East Japan Railway's New Tohoku Shinkansen "Bullet Train" Extension Means More Day Trip and Overnight Options for Tokyo Business and Leisure Travelers.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2002

East Japan Railway Company's Tohoku Shinkansen, the bullet train that operates from Tokyo to Northern Honshu Island, extended its service on December 1st from Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, 289 miles northeast of Tokyo, to Hachinohe Station in Aomori Prefecture.

This new train named Hayate or "swift wind," travels almost 60 miles farther, right to the Pacific Coast. The new Morioka-Hachinohe section, constructed at a cost of 474 billion yen ($4 billion), means travelers no longer need to switch trains at Morioka for the final section of the 348-mile journey. It also means the total traveling time from Tokyo to Hachinohe has been slashed to under three hours, saving passengers 37 minutes of travel time.

And why travel this far? Hachinohe is a port city that is ecologically famous for its 4.4- acre Kabushima Island. Kabushima, which is connected to the mainland by a sandbar, was designated a natural monument in 1992, because it is a breeding ground for Japan's endangered black-tailed seagull. In early spring, more than 30,000 of these birds come here to lay their eggs. Hachinohe is also not far from Lake Towada, where a new hot spring was discovered in May 2002 to the excitement of area innkeepers.

Foreigners traveling to Tokyo for business or pleasure will now find the Hachinohe area an accessible excursion or overnight, especially if they purchase a Japan Rail Pass. The JR Pass, which must be purchased BEFORE arriving in Japan, allows unlimited travel on all JR trains throughout Japan (except the Nozomi Super Express) for 7, 14, or 21 days. A seven-day pass costs 28,000 yen ($230). This is 2000 yen ($18) less than the round trip fare from Tokyo to Hachinohe. There is also a JR East Pass that includes JR Trains in and around Tokyo plus all the JR trains throughout Northern Honshu Island. That pass comes in a straight 5-day or flexi 4-day denomination for just 20,000 yen ($165) or 10 continuous days for 32,000 yen ($265).

Accommodations at the upscale Hachinohe Grand hotel start at 15,500 yen for two (about $130), and accommodations at a minshuku or bed and breakfast along Lake Towada start at 6,000 yen ($50) per person, including two meals.

Of course, this new train meant an end to the 38-years of service provided by the sleeping berth equipped Hakutsuru express train. About 600 railway buffs were on hand for the departure of the Hakutsuru, which left Ueno at 10:23 p.m. on November 30th for its final run to Aomori Prefecture. Hakutsuru went into service in 1964, the year the Olympic games were held in Tokyo for the first time.