For this segment I will give you some tips and suggestions about travel to and from Hakone. I visited Hakone on my first trip in 2004 and did the traditional one-day “circuit” that I will describe in just a moment. Lately, the transportation system in the Hakone region has become more tourist-friendly, helping to make a potential trip – be it for a few hours or a few days – very enjoyable.

Hakone is one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations – maybe even THE most popular. Hot springs abound, natural beauty, and of course a mountain named “Fuji” majestically lurks as a symbol of the region and the country.

How you want to enjoy yourself depends on your time available, and more importantly, how much money you would be willing to spend.

The traditional round-trip course to sample the beauty of this region is defined as follows: From the area’s major train station of Hakone Yumoto, a switchback train ride up the mountain to Gora, a cable car ride further up the mountains to Souzan, several aerial tramways to Owakudani and Togendai, a boat across Lake Ashi, and finally a bus back to Hakone Yumoto train station.

An inexpensive way of traveling around the Hakone region on your own is to purchase a Hakone Free Pass. Available in two or three-day versions, the pass gives you unlimited travel on these transit systems and many more buses that scour through the Hakone region and discounts on attractions and meals.

The Hakone Free Pass is available from Tokyo, costing 5,000 yen for 2 days or 5,500 yen for 3 days to travel from Shinjuku Station on the Odakyu Railway. This free ticket includes one round-trip between Shinjuku Station and Odawara station on regular Odakyu trains, and unlimited travel within most of the Hakone region for the term of the pass. Note that I say REGULAR trains, because if you take regular trains from Shinjuku it could take you as much as two hours to reach Hakone-Yumoto train station… so for a day trip an average of 4 hours or so can easily be eaten up on the train. On the other hand, if you pay a supplement you can travel on the Odakyu limited express train, the iconicly dubbed ”Romance Car”. These trains offer more comfortable seats and in just about all cases you can stay on the train all the way to its destination. This will shave about 20 or 30 minutes off of the trip from Shinjuku, and the surcharge is 870 yen each way. So if you were to use a Romance Car both ways, your total cost would be 6,740 yen and 7,240 yen respectively.

On the other hand, Hakone Free Pass tickets also exist from Odawara station, which not only is a stop on Odakyu Railway but also a gateway station on the iconic bullet train. A Hakone Free Pass from Odawara station is 3,900 yen for 2 days and 4,400 yen for 3 days. With this particular Free Pass your travel would have to originate from Odawara station, but you would still get the unlimited travel privileges and discounts in the region. This Odawara starting option is great for holders of the Japan Rail Pass, who can whisk themselves directly to Odawara on a bullet train instead of having to take slower Odakyu trains.

Hakone has an extensive bus network, and nearly all of its bus routes are now letter coded for the benefit of tourists. This color coding can be seen by visiting the Hakone Navi web site and reading the tourist bus map. The bus map easily shows the names of bus stops around the region, and can be beneficial if visiting a hotel or resort as you can get a sense of what bus you should take and where you should get off.

Here are the bus lines that I feel are the most important: First is the H bus, which is a frequent bus that runs from Odawara and Hakone Yumoto to the south part of Lake Ashi making many stops along the way. Once off of the sightseeing boats an H bus can get you back to your starting point. If you are lucky, though, you may be able to pick up the occasional R bus, which is an express bus that travels between the south of Lake Ashi and Hakone-Yumoto/Odawara via the Hakone Toll Road in a faster time than the H bus. Finally, if you want to take in a piece of old history, the K bus uses a third route along the Old Tokaido Road, which was the route that the Japanese used centuries ago to travel between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto.

If you are interested in staying in the Hakone region, perhaps at an onsen hotel, then you will want to check a few web sites and do comparison shopping to find the place that’s best for you. My suggestions: go to Google Maps and search for “Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan”. Then zoom in on the Hakone region and do another search for “Hotel” or “Ryokan”. This will give you a few options. Alternatively you can use Rakuten and Japanican which can usually give you some good deals.

If you are looking for a tour package to visit Hakone, then you may want to consider those offered by JTB, including their flagship one-day tour of Mount Fuji and Hakone. The base tour from Tokyo costs 13,000 yen per person and includes bus transportation to Mount Fuji, sightseeing, lunch, then a trip to Lake Ashi where you can take an aerial tram to Mount Komagatake for more sightseeing before finally heading back to Tokyo by bus. A cheaper option exists at 11,000 yen but the option does not include lunch.

There are several variants of this JTB tour. One option is to “Return by Shinkansen” which increases the cost to 16,000 yen (or 14,000 yen without lunch), but includes return tickets to Tokyo by bullet train. Another option is to “Disband at Odawara” which costs the same as the standard tours, only here you exit the tour at Odawara station and continue on your own; if you have a Japan Rail Pass you can head back to Tokyo on your own, or you can head the other direction and head towards Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka to continue your journey in Japan.

