greatcats
Engineer
I am in Japan for six weeks, armed with two 21 day Japan Rail passes. The first part of this trip is a 14 day tour with Intrepid Travel, the Melbourne, Australia company that could be termed as catering to middle class and slightly upscale backpackers. We are travelling around Honshu primarily by train. This is being written from a ryokan ( traditional Japanese inn with tatami mat floors and futons ) in Hakone, south of Tokyo. I'm the only American out of the group of 12, with others from Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. I am not going to go into too much detail here, but will just make some observations about the frequent service and punctuality. We have been on three Shinkansen ( Bullet ) trains for up to 45 minutes at a time. ( I last rode these in 1983. ) While the stations are not to be described as lavish, being rather utilitarian and usually not much to look at, they are well maintained and clean. The Skinkansen equipment that we've been on is certainly modern and up to date, with one car actually having three levels, with an elevator to move the food cart to the next level. The ride is smooth and swift, for sure. I do fault them a bit on having rather narrow seats ( maybe because I am not so narrow ) and my main beef isl, except for the express from Narita Airport, is the lack of separate space for bulky luggage such as backpacks. My backpack will in no way fit in the overhead rack, although my carryon will, and on one trip had it stuffed in front of me on the seat. The local to Nikko is nothing special, a 2 car MU, but spotlessly clean and again run exactly on time. What also impresses me is the dress of the train crews, engine included, who wear sharp military looking uniforms and white gloves! ( This goes for many bus drivers, too. ) We arrived here from Odawara by crowded local bus, which was a bit of a trial, but today we rode the aerial trams up to the Su[phur Springs and then descended on the Mountain Railway to Hakone Yumoto. I have to say this was the most interesting train ride I've been on in awhile, and it is not a tourist train - filled with locals. It is a two car MU and operates at low speed, probably not over 20 mph, with very steep grades and sharp curves, plus switchbacks! It reverses direction three times. I will probably chime in during the next month with further notes on travelling by train in Japan, which is certainly something quite different than the US!
