Hokkaido Shinkansen
The Hokkaido Shinkansen (bullet train) Hayabusa runs between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (4hrs / ¥23,230) on Southern Hokkaido via Shin-Aomori. There are no other passenger trains between Aomori and Hokkaido. Basic fares are mostly expensive and takes longer than airlines, but usually rail passes can save money.
Limited express trains, timed to meet the shinkansen, make the 3.5-hour run between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Sapporo.
Limited Express Trains
Hokkaido’s many limited express trains (tokkyu) are depart from Sapporo. Some seasonal trains are depart from Asahikawa.
| ROUTE | TRAIN NAMES | JOURNEY |
|---|---|---|
| Asahikawa – Abashiri | Taisetsu | 4hrs |
| Asahikawa – Wakkanai | Sarobetsu | 3.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Abashiri | Okhotsk | 5.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Asahikawa | Kamui, Lilac | 1.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Hakodate | Hokuto | 3.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Kushiro | Ozora | 4hrs |
| Sapporo – Muroran | Suzuran | 1.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Obihiro | Tokachi | 2.5hrs |
| Sapporo – Wakkanai | Soya | 5.5hrs |
Rapid & Local Trains
Rapid (快速: kaisoku) and local (普通: futsu) can be used by the ordinary ticket, Seishun 18 and Hokkaido & East Japan Pass (see Rail Passes & Tickets in Hokkaido).
Useful Japanese Terms for Train Travel
| bullet train | shinkansen | 新幹線 |
| first class seat | green-seki | グリーン席 |
| limited express fare | tokkyu ryokin | 特急料金 |
| limited express train | tokkyu | 特急 |
| local train | futsu | 普通 |
| non-reserved seat | jiyu-seki | 自由席 |
| numbered ticket | seiri-ken | 整理券 |
| rapid train | kaisoku | 快速 |
| reserved seat | shitei-seki | 指定席 |
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