

Even though the Japanese train network is vast, with multiple operators, you’ll find all stations well signposted in English, making navigating your way to each railway station (or ‘eki’) fairly easy.

Navigating to the correct train lines is easy thanks to great signage
There’s plenty of great food options at Tokyo station

The Shinkansen ticket booth was easy to locate and a ticket travelling from Tokyo station to Hakodate was ¥22,650 (as of December 2017), taking just over 4hrs. With english speaking staff purchasing a ticket on the day before departure was easy, but you can also purchase a shinkansen ticket before you arrive in Japan or once you are in Japan at one of the JR East travel service centres (including Haneda and Narita airports).

My journey was on the Shinkansen Hayabusa series, a train with a top speed of 320km/hr. This really makes the journey feel like a time warp as you view the late spring vistas around Tokyo turn into the depths of winter as you head north. There is no in seat entertainment system on the Shinkansen, but there were usb chargers and a cart with snacks and drinks for sale which laps the carriages every hour.

Shinkansen Hayabusa series – top speed 320km/hr

One thing to note on Japanese trains: there is not an abundance of space for luggage. Many of the older Shinkansen trains which operate on the main island will only have overhead racks, which are not quite wide enough to trust your suitcase on. You can fit ski bags on the overhead racks (carefully!) as long as they are not the overly wide style. The Shinkansen to Tohoku & Hokkaido (run by JR East) has small areas for bag storage near the doors on most carriages – first in for space on these!

UPDATE 2024: Baggage areas will vary between trains as they are upgraded over the years. The official baggage rules when travelling on JR East Shinkansen to Tohoku & Hokkaido are:

“You may bring up to two pieces of baggage on board free of charge. For each bag the total of the length, width and height must not exceed 250 centimeters, the length must not exceed two meters and the weight must be no more than 30 kilograms”

JR East does state that “You may not be allowed to take baggage on board if it could inconvenience other passengers, if the train is exceptionally crowded or due to other circumstances” but our guests have not had any issues when travelling to Tohoku & Hokkaido on the shinkansen in the past.

A great way to avoid lugging your baggage around is to do what the Japanese do – have your baggage sent via courier, using the trusty TA-Q-BIN service. Also known as Yamato Transport or ‘Black Cat’, I had two 23kg bags sent from Tokyo Haneda airport to Niseko for ¥4,600 arriving two days later – worth every penny when you have ski/board gear with you.

Soon enough you’ll find yourself disappearing into the Seikan Tunnel (53km) which links Honshu and Hokkaido, and is the world’s longest tunnel with an undersea segment. Once you emerge it’s not far to Hakodate, the third largest city in Hokkaido home to around 280 000 people and an abundance of great seafood!

Hakodate city view from Mt Hakodate, photo by: Satellizer

The Shinkansen terminates at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station which is just north of the city. Hakodate is a great place to break up your trip, with plenty of great eateries and scenic locations to visit if you have the time. I chose to stay overnight so I could visit an izakaya, meet some locals, and explore the city quickly before continuing north the next day. A short train trip takes you south to the centre of Hakodate.

Transferring from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station, to Hakodate city.

Hakodate city station
The daily seafood market in Hakodate is worth a visit if you have time

After a fun night exploring and a morning walk through the fish market, the journey continues north toward Niseko. From this point you’ll be taking standard speed trains again, as the Shinkansen infrastructure is still being constructed across Hokkaido. Hakodate station has english speaking staff walking around who will help you sort out tickets for your onward journey which makes things simple.

Heading from Hakodate to Niseko (Kutchan) via regional train

After leaving Hakodate (departing 10.58am), one final transfer at Oshamambe station is needed to reach Niseko. I chose Kutchan for my final stop (arriving 14:49pm), for a total cost ~ ¥5,500. It’s at this point you do appreciate how much distance you covered quickly from Tokyo while riding the Shinkansen, but with great scenery on offer I was in no hurry.

Views toward Mt Komagatake, on the way north from Hakodate
Views looking across Uchiura Bay in Southern Hokkaido

The final stretch towards Niseko was a great experience, with a good foot of snow across the tracks, the little regional train was charging it’s way though leaving huge plumes of dry Hokkaido pow in it’s wake! I figured this was a good omen for the winter ahead, stoked that I’d managed to make a few turns in pow without leaving the train. As it turns out, the 2017/18 season was absolutely huge, so I’m tempted to do the same journey again next winter!

While taking the train from Tokyo to Hokkaido is more expensive than flying with a cheap airline, the experience is definitely one to remember. The speed at which you cover ground while on the Shinkansen makes for a fascinating ride, you’ll see parts of Japan you’d never see another way, and bursting up into the Hokkaido winter makes for a stunning contrast from your mainland journey. Highly recommended!

Share this page:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email

newsletter sign-up