Wandering Leopard Pilgrimage 2017 Train Experience
May 2017 was my 9 day trip in Japan. I would criss cross Japan to meet my friends. One of my missions was to learn the train system. I was impressed when my wife Jasmin figured it out in 2016, while I just followed her. Even in my early trips to Japan, I did not figure it out, just followed directions to get to places. So I wanted to figure it out and also experience local lines too.
I would be using the National JR Pass.
Wandering Leopard Pilgrimage:
It was very complex, but here was my timeline:
1st day:
San Francisco to Vancouver International Airport (4 hour layover)
Vancouver International to Narita Airport.
Narita Airport to Itami Airport (ANA flight)
Itami Airport to Shin-Osaka Station (via limousine bus)
Shin-Osaka station to Okayama station (via Sanyo Shinkansen)
Okayama station to Takamatsu station via JR Seto – Ohashi Line
2nd Day
- Takamatsu to Okayama station (JR Yosin line)
- Okayama to Bitchu-Takamatsu station (round trip) (Momotaro/Kibi line)
- Okayama to Nakasho station (Sanyo main line)
- Nakasho to Kurashiki station (Sanyo main line)
- Kurashiki station to Soja Station (round trip). I jumped on the Hakubi line. That was the error I made and it cost me about an 1.5 hours.
- Kursashiki to Shin-Kurashiki station (Get on Sanyo Shinkansen)
- Shin-Kurashiki to Hiroshima station (Sanyo Shinkansen)
- Hiroshima to Shin-Iwakuni station (Sanyo Shinkansen) (round trip)
- Kintaikyo Bus to Iwakuni station (bus ride) When I got to Shin-Iwakuni station, I wanted to use the local line to get to Kintai Bridge. Seiryu shin Iwakuni station was at the end of the Shin-Iwakuni station. But the train was gonna be another hour (local lines are not as frequent).
- So I had taken a taxi to Kintai Bridge. Across the street from Kintai bridge was Kintaikyo Bus center. I got a ticket out a vending machine and it took me to Iwakuni Station.
- Iwakuni to Yanai station (Sanyo main line)
I met with Junya and he took me back to Shin-Iwakuni station, which I went back to Hiroshima station.
3rd day
- Hiroshimaeki station to Peace Memorial Park (via Hiroden streetcar/tram)
- I woke up early to see Hiroshima Memorial Peace park. Opposite side of JR Hiroshima station is Hiroshimaeki station.
I took the Hiroden main line to Genbaku Dome-mae station/stop
Then went back to Hiroshima station from Chuden-mae station.
- Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka station (Sanyo Shinkansen)
- Shin-Osaka to Namba Station (Subway Midosuji line) (round trip)
- Shin-Osaka to Maibara station (Tokaido Shinkansen)
- I met with Ishii and Okuni-san. The dropped me off near my AirBnB after we hung out and went around Lake Biwa.
- Echigawa station to Maibara station (Ohmi main line)
- Maibara station to Gifu station (Shirasagi Limited express)
- Gifu station to Meitetsu-Gifu Station (walk)
- Meitetsu-Gifu station to Meiden-Kakamigahara station (Meitetsu Kakamigahara Line) (an error in communication and delay in time)
- Meiden-Kakamigahara station to Kagamigahara station (walk)
- Kagamigahara station to Sakahogi station (Takayama line)
- Gifu Station to Meitetsu-Gifu station (walk)
- Meitetsu-Gifu station to Shin-Hashima Station (Takehana Line/Hashima Line) (*Shin-Hashima station has Shinkansen)
- Shin-Hashima station to Nagoya Station (Tokaido Shinkansen)
- Nagoya station (subway section) to Fujigaoka station (Subway Higashiyama line)
- Fujigaoka station to Gei Dai Dori station (Linimo line)
- After Toyota Automobile Museum visit, reverse order. Geidai Dori>Fujigaoka>Nagoya station.
