Speeding along, listening to the soft humming of the train, you look out the window to catch a brief glimpse of a starry sky when the bright lights of the streets beyond your cabin shock your eyes as they flash by. You’re sipping wine and munching on some salty snacks, and the only thing that drains out the undulating sound of train tracks is loud laughter from within your cabin. This is not transportation. In fact, the word transportation itself demeans the very existence of the Cassiopeia Sleeper Train, where the experience of traveling from one destination to another is just as exciting as the destination itself.
Sleeper trains seem to be some relic of the past, only seen in Bond movies where tuxedos and evening gowns lead to a gun chase through train cars and the quintessential fist fight on the roof. But the Cassiopeia Sleeper Train offers all the luxury of Bond, with none of the brawls (whether that’s good or bad is up to you).
In actuality, your adventure will begin exactly one month before you plan to board the train bound for your destination. There is no online reservation or pre-booking service. Tickets go on sale at all JR Ticket Offices one month in advance and sell out within hours of the ticket office opening, due to the popularity and the infrequency of the trains. So when we showed up the first time, two weeks before we wanted to take the train, the thing we walked away with was not tickets but in fact a brief and unmuffled scoff from the JR employee and the kind advice to try again a month before you want to travel.
Having done more research, we changed our dates and returned with a new course of action. There are two options for sleeper trains up to the North of Japan: the Hokutosei and the Cassiopeia, both travel from Tokyo to Hokkaido calling in at many stops in Sendai, Tohoku and Aomori along the way. The main difference between the trains is the price.
The older Hokutosei has less expensive and more varied options for rooms. These rooms start at 24,650 yen per person for the B-Class Duet, which includes a two story bunk bed, and goes up to 35,530 yen per person for the A Royal Class including two beds, toilet, shower, and sink. The main draw of this train is that it is the last of the “blue sleeper” trains in Japan, once a regularity. Cue mad camera happy people snapping shots of the unsmiling blue train.
By the time we reached the Ticket Office, a month before our planned day of departure, with tickets having been on sale a mere 5 hours, all the Hokutosei tickets had sold out. So we plunged deep into the couch cushions for any and all spare change to pay for the more expensive Cassiopeia, which goes for 31,700 yen per person.
Cassiopeia is the more modern of the the two trains, has a dining car, viewing car, and each room has two beds, a television, bathroom, sink, and table (oh, and don’t forget complimentary drink). Although this method of travel is expensive, especially when you could probably fly abroad for that price, the experience of what seems to be a dying concept is worth while.
What is better than enjoying the “going to” as much as the “being there”? And when we arrived in Hakodate, bleary-eyed and groggy, what refreshed us most was not the cold morning air but the memories from the night before.
From Hakodate with Love
The Train...
Travel Diary: Omiya to Hakodate and back again
Friday
4:45 pm-Boarded the Cassiopeia, bound for Hakodate.
We brought a feast befitting of our surroundings and avoided the expensive train food that you have to pre-book.
Saturday
5:00 am (that’s right!)-Got off the train at Hakodate Station and delivered our luggage to our hotel The Comfort Inn (cheap, close to the station, and includes a delicious breakfast)
- Walked around Asaichi, the Morning Fish Market, and had a delicious Japanese-style breakfast and collected freshly cooked crab samples from the street
- Had fresh melon smoothies
- Chatted with the locals who are friendlier and warmer than those from Tokyo, despite their cold climate
- Took the Street Car around town to the old district. Visited the old Public Hall and had tea at the old British Consulate (great museum inside as well)
- By noon we had seen most of Hakodate so we went back to the hotel for a quick nap
- Took a bus up to the see Hakodate’s famous Night View.
- Dinner in the Red Brick District at the Beer Hall
Sunday
- Took a train to Onuma Lake Area
- 50 minute walk around the lake to see the fall colors
- We were decieved by a map from the Tourist Information center which said Lumber, an amazing local steak restaurant, was within walking distance. It’s not, so take a taxi if you go, but it is so worth it with portions of meat that make it seem like you are on a farm not in Japan
- Hitch hiked back to the station from the restaurant
- Returned to Hakodate and went to the Yunokawa Onsen area to the Yunohama Hotel for onsening with an ocean view
- Dinner at Funny Pierrot burger shop
Monday
- Walked to the morning market for a breakfast of Hakodate cream ice cream
- Shopped around The Red Brick District
- Lunch at Ajisai for Shio ramen (famous in Hakodate)
- 3:55 pm Took Shinkansen back to Omiya
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