Appealing, though, are packages that include the tour and an overnight stay in the region. For 26,000 yen per person double occupancy you can combine the Mount Fuji-Hakone tour with an overnight stay in a western-style room at Hotel Kowaki-en. For 39,000 yen double occupancy you can stay in a Japanese-style room at Yunohana Onsen. If you want a change of pace, for between 29 and 30,000 yen per person double occupancy you can do the tour and spend a night at an onsen hotel on the Izu peninsula, which has a charm of its own and commands some very scenic views. These Izu hotel options offer a bullet train transfer to Shizuoka at the end of the trip, or a bullet train ride back to Tokyo.

Finally, this particular tour is also included in the longer travel packages offered by JTB. All of the JTB packages can be reviewed on Japanican‘s web site.

That’s about all for now… hopefully I’ll provide some more travel ideas and review some Japan travel deals in my next post. ^_^

Here are the links to the Japan Travel Show. I hope you can join me on Sunday November 6 at 7 PM Eastern!

Japan Travel Show Web Page

Extreme Anime Radio Facebook Page

Extreme Anime Radio Facebook Event Page

Extreme Anime Radio Website

Extreme Anime Radio Tune-In Links (Loudcity)

Extreme Anime Radio Chatroom Access

Multiple news sources, in reporting this story, note that tourism levels in Japan have dropped sharply since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the northern Tohoku region – but I suspect the strength of the Japanese Yen also has something to do with it (now at 76.80 to the US dollar).

Under the plan, which may begin as early as April of next year – which is when new fiscal years typically begin in Japan – prospective tourists will be asked to fill out an application, indicating what parts of Japan they would like to visit. Passport ID numbers would be required as part of the application process. The tourism agency will select 10,000 entries after background checks are conducted to ensure that tourists will not enter and stay in the country illegally. These 10,000 lucky people will have their round-trip airfare paid for in full, while being responsible for all other costs (food, lodging, transportation, etc)… they will also be asked to write a report about their trip which will be published online. The tourism agency is hoping that tourists spreading the word about their Japan trip through social media (Facebook, Blogs, YouTube, etc) will stimulate more travel in the country.

I would keep an eye on the websites of the Japan Tourism Agency (http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/) and the Japan National Tourist Organization (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/) to see if and when the application process will begin. Once again, the Diet will need to approve the tourism agency’s budget before this process can begin.

I won’t lie… I definitely will be one of the many people submitting their applications for a free airplane ticket to the land of the rising sun. You have been warned.

As I write this blog on September 23, 2011, there are good and bad things about visiting the wonderful country of Japan. The good is that most of Japan is back to normal following the March earthquake and tsunami. Tourism areas – except some directly affected by said disaster – are back to normal. The demand for electricity has passed the summer peak, and train services that had been cutting back and using power saving measures have returned to their regular timetables. All Narita Express and Skyliner trains, for example, have resumed normal service, and in fact as of Today the Tohoku Shinkansen, which suffered significant damage, completes all repairs in a span of 195 days and returns to a regular operating timetable.

Then there is the bad, which some people like myself find hard to fathom. With the way the economy is, the US Dollar is so weak and the Japanese Yen is so strong. The latest check as of this writing was 76.26 yen to the dollar. There appears to be little chance that the yen will reverse course against the dollar in the short term, which leaves serious questions about whether or not a trip to Japan is feasible at this time. If you have lots of money, then it’s a consideration. If not, then you may have to wait for the economy to rebound – or if you really have the passion or desire to go, you will have to search all around the Internet to get the best deals for your trip. You may have to make some sacrifices – for example, spending your entire trip in Tokyo instead of venturing out into other cities for example.

Airfare is perhaps the biggest cost that one will face at the moment, which is why a prospective tourist may want to look into frequent flyer programs and credit cards that come with them. A plus is that some airlines are now offering special perks for using their credit card: for example Delta Air Lines Gold Credit Card holders now have the benefit of priority boarding even if they are sitting in the middle of Economy… which is good if you want to jump on board and snatch that space in the overhead luggage bin before somebody else does.

Here are some of the sample airfares that I have looked up from New York and Los Angeles. From New York the lowest airfare at the moment is offered by Japan Airlines at $1147 + taxes (Approx $1243) for travel by December 15. Interestingly enough the lowest fare I quoted for that round trip was broken down as $477 for the airfare, $670 in fuel surcharges, and the rest in other taxes (PFC’s, etc). After that you’ll be looking to spend at least $1300 to travel to Tokyo by way of Delta Airlines. From Los Angeles Korean Air offers the cheapest round trip fare at $710 + tax for travel through November 15, thereafter going up to $779 for travel through December 8. It’s important to note that these airfares will likely go down a little bit starting in October when lower fuel surcharges go into effect.

Can we find a deal that’s somewhat more reasonable? A search on Kayak gives us a trip to Tokyo on Air China, flying from New York and flying via Beijing. A random query in November offers a round-trip for $927 including taxes on Vayama.com. Note however that this round trip takes an incredible amount of time… you leave New York on Day 1, arrive in Beijing at night on Day 2, then stay overnight in Beijing and then depart for Tokyo on Day 3. A similar situation exists on the return trip. The benefit is, of course, the lower fare… also keep in mind that if you connect in Beijing you do not require some sort of Chinese visa.