- Nagoya Station to Tokyo Station (Tokaido Shinkansen)
- Tokyo Station to Sendai station (Tohoku Shinkansen)
4th Day
- Sendai station to Ogawara Station via Tohoku Line (round trip)
- Sendai station to Tagajo station via Senseki line
- Sendai station to Kitayama station via Senzan line
- Kitayama station to Kita-Sendai station (change to subway Nanboku line)
- Kita-Sendai station to Sendai station (subway section)
5th day
- Sendai to Tokyo (Tohoku Shinkansen)
- Otemachi station to Takadanobaba Station (Tozai line)
- Takadanobaba station to KamiIgusa station (Seibu Shinjuku line)
- Kamishakujii station to Kodaira station (Seibu Shinjuku line)
- Kodaira station to Hagiyama station (Seibu Haijima line) – I made an error here as I misunderstood the platform manager. I went to Hagiyama station. I got on the Seibu Haijima line.
- Kodaira station to Tokorozawa station (Seibu Shinjuku line) I had to back track to Kodaira station and get back on the Seibu Shinjuku line for Tokorozawa station.
- Tokorozawa station to Hon-Kawagoe station (Seibu Shinjuku line). I stopped at Tokorozawa station to eat and make sure I was going to Hon-Kawagoe station. The issue was, I didn’t know Hon-Kawagoe station, I was telling people Kawagoe station. I didn’t realize there was a difference and that was the confusion! So to break it down, I was NOT on a Japan Rail line, I was on Seibu lines and I was asking for JR Kawagoe station, and these lines don’t go to Kawagoe station directly.
As I said before, upon getting to Hon-Kawagoe station, it is deceptively a short distance. I asked information and the lady gave me a small piece of paper showing a path. I figured it was around the corner, but nope, less than a mile away, I was there. Luckily, this was a shopping street, so I walked around and bought stuff.
- Hon-Kawagoe station to JR Kawagoe station (walk)
- Kawagoe station to Musashi Takahagi station (Kawagoe line)
- Musashi Takahagi station to Higashi Hanno station (Hachiko line) After my meeting with Suenaga, Yamashima, Hiruma and Taguchi-san, I was dropped back off at Musashi-Takahagi station. I was told to go to Higashi-Hanno station via the Hachiko line.
- At Higashi Hanno station, was told wrong platform This is where the night took a wrong turn… or in my case, wrong direction. The guy at the ticket counter told me the wrong platform and I ended up going the wrong way. The problem was, it was the last train of the night.
When I realized I was going the wrong way, I got off at Higashi-Agano Station. To make matters worst, my phone was dying.
- Higashi Hanno station to Higashi Agano station (Seibu Chichibu line, going opposite direction)
All I could do was walk and it was past midnight. My phone was nearly dead and it was a small rural station. I didn’t know what to do, so I started walking. In all honestly, I felt safe as it was Japan. I later came to a Family Mart. The guy in Family mart called me a taxi, but also called a local hotel asking for space. I couldn’t thank the guy enough!
6th Day
- Hanno station to Ikebukuro station (Red Arrow Limited Express)After a few hours of sleep at Hotel Heritage at Hanno station, I work up took a quick shower. I had left my stuff in a locker at Tokyo station. I had a busy day ahead (at least I planned it) and so I wanted the quickest route to Tokyo station. The fastest way was the Seibu Red Arrow limited Express. There was no direct train to Tokyo Station, so I had to get off at Ikebukuro station and jump on the Marunouchi line (subway).
- Ikebukuro station to Tokyo station (Marunouchi line, subway)
- Tokyo station to Yokohama station (N’EX train)
- Yokohama station to Kamoi station (Yokohama line)
After visiting Avante and Proudear shops, headed back.
- Kamoi station to Nagatsuta station (Yokohama line)
- Nagatsuta station to Minami-Machida station (Tokyu-Den-entoshi Line)
- Minami-Machida station to Chūō-rinkan Station (Tokyu-Den-entoshi line)
At Chūō-rinkan Station, change platforms
- Chūō-rinkan Station to Minami Rinkan station (Odakyu-Enoshima Line)
Chūō-rinkan Station to Minami Rinkan station (Odakyu-Enoshima Line)
This was pretty much the last of my train rides for this trip. My F31 family pretty much took care of me. I stayed in the area, but during the evening and next morning, I was driven around.
The last train ride was from Mishima eki to Narita airport.
Tamai-san took me to Mishima station and I jumped on the Shinkansen to Tokyo station. At the Tokyo station, I jumped on the Narita Express again.
Conclusion: I made sure I learned the train system as much as possible on this trip. I was impressed my wife figured it out, but this time, as I was on my own, I wanted to make sure I was able to understand, especially from the mistakes that cost me time and money.