Travel plans/Japan 2025-2026

Overview

Flights:

• Dec 11 arrival (Mika)
• Dec 12 arrival (Mako)
• Jan 15 departure (Both)

Domestic trips:

• Dec 17-20 Wakayama/Kyoto
• Dec 23-24 Shimanami Kaido
• Jan 2-3 Tokamachi
• Jan 7-13 Sapporo/Rusutsu

Domestic Trips

December 18: tokyo → kyoto

• [DONE] MIKA: date: 12/18 / approximate time: leave Wakayama station at 11:50 on Kuroshiode
• [DONE] MAKO: reservation finished (arrives 12:12pm into Kyoto)

=== December 20: kyoto → osaka → tokyo

normal checkout is noon but we will likely have late checkout?

https://punchdrink.com/articles/best-bars-osaka-japan/

December 23: tokyo → onomichi

date 12/23 / approximate time? bike pickup around 12:30 in onomichi

seems like the best train that works with rail pass is Hikari 501 leaving shinagawa at 7:10am

• [DONE] DEC 23 6:51 (Meguro)-11:58 (Onomichi): Hikari 501 (Shinagawa→Shin Kobe) and Sakura 551 (Shin Kobo→Fukuyama)

=== December 24: imabari → tokyo

date 12/24/ approximately in the afternoon (takes about 6.5 hours?)

my suggestion is top stop in okayama to visit the pottery store which closes at 18:45 and is about a 10 minute walk from the station. these are the options:

• [DONE] 15:01 (Imabari) → 17:11 (Okayama): Shiokaze 22
• maybe at least 90 minutes there so we can have dinner?
• [DONE] 19:14 (Okayama) -> 23:13 (Shinagawa): Sakura 566 + Hikari 666 (!!!) from Shin-Osaka

[ ] OPTION B (cutting it quite close w/ the store hours) 16:06 (Imabari) → 18:11 (Okayama): Shiokaze 24

January 2-3 to/from tokamachi (No JR Pass)

departure date/time: 1/2 arrive by 12:00

arrival date/time: 1/3 later

• [DONE] meguro → tokamachi arrive by 12:00 (likely Toki 309 8:52 from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa and then switch to hokuhoku line to Tokamachi)
• [DONE] tokamachi → meguro leave after 10 (likely leave Tokmachi 10:44 and then take Toki 54 Echigo-Yuzawa→Tokyo at 11:30-12:44

note: no reservations are on the hokuhoku line from Tokamachi to Echigo-Yuzawa

Tokamachi - Meguro
十日町 - 目黒
01/03/2026 10:30 From
01/03/2026 10:30 発
10:44 → 13:15
Time / 2 hr 31 min  Ticket / 7,920 yen
■Tokamachi    Platform 12
    十日町    １２番線
｜   Hokuhoku Line (For Echigo-Yuzawa)        
ほくほく線(越後湯沢行)    
｜   10:44-11:22 [38 min]
｜   4,140 yen 
◇Echigo-Yuzawa
    越後湯沢
｜   Transfer    乗換
｜   11:22-11:30 [Transfer 6 min + Wait 2 min]
◇Echigo-Yuzawa    Platform 13.14
    越後湯沢    １３・１４番線
｜   Toki No.54 (Series E7) (For Tokyo)    Forward/Rearward A Little    
とき54号（E7系）(東京行)    前・やや後
｜   11:30-12:44 [74 min]
｜   (Reserved Seat / 3,780yen)
◇Tokyo    Platform 21
    東京    ２１番線
｜   Transfer    乗換
｜   12:44-12:54 [Transfer 8 min + Wait 2 min]
◇Tokyo    Platform 5
    東京    ５番線
｜   Yamanote Line 外回り品川方面行    The Car No.5.8    
山手線外回り品川方面行    5・8号車
｜   12:54-13:15 [21 min]
■Meguro    Platform 2
    目黒    ２番線

TODO

Hotels:

• [DONE] Dec 18-20: Kyoto
• [DONE] Dec 23-24: Shimanami Kaido

Transportation:

• Get a JR Pass voucher (Mika) [DONE]
• Get a JR Pass (Mako) [DONE]
• Flights to and from Sapporo for Jan 7/13 [DONE]
• Kamori Kanko Bus to Rusutsu on Jan 8/12 [DONE]
• Reserve 2 bikes from https://www.shimanami-bike-rental.com/ for Dec 23-24. Confirmation number: 【SNJ-79326275】 [DONE]