As I sit down to write this, it’s early in the morning and I am yet again zipping across Japan on a bullet train. My destination this time is Okayama Station, where I’ll catch another limited express train that will take me all the way down to Kochi on the island of Shikoku, the only prefecture I’ve yet to visit. All in all, the journey is set to take close to six hours or so, but I don’t mind in the least — as, at least for me, there is no better place to get some deep work done than the Shinkansen.
Now, those of you familiar with your Japanese geography will know that this is quite the trek to make by train. Given the distance, most people would just simply opt to take a quick, hour-and-some-change-long flight down to Kochi from Tokyo. Not me, though — I really like to spend time on trains. Not only do I get a ton of stuff done for my freelance work without the constant distractions of working in a cafe or coworking space, but it’s also a great way to get a glimpse of the countryside.
While I totally get that many people prefer the expediency that air travel provides, I am partial to spending time on trains. There are a number of reasons for this, but first and foremost, it just feels like more of an adventure to me than flying from point A to point B and skipping everything in between. As I’ve noted before in this article, part of the joy of traveling in Japan is the trip itself. The journey, in many senses, is the destination, and a flight, at least for me, just ruins this experience.
When one opts for planes over trains, they forfeit everything in between. Sure, you might get an aerial view of Mt. Fuji if you’re lucky, but most of the scenery from the skies is just clouds contrasted against the backdrop of an endless expanse of blue. From the bullet train window, I can enjoy all sorts of countryside vistas as I jet across the country en route to my destination. Though I am usually focused on the screen of my MacBook Air, it’s nice to have a window to dreamily gaze out of when I need a distraction.
Unlike the vastness of the skies when seen from above, traveling across the country by train offers you a glimpse into all sorts of corners of Japan that you might otherwise never get to actually visit in person. For example, before you pull into Nagoya, you’ll go by Lake Hamana and the grand torii at Bentenjima in Hamamatsu. Most overseas visitors will never get to go to these spots themselves, but you can really gain an understanding of the vastness of Japan when you see it from the train.
Of course, the Shinkansen isn’t the only high-speed rail in Japan. There are a number of other great limited express trains out there too that make for picturesque rides. For example, I recently took the Shiokaze back from Imabari and Matsuyama right around sunset and caught some truly jaw-dropping peeks of a pink sky over the Seto Inland Sea. While the trip back to Tokyo this way is indeed quite long, it certainly beats the hassle of air travel.
Speaking of, let’s also take a second to note just how annoyingly disruptive air travel can be. First, you need to make your way to the damn airport, check your bags if you aren’t a minimalist packer like me, go through security, and scramble to find your gate. Contrast this with the Shinkansen. You simply get to your track, toss your luggage on the overhead rack, and sit down in your seat for several hours of completely uninterrupted freedom. It’s hassle-free and low-stress.
Flights, on the other hand, are anything but uninterrupted. Once you get to the gate, you then need to board your flight and battle your way to your seat. Once you’ve sat down, you can waste time on your phone, but other electronic devices like laptops need to remain stowed. What’s more, you’re supposed to have your device in airplane mode too. And while there is in-flight Wi-Fi on many routes in Japan, the signal doesn’t start being emitted until you’re a quarter of the way into the trip.
Personally, the fact that I can be connected to the internet for the entire duration of my train travels is, in and of itself, reason enough for me to pick longer routes via the Shinkansen over air travel. Try as I might, I just can’t get anything done on an airplane. The seats are too small to really open up my MacBook Air, the internet connection is slower than a snail, and the flight is over before I can ever really get in the groove. Sure, I get there quicker — but only after all the before-and-after rigamarole.
Speaking of, one thing to note about airports in Japan is that they are often not in the center of rural cities. For example, when I went to Asahikawa up in Hokkaido earlier this year, I had no choice but to fly in. However, to get to where my hotel was near Asahikawa Station, I needed to take a rather long bus ride from the airport. In other words, while the flight may appear faster, the travel time does not account for getting to and from the airport, waiting to board, collecting luggage, etc.
At least as far as I’m concerned, I’d much rather just roll into what is often the central hub of the city I’m visiting. While it may take a little longer to get there via Shinkansen and/or limited express train, opting for railways over airlines eliminates time otherwise wasted on checking in, waiting at the gate, and then finally getting from the airport to the actual destination. This all sounds like a huge headache to me, so I’ll just take the train, work most of the way, and arrive where I actually want to be.
At the end of the day, there’s just something about longer trips on trains — or even ferries — that’s more endearing than traversing the skies. You get to see so much more of what makes Japan the amazingly beautiful country it is, while dodging all of the depressing hurdles that one needs to clear when traveling by airplane. So, while I get why someone might want to fly to get there faster, this freelance digital marketer and content creator will stick to spending his time on trains.
By the way, if you too would prefer not to take to the skies and instead traverse Japan by train, I highly recommend looking into the various rail passes that JR offers. While the vaunted Japan Rail Pass has become less of a bargain unless you’re really clocking the kilometers, many of the regional passes are still an excellent deal — often costing little more than a regular round-trip fare to and from a far-flung place like Aomori Station in Tohoku.
If you’re hoping to save a few yennies, check out options like the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) or other regional variations that can seriously stretch your travel budget on your next adventure in Japan!
Until next time travelers…