In the past we have mentioned that a second option exists for visits to Tokyo – flying to the closer Haneda airport instead of Narita. Air China offers flights to Haneda from Beijing at a reasonable hour compared to nonstops from the US that generally arrive in Haneda very late in the evening.

What about flying into another airport on another airline? China Airlines offers a November trip from New York to Osaka’s Kansai Airport for $1030 including all taxes and fees… this is a service that was initiated a few months ago on China Airlines, which flies three times per week from New York nonstop to Osaka, then on to Taiwan. You can find the same trip for flying in January. You can then use the money saved on something like the Japan Rail Pass to travel to Tokyo or anywhere around Japan.

Now that the airfare is settled, it’s time to look into hotels. With the way the economy is going, what seems to be a budget option may in fact turn out to be a huge expense… a business hotel that runs 7,500 yen per night, for example, will set you back $100. Once again, check carefully. Now is a good time to search for hotels, as Japan is recovering from the March Earthquake and Tsunami and is attempting to lure prospective travelers with interesting deals. You can search through my earlier blog articles for the different types of accomodations that are available.

For Transportation, you will want to make a list of destinations that you would like to visit, then see if purchasing some sort of rail pass or discount ticket will make the cost cheaper for you. The Japan Rail Pass is good for making a lot of train trips in a short amount of time, but if you plan to focus on a specific area of Japan, then something like an all-day city bus or train pass may do the trick. Also, if you have lots of time on your hands, Willer Express offers the Japan Bus Pass, which allows you to take a certain number of long-distance bus journeys at very low rates.

If you do decide to get a Japan Rail Pass, then I continue to offer the suggestion of doing a split overnight trip to your next long-range destination. For a long-distance journey from Tokyo, for example, you can take an evening bullet train and stop at a non-descript city where you are likely to find cheap, no-frills accomodations before continuing to your destination on the first train the next day.

I now offer updated example itineraries of my… er… example.

TOKYO west to KANSAI (i.e. Kyoto, Osaka)
Leave on a Hikari service departing Tokyo at 8:03 PM, arriving in Hamamatsu at 9:38 PM. Stay at the Toyoko Inn in Hamamatsu for as low as 4000 yen for a solo traveller or 3500 yen per person double occupancy. In the morning, leave on the 6:32 AM Kodama service which will get you to Kyoto just before 8 AM, and Shin-Osaka just before 8:15 AM. You can just hop onto almost any car of the Kodama train with your rail pass, as the seats are unreserved except for First Class (Green Class)… if you have a Green Car rail pass, reserving the Green Car for this service is the plan.

TOKYO west to CHUGOKU, KYUSHU and SHIKOKU (i.e. Hiroshima, Fukuoka)
Leave on a Hikari service departing Tokyo at 6:03 PM, and arrive in the city of Aioi (which is not one of the top cities that comes up in tourism books) at 10:07 PM. A new Toyoko Inn just opened near there offering rooms for as low as 4980 yen solo or 3740 yen per person double occupancy. The first bullet train, a Kodama, leaves from Aioi at 6:50 AM; a quick connection at the next station – Okayama - to a Hikari service will bring you onward to Hiroshima and Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. Change at Fukuyama Station instead and you can pick up the Sakura service that runs further into Kyushu; you can get all the way down to Kagoshima by 11:30 in the morning. A transfer at Okayama will also get you to the trains that run across the Seto Sea to the island of Shikoku.

TOKYO north to HOKKAIDO
Leave on a Hayate service departing Tokyo at 7:56 PM, and arrive at Hachinohe at 10 PM. Stay at Hachinohe’s Toyoko Inn for 4480 yen per solo traveller or 3240 yen per person double occupancy. The next morning take the 7:28 AM all stations Hayate to Shin-Aomori, then connect to the Super Hakucho which will bring you to Hakodate, at the southern part of Hokkaido, by 10:30 AM.

I am more than happy to answer any questions about travel to Japan. Although I haven’t done much actual travel in Japan, I research everything about Japan travel in my spare time and so I will do my best to find the answers to any questions.

Thanks for reading. Ganbare Nippon!

There is no word yet from Keisei regarding the resumption of the full Skyliner service timetable out of Narita Airport.

First, the Tohoku Shinkansen – which is operational while undergoing repairs – will be changing to a new timetable on July 9. These timetable changes will lift the speed restrictions imposed on some sections of the line. On average the end-to-end travel times will shorten up by as much as 30 minutes. Of course, the timetable is only available in Japanese, which you can view here. Also, with this timetable change, services on the Yamagata Shinkansen will return to normal operating frequencies and running times.

