Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train)
Hachinohe Train Station
Inside the bullet train (shinkansen)
My tickets, the first of the 3 tickets was already taken in Hachinohe Station, too bad I didn't have the chance to take the picture of it hahaha---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm back!! After 3 weeks of being gone from my blog....I'm finally home.
June 16, when we just decided to take the shinkansen or bullet train after 2 days of disappointments due to cancellation of military flights going to Clark, Philippines from here to Atsugi, Japan (US navy base).
There were mo flights available until Thursday (June 18) that week. My husband's vacation is only 3 weeks and we already wasted almost 2 days so we have to do something :-) and the last resort was to take the bullet train. We thought we could visit Philippines straight from here through *space A travel for free (how I wish hehehe).
We spent around 55,507 yen or ~ $578 for 4 of us in taking shinkansen to Tokyo and then to Fussa station. We got off the shinkansen in Tokyo and took another regular train going to Fussa station, this is the closest station to Yokota Air Base, Japan. We planned to take the *space A (military flight) from Yokota to Philippines or anywhere that would take us closest to Philippines.
It's our first time to ride the bullet train (me and my 2 kids)....how exciting!
By the way, we just left our "Pajero io" suv in the parking area at Misawa Train Station and what the h*** the sign on there that we couldn't even read and understand, they're in japanese kanji....so we took our risk of leaving our vehicle without knowing what would be the consequences of leaving that for 2 weeks or more hehehe.
It took us 3 hrs to get to Tokyo; by car it would probably take us 10 hrs drive. And another 2 hrs from Tokyo to Fussa. i t was raining that time, we took the cab to base's main gate for 700 yen ~ $7 and another cab from the main gate to hotel lodge on base where we stayed.
Oh, well that was the first day of our adventure.
Note:
*Space available travel is a privilege that derives, in part, from United States Code, title 10, section 4744, which states, "officers and members of the Military Departments, and their families, when space is available, may be transported on vessels operated by any military transport agency of the Department of Defense". Space available travel is defined as "travel aboard DoD owned or controlled aircraft and occurs when aircraft are not fully booked with passengers traveling under orders".- Wikipedia
7 comments:
I used to fly from Japan to the USA on a "Space Available" basis. I did it three times. LOL Way back in 1953 and 1955.
Love to ride on the bullet trains. When I was there it took all day to get from Tokyo to Sendai-shi and the train was a steam locomotive.
The toilet was a slit in the floor (I kid you not) in the little room with a sink. No toilet paper. A rag on the sink. You used it and washed it out for the next person. Honest.
Woohoo that was like 56 yrs ago! So that time there was already a space A for military. From Tokyo to Sendai is 5hrs by bus, maybe buy train it's like 1 hr to 1hr and a half, I'm not sure. We passed Sendai and Morioka when we were in bullet train.
Some toilets here are still the old "squat type" and I hate that :-) some are bidets which I love to use it hehehe.
I had the chance to ride a bullet train (I think was then called the "hikari" or something)from Tokyo to Osaka way back in 1967. I've never been on another one since. I wonder how different they are now.
wow, sana may bullet train din tayo dito sa pinas. aba. may explanation ka pa ng space travel ah! kala ko pang startrek na yung explanation eh. hehe..sabagay, i will not be surprised kung mangyayari yun, eh nasa japan ka. eh ang super high tech jan no. :)
so ano nangyari sa pajero niyo? hirap pala kung walang english translation. :) what an adventure!!!
BertN- I guess the difference maybe the speed hehehe. I've never been to Osaka yet.
Reena- yes, it was really an adventure trip hehehe, we mailed our car's key to my friend and he drove it to his home :-) no fine yet hehehe
Welcome back, Missy! I've been looking forward to reading about your trip. ;)
I was about to ask about your Pajero but Reena beat me to it. hehe.
Riding on the Shinkansen is quite an experience no? Ang bilis grabe, it almost felt like I was on a plane. Nakita nyo ba ang Mt. Fuji on the way? Nadadaanan daw pag papunta ng Tokyo eh.
Garando- thanks, welcome back too hehehe. Yup it's really a great experience but expensive hehehe. We didn't get to see the Mt. Fuji maybe it was foggy that time or I was on the wrong side of the train :-)
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