This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the railway's opening
And JR East lived up to our expectations!
To celebrate the 150th anniversary, they're offering a generous promotion! What's more, you can ride the trains within the free area for three days on any date you like between Friday, October 14th and Sunday, October 27th, 2022 .
There's no way I'm going to miss out on a bonus like this. I always say to NEFT, "I'm not getting too excited yet" and "I don't have the budget," but this time I decided to take the plunge and buy it
And since I have purchased it, I believe there is no point unless I can get my money's worth both in terms of enjoyment and the cost of the passport
Of course, I will not forget my main job and would like to briefly introduce tourist spots throughout Tohoku while comparing them with the regular fares of each railway company
Please bear with me for a moment as I write about "JR East Pass Journey to Commemorate 150 Years of Railway Opening."
First, let me explain the JR East Pass
I've written a lot about this above, but let me give you a quick explanation of the JR East Pass
The usage period is from October 14th to October 27th, 2022
Adults: 22,150 yen
Children: 10,150 yen
This means you can ride as much as you want within the free area for three days
Some of you reading this article may be thinking, "What? It's no different from the Seishun 18 Ticket. Will I get my money's worth?" However, the biggest feature of this ticket is that it allows unlimited rides on express and Shinkansen trains within the free area, and you can ride reserved seats up to four times .
Gran Class and Green Seats are an additional cost, but I don't think there's any other ticket that's as dreamy as this
Moreover, the free area is not limited to JR East lines
It also includes seven local railroads and a BRT (bus rapid transit) system
Take a look at the map above, and of course it's not just Tohoku. You can travel from Aomori in the east to Nagano in the west, and even Izu with the free pass
However, NEFT is a web media that aims to revitalize Tohoku and introduces its wonderful land, food, products, sightseeing, and trivia
This trip will be limited to six prefectures in the Tohoku region
Product name: "JR East Pass Commemorating 150 Years of Railway Opening" Price: Adults 22,150 yen, Children 10,150 yen (tax included) Usage period: Friday, October 14, 2022 to Thursday, October 27, 2022 *Available from one month prior to the start date of use Validity period: 3 days Where to purchase: Only available on "Eki-net (Web)" * Cannot be purchased from the "Eki-net app" Usage details: Free rides on all JR East lines, Aoimori Railway Line, IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, Sanriku Railway Line, Hokuetsu Kyuko Line, Izu Kyuko Line, Fujikyu Railway Line, and Echigo Tokimeki Railway Line (Naoetsu to Arai) within the free area, including ordinary car unreserved seats on limited express (including Shinkansen), express and rapid trains, and BRT operated by JR East, for 3 days. If you reserve a seat in advance, you can ride in a reserved seat in an ordinary car on the Shinkansen or express train up to four times. 〇Benefits: By presenting the original JR East Pass during the validity period of the Pass, you can receive benefits for rental cars and at stores and facilities.
Where are you going? What is your purpose?
I had a hard time deciding on my destination
Thanks to this, I, who am not very knowledgeable about trains, was able to use the Tohoku line map in everyday conversations
The concept, or rather the idea
"Traveling is about having fun, and this time I'm not taking on a challenge, so I want to go somewhere far away in comfort. I also want to enjoy local cuisine and delicious alcohol, and I want to be able to walk to tourist spots within a 3km radius of the station."
Although this free pass does include discounts on rental cars, I thought it would be more like a train trip to sightsee within walking distance of each station
We at NEFT are based in Sendai City, and if we were to go to a place that was simply far away, it would be the Gono Line or Ominato Line in Aomori
However, if you calculate the time, it just becomes a train enthusiast trip
So here it is this time!
The trip is for two days and one night, and the destination is Akita City!
So I decided! My goal for the first day will be Akita City!
We will head towards Akita, stopping at appropriate stations along the way for sightseeing
First, we will start from Sendai Station, and to give ourselves plenty of time, we plan to board the Tohoku Shinkansen bound for Morioka, departing at 8:05 AM
Today I will just give an explanation, but in the next article I will share with you the details of the trip
At the end of the day, I will also include the difference in cost between the total normal transportation cost and the cost of the free pass ticket, so please look forward to the next article
So, it's been a while since we've been on a long-distance trip! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we haven't been able to move around freely, but we're looking forward to enjoying the "new travel etiquette " together.
I'm a member of the Neft editorial team. I love alcohol, music, and traveling, so I indulge in some drinks after work on weekdays, and on weekends, if I have free time, I travel to nearby areas. I work hard every day with the goal of eventually traveling overseas to find connections to Tohoku through NEFT reporting.