Now for some offers from travel companies to try to entice people to visit Japan once again:

Delta is once again offering a double/triple mileage offer for flights to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, which are being restarted this month. Members of Delta’s frequent flier program, Skymiles, will get double mileage for flights in Economy Class and triple mileage for flights in Business Class.  This promotion expires on September 30, and you must register with Delta by September 15. This offer is similar to what Delta offered when flights to/from Haneda first started. There are pros and cons – the bad news is that you’ll be landing in Tokyo at a late hour, and late-night transportation options will be limited. On the other hand, if you flew in Economy on Delta’s nonstop service from Detroit to Haneda (set to resume mid-June), you would earn 25,588 miles on your Frequent Flier account (6,397 miles * two trips * double mileage), which will give you enough mileage for a FREE basic round-trip economy award on Delta within the 48 states. Ta-da!

JTB USA has special Ganbare Nippon (Good Luck Japan) travel packages which include round-trip airfare, four nights hotel accomodations in Tokyo and round-trip airport limousine bus transfers. If you live in Los Angeles and travel in a limited time range in July (July 21-26), you can take this trip for as low as $1,100 per person double occupancy! You can look up more of JTB’s offers on their website.

Another offer is a far time away… but if you live in Boston or New England, start planning! Japan Airlines is planning to start nonstop air service from Boston’s Logan Airport to Tokyo’s Narita Airport in April of 2012. This service will be operated by Boeing’s long-awaited 787-8 “Dreamliner” airplane, and you can book your seats NOW if you wanted to. The service will operate 4 times a week initially, departing Boston at 1:20 PM and arriving in Tokyo the next day at 4:00 PM. The return leaves Tokyo at 11:30 AM and arrives in Boston the same day at 11:20 AM. American Airlines will codeshare on this new service. One thing you can enjoy about the trip: the exterior look… Japan Airlines, or JAL for short, will be introducing its famous crane logo once again as part of its bankruptcy restructuring. More details here.

Finally, once you are in Japan, head on over to the Kansai region and check out the new look of the area around JR Osaka station, Osaka Station City. The area includes new and refurbished department stores, almost 200 smaller stores, and a movie cinema. Read more about it on the official Osaka Station City website. Remember, Osaka station is one stop away by JR train from Shin-Osaka, the stop served by the bullet trains.

Ganbare Nippon!

As you know already, several of JR East’s services have been disrupted as a result of March 11th’s Earthquake and Tsunami. A reduced amount of available power in the Tokyo area is forcing many companies to conserve. JR and Keisei are doing that by reducing the number of premium train services that run out of Narita Airport – those being the Narita Express and Skyliner respectively.

Keisei has a PDF flyer on their website listing timings for the Skyliner service in English and several other languages, which is how it’s keeping its visitors informed about the changes in their service.

If you want to use the Narita Express and look up their timetables, you can generally do so by going to the JREast Shinkansen Reservation website.

But alas, the Narita Express timetable, as well as the timetables for several other services such as the Tohoku Shinkansen, are all gone.

So now if you speak English, you have only two options available to find out the schedules of the trains: Either wait until you travel to Japan and call JR East’s English Helpline during regular business hours, or learn enough Japanese to understand the revised timetables, which are only available on the Japanese JR East website.

To my knowledge, the only place where you can look up timetables in English is Jorudan, which has implemented all revised timetables in its Train Route Finder search engine.

But what about JR East’s website, which used to list all of the Narita Express trains in an easy-to-read fashion on their English website? In my opinion, and I’m sure in Douso’s too, the lack of English information provided by JR East themselves is frustrating, and not fair.

For those interested in finding out when the Narita Express trains operate, I’ll be happy to offer some translations. So be sure you have the Japanese Language fonts installed in your browser!

The official Narita Express timetables, in Japanese, are located here: http://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/pdf/nex_timetable.pdf Scroll down this document to the second page, where you will see the timetables for the Narita Express.

The top of the page lists trains traveling TO the airport, and the bottom of the page lists trains FROM the airport. All of the Narita Express’ currently suspended services are reflected here.

Let’s go to the bottom half of the page and read the stations listed at the top row, going from left to right:

成田空港　Narita Aiport　(Terminal 1)

空港第二ビル　Airport Terminal 2

成田　Narita (Narita City)

四街道　Yotsukaido

千葉　Chiba

東京　Tokyo

品川　Shinagawa

渋谷　Shibuya

新宿　Shinjuku

池袋　Ikebukuro

大宮　Omiya

武蔵小杉　Musashi-Kosugi

横浜　Yokohama

戸塚　Totsuka

大船　Ofuna

吉祥寺　Kichijoji

三鷹　Mitaka

国分寺　Kokubunji

立川　Tachikawa

八王子　Hachioji

高尾　Takao

Some services, as you can see, run in two sections. Take Train #16 for example. Once it reaches Tokyo, the train splits, with one section going to Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, and the other going to Shinagawa, Musashi-Kosugi and Yokohama. Services similarly combine at the top of the page, for trains going TO Narita Airport.

