Platform 1 · Japan by rail
Which seat to book, how to buy from abroad, the ekiben worth the detour, where to hop off for three hours — and how to do it all without dragging a suitcase.
てつどうたび
鉄道旅
Japan Train Trips
鉄道ニュース・イベント
Updated daily · JST 2026-11-03
JR West brings back 500 series Nozomi trains between Himeji and Hakata on 12 weekend days in January–February 2027; the train retires in July 2027 and Doctor Yellow T5 also bows out.
16 Jan – 28 Feb 2027 · Himeji – Hakata (Sanyo Shinkansen)
Echigo Tokimeki Railway runs its local train all the way to Nagano for the first time, past the Myoko highlands, with free seating and souvenir certificates.
21 Nov – 22 Nov 2026 · Naoetsu – Nagano
Seibu adds limited expresses from Ikebukuro roughly every 30 minutes on the main festival day, and Chichibu Railway runs a one-way steam train into Chichibu.
2 Dec – 3 Dec 2026 · Chichibu, Saitama
Trains to Kurama crawl through a 250 m tunnel of autumn maples by day and glide through it with cabin lights off after dark; a reserved-seat special stops inside it in mid to late November.
7 Nov – 6 Dec 2026 · Ichihara – Ninose (Eizan Kurama Line), Kyoto
列車ガイド
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC0 · resizedスペーシアX
SPACIA X
Tobu's flagship limited express from Asakusa to Nikko and Kinugawa Onsen — with a cockpit lounge, a café and private rooms.
Photo: Suikotei · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized富士回遊
Fuji Excursion
The only direct train from Shinjuku to Mt. Fuji's lake country — under two hours to Kawaguchiko.
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC0 · resizedゆふいんの森
Yufuin no Mori
Kyushu's forest-green resort express from Hakata to the onsen town of Yufuin — observation seats, a buffet and attendants on board.
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC0 · resizedひだ
Hida
Nagoya to Gero Onsen and old-town Takayama along the Hida River gorge, on JR Central's new hybrid trains.
Photo: Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resizedのぞみ
Nozomi
The fastest Tokaido Shinkansen: Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka, up to 12 trains an hour, with Mt. Fuji out of the window.
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resizedサフィール踊り子
Saphir Odoriko
An all-Green-class sightseeing express from Tokyo down the Izu coast, with sea-facing private rooms and a café car.
Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resizedロマンスカーGSE
Romancecar GSE
Panoramic front-row observation seats from Shinjuku straight into Hakone's hot springs.
Photo: Real Estate Japan · CC BY 2.0 · resizedかがやき
Kagayaki
The fastest Hokuriku Shinkansen: Tokyo to Kanazawa in about 2½ hours, now running on to Tsuruga.
名物駅弁
峠の釜めし
Oginoya (荻野屋) · about ¥1,500
Japan's most famous ekiben since 1958: seasoned rice cooked in a real Mashiko-ware clay pot, topped with chicken, quail egg, chestnut and mountain vegetables. Keep the pot as a souvenir.
牛肉どまん中
Shinkineya (新杵屋) · about ¥1,500
Sweet-soy simmered beef and minced beef over Yamagata's Tsuyahime rice — a perennial best-seller at Tokyo Station.
ひっぱりだこ飯
Awajiya (淡路屋) · about ¥1,500
Akashi octopus and seasoned rice in a ceramic octopus-trap pot — the name is a pun on 'in high demand'.
途中下車の旅
Break your journey for about three hours at a town along the line, then catch a later train to your stay.
Ride SPACIA X to Tobu-Nikko, see Toshogu Shrine, then hop on to Kinugawa Onsen for the night.
09:00
浅草
Asakusa
11:00
東武日光
Tobu-Nikko
3h to explore
14:30
下今市
Shimo-Imaichi
15:00
鬼怒川温泉
Kinugawa-Onsen
Send suitcases from your Tokyo hotel straight to the ryokan the day before, and do Nikko with a daypack.
Break the Hokuriku Shinkansen trip at Karuizawa for forest walks and the original kamameshi.
08:30
東京
Tokyo
09:40
軽井沢
Karuizawa
3h to explore
15:00
金沢
Kanazawa
Use the coin lockers at Karuizawa station (large ones go first on busy days), or send bags ahead to Kanazawa.
Hop off at Atami on the way down the Izu coast for a shrine, the seafront and a kinmedai ekiben.
東京
Tokyo
熱海
Atami
3h to explore
伊豆急下田
Izukyu-Shimoda
A break means two limited-express tickets. Leave bags in an Atami station locker, or send them straight to your Izu ryokan.
Stop at Gero Onsen for a foot bath and a riverside stroll, then ride on to Takayama's old town.
名古屋
Nagoya
下呂
Gero
3h to explore
高山
Takayama
Each Hida segment needs its own seat reservation. Use Gero station lockers or ask your Takayama ryokan to hold bags.
手荷物ストレスゼロ
On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, bags over 160 cm (length + width + height) need a seat with an oversized-baggage area, booked in advance. Board without one and you pay an on-board fee.
Takkyubin delivery from your hotel front desk or any konbini usually arrives the next day. Ride with a daypack and let your suitcase travel separately.
Big station lockers fill up by late morning. Reserve storage at a shop near the station with an app such as ecbo cloak, or use the station's baggage counter.
泊まる・遊ぶ
Where to stay
5 hand-picked ryokan reviewed on OKU — what Japanese guests say about the onsen, dinner and rooms.
Local experiences
Toy train
SPACIA X Plarail
≈ ¥3,000
Model train
SPACIA X N-gauge (KATO / TOMIX)
≈ ¥20,000+
Souvenir
SPACIA X key holder
≈ ¥800
Kitchen
Ekiben-style lunch box
≈ ¥2,000
Links go to Amazon.co.jp / Rakuten Ichiba. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases; we may also earn a commission from Rakuten at no extra cost to you.
コンビニ受け取り
Order on Amazon.co.jp or Rakuten
Overseas cards work; Amazon.co.jp can be switched to English.
Choose konbini pickup
Amazon: Lawson, FamilyMart or Ministop (not 7-Eleven). Rakuten: only shops that offer it — look for コンビニ受取 at checkout.
Wait for the pickup email
It contains a barcode or pickup number. Allow a few days, and check the holding period.
Collect at the counter
Show the code at the register (or print a slip at Lawson's Loppi terminal). No hotel front-desk hassle.
Not available for marketplace-seller items, chilled/frozen food, alcohol or oversized goods. Pickup stores and rules change — confirm on the checkout screen.