If you see a gray bar with something like this

１４号は運休

That means that particular service is NOT operating. 運休 is pronounced “Unkyuu”, which in Japanese is used to signify suspended train service.

If you see a blue bar with something like this

東京-新宿間運休

That means the section that normally operates between Tokyo and Shinjuku is suspended. You will see this notation next to a few other trains, with some other cities listed.

I hope this helps people who want to use the Narita Express for travel.

The Tohoku Shinkansen is expected to return to normal about a month from now, and their special timetable, like the Narita Express timetable, is ONLY available in Japanese right now. If enough people want me to explain the Tohoku Shinkansen services, or any other service not listed on JR East’s English website, I’ll be glad to write another post about it when time permits Or you can go to Jorudan’s website to look up those times.

It’s been quite a while since I wrote the most recent update, and now with Golden Week completely out of the way, plus some new information that I’ve received, I think it’s about time to write an update. Special thanks to Douso, a member of the JTrains group, for providing me with the information.

As with my previous posts, my opinions and recommendations for visiting certain areas of Japan will come first, then the actual updates themselves.

Non-essential travel should be avoided to the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. This includes areas along the eastern coast of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures where disaster cleanup continues, and within a 20 km (12 mile) radius of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, where a no-entry zone has been imposed by the Japanese government.

Travel to major cities near the disaster-affected regions, such as Sendai and Fukushima cities, can be done but you should remain vigilant and cautious due to the chance of aftershocks.

Major tourism areas that were affected by the disaster are returning to normal, the most important of which is Matsushima. Senseki Line trains from Sendai have resumed to Higashi-Shiogama, near one of the ports where Sightseeing boats to the bay islands departs from, and later this month service will be restored to Matsushima-Kaigan station, in the heart of the city. Sightseeing boats have all resumed operations.

Travel to the greater Kanto region, including Tokyo, is more or less normal now. However, there may be some inconveniences due to the lack of available power, and rolling blackouts could return as the summer months approach and greater stress occurs on the power grid. You should remain cautious, vigilant, and keep up to date with the latest information when it comes to traveling around the area or visiting certain attractions. Some restaurants and stores may still be closed or operate at reduced hours.

Travel to the rest of Japan: Hokkaido, WEST of the Kanto region, including Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe), Chugoku (Okayama, Hiroshima), Shikoku, Kyushu and part of Chubu, is fine as of now with little to no problems. Most of the areas in western Japan operate on a 60 Hz power supply, compared to Kanto and all points north, which operate on 50 Hz. The 50 Hz power supply in eastern Japan has been disrupted by the nuclear power plant issues, whereas the 60 Hz power supply in western Japan is operating normally. Hokkaido’s power plants are mainly located on Hokkaido and are currently providing an ample supply of power.

As far as air travel is concerned, all airports are open and operational, but you should check your airline for the status of your flights.

Shinkansen status

The Tohoku Shinkansen (Tokyo to Aomori), Akita Shinkansen (to Akita) and Yamagata Shinkansen (to Yamagata/Shinjo) operate on what is known as a “RINJI DAIYA”, which means Special Timetable. They offer a near full complement of the services they normally offer, including the fastest service, the Hayabusa. Parts of the Tohoku Shinkansen are still under repair, however, and therefore journey times north of Tokyo will take much longer than usual. Here are the new travel times on the Special Timetable compared to the normal timetable:

Tokyo-Sendai via Hayate:
Normal Timetable: 1 hour 40 minutes
Special Timetable: 2 hours 10 minutes

Tokyo-Morioka via Hayate:
Normal Timetable: 2 hours 25 minutes
Special Timetable: 3 hours 15 minutes

Tokyo-Akita via Komachi:
Normal Timetable: 4 hours 10 minutes
Special Timetable: 5 hours

Tokyo-Shin Aomori via Hayabusa:
Normal Timetable: 3 hours 10 minutes
Special Timetable: 4 hours 5 minutes

It is expected that the Special Timetable for the above lines will be in place until at least June 20. Also note that train numbers are different on the special timetable than on the normal timetable.

All other bullet train lines: the Joetsu, Nagano, Tokaido, San’yo and Kyushu Shinkansen, are normal.

In the Tokyo Area:

Narita Express: JR East has updated the Narita Express timetables following the Golden Week holidays. However, the updated timetables are NOT available in English. Simplified English timetables are posted on the @Wiki page.

You may access the full English timetables from the JR East English Website, but please note the following changes and cancellations:

The following Narita Express trains TO the Airport are suspended: #3, 19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 33, 43, 47, 53.

The following Narita Express trains FROM the Airport are suspended: #4, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 34, 48, 54.

Narita Express #10 and #39 will not operate t0/from Shibuya or Shinjuku stations.

Narita Express #41 and #49 originate at Shinjuku instead of Ikebukuro.

Narita Express #28 terminates at Shinjuku instead of Ikebukuro.

Narita Express #44 will not operate to Musashi-Kosugi, Yokohama, Totsuka or Ofuna. The train will discharge passengers at Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.

JR is running their regular commuter trains to/from Narita Airport on an hourly basis. These trains will take longer than the Narita Express would.

Keisei Skyliner: Running about 75% of its services between Ueno/Nippori and Narita Airport. An updated PDF timetable in English has been posted by Keisei on their website.

Keisei commuter trains are running on a modified timetable; morning and evening “peak” trains have almost returned to normal.

Most of JR’s commuter trains in central Tokyo, including the Yamanote Line, are back to normal. There are a few exceptions and, like the rest of the information that I will provide in this particular section on Tokyo, train schedules are subject to change due to the current power situation. Note that many trains have employed power-conserving measures. Air conditioning may be switched off and escalators may not be operating, for example.

For travel to Hakone: Odakyu Railway Romance Car trains from Shinjuku have resumed almost all of their services to Odawara and Hakone. Regular commuter trains on the Odakyu Railway operate on modified timetables with some services cancelled. Local Hakone Tozan trains have resumed normal service. Remember, with a Japan Rail Pass you may wish to use the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara and change at Odawara to the Hakone Tozan line, using the Hakone Freepass from Odawara to get around Hakone.

For travel to Kamakura and Enoshima:  Odakyu Railway Romance Car trains from Shinjuku have resumed almost all of their services to Enoshima. Regular commuter trains on the Odakyu Railway operate on modified timetables with some services cancelled. Enoshima Tramway trains are running on a regular schedule but some trains may have fewer cars in operation. The Shonan Monorail trains from Ofuna to Enoshima are in operation every 8 minutes during peak hours, every 8-15 minutes during midday hours, and every 15 minutes during evening and night hours. (You can access the Shonan Monorail from Ofuna, which is served by JR.)

For service to Nikko and Kinugawa: Tobu’s “Spacia” services between Asakusa and Kinugawa-Onsen/Tobu-Nikko are back to normal operating frequencies. Regular commuter trains are running on normal schedules, but some cancellations may occur. You can also access Nikko by JR using the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Utsunomiya Station. From there you can take the JR Nikko Line train to JR Nikko station; the JR Nikko line is operating on a normal timetable.

For service to/from Haneda Airport: The Tokyo Monorail is running on a normal timetable. Keikyu trains run on normal timetables during the morning and evening hours, while some trains may be cancelled on mid-day services.

Overnight trains:

Currently the following overnight sleeper trains in northern Japan are operating: The Twilight Express (Osaka/Kyoto-Sappor0), Nihonkai (Osaka/Kyoto-Aomori), Akebono (Tokyo-Aomori) and Hamanasu (Aomori-Hakodate-Sappor0).

Direct overnight trains from Tokyo to Hokkaido – the “Hokutosei” and the “Cassiopeia” – will resume service from May 20 and 21.

Expressways:

The Tohoku Expressway, which is the main road artery running from Tokyo to northern Japan, suffered major damage. Remarkably, the damage has been repaired and the expressway is open once again.

Land travel options from Tokyo to cities in northern Japan:

Once again, travel to areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and areas in the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, should be avoided at this time. Travel to areas in far northern Japan, including Hokkaido, should be done during the day, either by train or plane.

With the full re-opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen, detours along the Sea of Japan are no longer necessary. Remember, though, that because repairs are continuing, journeys on the Tohoku Shinkansen will take longer than usual.

Hokkaido: 
With the resumption of “Hokutosei” and “Cassiopeia” services, travel to Hokkaido from the Japanese mainland will become much easier. Remember, though, that space on these trains may be hard to come by since they are usually very popular. Barring travel during the daytime or breaking up your trip into two days, here are the nighttime alternatives:

You can take the Akebono from Tokyo to Aomori then pick up a limited express train into Hokkaido (15 hours to Hakodate, 18 1/2 hours to Sapporo). You can shave off 30 minutes from the trip between Tokyo and Aomori by taking a Joetsu Shinkansen “Max Toki” train that departs later from Tokyo and “catch up” to the Akebono at Takasaki station. The Akebono offers “Goronto Seats” which can be reserve for free with a Japan Rail Pass.

You can also take the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagaoka, then take the Twilight Express from there to Sapporo (17 1/2 hours). Remember, the Twilight Express only runs a few times a week.

Conclusion:

This information is as current as I’ve been able to find. All information provided here is subject to the DISCLAIMER (above) and is subject to change at any time. Travel conditions may improve or deteriorate on short notice based on what is happening in northern Japan with the cleanup, repairs, and issues with the power supply. Once again, though, if you go west of Tokyo in the direction of Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and beyond, it is business (and leisure) as usual.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a note here.

Another web site you can check out is the page on Takeshi Shimomura’s blog which he keeps updated on a regular basis with the latest train operating status.

Once again, thanks to Douso for the updates. Ganbatte Japan!

Here is my latest update on the travel situation in Japan. Work on the Tohoku Shinkansen is progressing, and today the section re-opens between Fukushima and Sendai for the first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The line will be fully open by April 29, in time for the Golden Week holiday. However, since the repairs are ongoing, trains will have to operate over some parts of the line at reduced speeds, which will increase the travel times.

Based on current conditions, these are my opinions when it comes to traveling to Japan at this time:

Non-essential travel should be avoided to the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. This includes places along the eastern coast of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. The Japanese government has imposed a no-entry zone to all persons within a 20 km (12 mile) radius of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.

Travel to major cities near the disaster-affected regions, such as Sendai and Fukushima cities, should be reconsidered as the disaster cleanup continues.

Travel to the greater Kanto region, including Tokyo, is returning to normal now. However, there may be some inconveniences due to the lack of available power, and rolling blackouts could return as the summer months approach. You should remain cautious, vigilant, and keep up to date with the latest information when it comes to traveling around the area or visiting certain attractions. Some restaurants and stores may still be closed or operate at reduced hours.

Travel to the northern island of Hokkaido, including the cities of Sapporo and Hakodate, is now fine if you travel during the day by airplane or by train. Some nighttime train services to Hokkaido are still suspended, but overnight travelers can pick up the Hamanasu in Aomori , which is running normally.

Travel to the rest of Japan WEST of the Kanto region, including Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe), Chugoku (Okayama, Hiroshima), Shikoku, Kyushu and part of Chubu, is fine as of now with little to no problems. Most of these areas operate on a 60 Hz power supply, compared to Kanto and all points north, which operate on 50 Hz. The 50 Hz power supply in eastern Japan has been disrupted by the nuclear power plant issues, whereas the 60 Hz power supply in western Japan is operating normally.

Travel to the entire country of Japan should be reconsidered during Golden Week, the group of holidays between late April and early May, when the Japanese vacation around the country and availability on public transit services will be limited.

As far as air travel is concerned, all airports are open and operational, but you should check your airline for the status of your flights.

Shinkansen status

The Tohoku Shinkansen is now fully open, with the exception of the Sendai-Ichinoseki segment, which will open on April 29 (Regular rapid trains connect Sendai and Ichinoseki in the interim)

As of April 29, the Tohoku Shinkansen operates on what is known as a “RINJI DAIYA”, which means Special Timetable. The Tohoku Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen (to Akita) and Yamagata Shinkansen (to Yamagata/Shinjo) will offer a near full complement of the services they normally offer, including the fastest service, the Hayabusa. As stated above, however, parts of the Tohoku Shinkansen are still under repair, and therefore journey times north of Tokyo will take much longer than usual. Here are the new travel times on the Special Timetable compared to the normal timetable:

Tokyo-Sendai via Hayate:
Normal Timetable: 1 hour 40 minutes
Special Timetable: 2 hours 10 minutes

Tokyo-Morioka via Hayate:
Normal Timetable: 2 hours 25 minutes
Special Timetable: 3 hours 15 minutes

Tokyo-Akita via Komachi:
Normal Timetable: 4 hours 10 minutes
Special Timetable: 5 hours

Tokyo-Shin Aomori via Hayabusa:
Normal Timetable: 3 hours 10 minutes
Special Timetable: 4 hours 5 minutes

Also note that train numbers are different on the special timetable than on the normal timetable.

All other bullet train lines: the Joetsu, Nagano, Tokaido, San’yo and Kyushu Shinkansen, are normal.

In the Tokyo Area:

Narita Express: Morning and evening runs have resumed between Narita Airport and the Tokyo area, while midday runs remain suspended (you will need to take the regular JR rapid commuter train).

JR East has not published updated English timetables for the Narita Express. You may access the full English timetables from the JR East English Website, but please note the following changes and cancellations:

The following Narita Express trains are suspended: #6, 19 through 38, and 47.

The following Narita Express trains do not run between Tokyo and Shinjuku/Ikebukuro: 10, 14, 18, 39, 43, 51.

The following Narita Express trains do not run between Shinagawa and Yokohama/Ofuna and make an additional stop at Shinagawa en route to/from Shinjuku: 4, 12, 49, 53.

JR is running their regular commuter trains to/from Narita Airport on an hourly basis. These trains will take longer than the Narita Express would.

The Keisei Skyliner is running about 70% of its services between Ueno/Nippori and Narita Airport. An updated PDF timetable in English has been posted by Keisei on their website. Skyliner trains are available during the mid-day hours, compared to the JR Narita Express which is currently not running during mid-day.

Keisei commuter trains are running on a modified timetable with some runs cancelled.

Most of JR’s commuter trains in central Tokyo, including the Yamanote Line, are back to normal. There are a few exceptions and, like the rest of the information that I will provide in this particular section on Tokyo, train schedules are subject to change due to the current power situation. Note that many trains have employed power-conserving measures. Air conditioning may be switched off and escalators may not be operating, for example.

For travel to Hakone: Odakyu Railway Romance Car trains from Shinjuku have restarted with a reduced service, with six round-trips to Hakone during weekdays, and nine round-trips on weekends and holidays. Other romance car trains will terminate at Odawara, requiring a change of trains. Regular commuter trains on the Odakyu Railway operate on modified timetables with some services cancelled. Local Hakone Tozan trains ARE running between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto on a modified timetable (one trip every 15-20 minutes) and you will need to transfer between the Odakyu and Hakone Tozan lines at Odawara. With a Japan Rail Pass you may wish to use the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara (operating normally) and change at Odawara to the Hakone Tozan line, using the Hakone Freepass from Odawara to get around Hakone.

For travel to Kamakura and Enoshima:  Odakyu Railway Romance Car trains from Shinjuku have restarted with a reduced service, with two round-trips to Enoshima on weekends and holidays only. Regular commuter trains on the Odakyu Railway operate on modified timetables with some services cancelled. Enoshima Tramway trains are running on a regular schedule but some trains may have fewer cars in operation. The Shonan Monorail trains are in operation every 8 minutes during peak hours, and every 15 minutes off peak. If coming from the eastern part of central Tokyo (i.e. Tokyo, Shinagawa) then I recommend using the JR lines as a means of reaching this area; Tokaido and Yokosuka lines are running their normal timetables. From the western part of central Tokyo (i.e. Shinjuku, Shibuya) you can take the Yamanote Line around to Shinagawa to pick up the Tokaido or Yokosuka lines. Direct Odakyu rapid express train services from Shinjuku to Enoshima can also be taken into consideration.

Romance Car services will operate a near-full timetable for the Golden Week period, April 29 – May 8. After May 8, the status of the Romance Car will be re-evaluated.

For service to Nikko and Kinugawa: Tobu’s “Spacia” services between Asakusa and Kinugawa-Onsen/Tobu-Nikko are back to near-normal operating frequencies. Full “Spacia” timetables will resume at the end of the month. Regular commuter trains are running on normal schedules, but some cancellations may occur. You can also access Nikko by JR using the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Utsunomiya Station. From there you can take the JR Nikko Line train to JR Nikko station; the JR Nikko line is operating on a normal timetable.

For service to/from Haneda Airport: The Tokyo Monorail is running on a normal timetable. Keikyu trains will resume regular timetables on April 18 during the morning and evening hours, while some trains may be cancelled on mid-day services.

Overnight trains:

Currently the following overnight sleeper trains in northern Japan are operating: The Twilight Express (Osaka/Kyoto-Sappor0), Nihonkai (Osaka/Kyoto-Aomori), Akebono (Tokyo-Aomori) and Hamanasu (Aomori-Hakodate-Sappor0).

Direct overnight trains from Tokyo to Hokkaido – the “Hokutosei” and the “Cassiopeia” – have not yet resumed service. JR will provide an update on these trains in a few weeks.

Expressways:

The Tohoku Expressway, which is the main road artery running from Tokyo to northern Japan, suffered major damage. Remarkably, the damage has been repaired and the expressway is open once again.

Land travel options from Tokyo to cities in northern Japan:

Once again, travel to areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and areas in the vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, should be avoided at this time. Travel to areas in far northern Japan, including Hokkaido, should be done during the day, either by train or plane.

With the full re-opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen, detours along the Sea of Japan are no longer necessary. Remember, though, that because repairs are continuing, journeys on the Tohoku Shinkansen will take longer than usual.

Hokkaido: 
Nighttime journeys from Tokyo to Hokkaido are limited due to the cancellation of the “Hokutosei” and “Cassiopeia” services. You should consider traveling by day, stopping somewhere along the way for an overnight rest (perhaps in Morioka or Aomori), or departing in the evening and connecting to the “Hamanasu” in Aomori. Here are a few other options for traveling by night:

You can take the Akebono from Tokyo to Aomori then pick up a limited express train into Hokkaido (15 hours to Hakodate, 18 1/2 hours to Sapporo).

You can also take the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagaoka, then take the Twilight Express from there to Sapporo (17 1/2 hours). Remember, the Twilight Express only runs a few times a week and you have to (be lucky to) get a reservation for BOTH the Akebono and Twilight Express. (Japan Rail Pass users can reserve for free something known as the “Goronto Seat” on the Akebono)

Note with the “Akebono”:
You can shave off 30 minutes from the trip between Tokyo and Aomori by taking a Joetsu Shinkansen “Max Toki” train that departs later from Tokyo and “catch up” to the Akebono at Takasaki station.

Conclusion:

This information is as current as I’ve been able to find. All information provided here is subject to the DISCLAIMER (above) and is subject to change at any time. Travel conditions may improve or deteriorate on short notice based on what is happening in northern Japan with the cleanup, repairs, and issues with the power supply. Once again, though, if you go west of Tokyo in the direction of Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and beyond, it is business (and leisure) as usual.

If you have any questions, feel free to send me a note here.

Another web site you can check out is the page on Takeshi Shimomura’s blog which he keeps updated on a regular basis with the latest train operating status.

Good luck, and let’s keep the people of Japan in our thoughts and prayers.