Here is an information on my trip from KEK to Kamioka on October
30, 2005 (Sunday).
The main thing which depends on your luck is a traffic jam around
Tokyo,
so you can be later than 7:40 a.m. in Tokyo. In this case just look
for
another Joetsu-Shinkansen
train for Echigo-Yuzawa (or
Niigata as an
end point).
If you have enough time before
your trip you may buy the train tickets
(JR, non-reserved
Tokyo-->Echigo-Yuzawa -->Toyama --> Inotani
and back)
in advance, in the JTB office on
the first floor of the Mitsui Building
in Tsukuba
(the tallest building in Tsukuba,
next to the Seibu).
6:02 a.m. JR Highway bus
from KEK to Tokyo - 1470 yen. Ask for RYO-SHYU-SHYO (receipt).
(for other
routes see HERE)
7:37 a.m. Tokyo Station
(Yaesu
North entrance).
If you don't have tickets then: Go
to nearest Green Window
office (e.g. Yaesu Central Hall).
Ticket Tokyo
-> Echigo-Yuzawa -> Toyama
-> Inotani
(Non-reserved)
- 11260
yen
First, you go through the gate and show one ticket (insert
the fare ticket Tokyo->Inotani in the slot),
then, at the next gate, you insert all three tickets in
the slot (the machine will return them back).
7:48 a.m.
Platform 21
: Joetsu-Shinkansen train for
Niigata
(Max Toki 307)
1-6 cars for
non-reserved. I was sitting in the car number 4 (for non-smokers).
9:05 a.m. Arrival
to Echigo-Yuzawa
(pl. 11).
Transfer to Hokuhoku-line
(pl. 1), don't go through the automatic gates, they will swallow your
tickets,
so you better go to the officer
and say the magic word "RYO-SHYU-SHYO"
(receipt), then your tickets
will be stamped and returned to
you.
9:13 a.m. Train Hakutaka
leaves for Kanazawa
: car number 7 (non-reserved, non-smoking)
11:18 Toyama
station (pl. 2)
I had more than two hours before the next train for
Inotani. I showed my tickets at the
central exit (again saying the magic word "RYO-SHYU-SHYO") and went to
the Toyama station. Here you can buy
some food (no more convinient stores ahead after Toyama!)
in the "Heart in" (convinience store) and have a lunch.
Show the ticket at the entrance and
transfer to
platform 3 (follow the arrows, this platform is not so easy to find).
13:45
Train
(JR Takayama-line) to Inotani
(1-4 cars, many people, usually students)
14:34
Inotani
(last stop).
You show your ticket to the train driver and again repeat the magic
word "RYO-SHYU-SHYO"
(receipt).
He tells you that he has no stamp, but
you don't need it. All you need is a used ticket. And you have it.
Transfer to a very
small train for Kamioka
(forward and left) which arrives at 14:48.
14:55
Train for
Kamioka departs
15:03
Mozumi
(2nd stop) - 250 yen (no
tickets).
You may change your coins or 1000-yen-bill next to the driver sit.
Dormitory is just across
the bridge (white building)
. Now the entrance is locked, so you need to know the code
(ask for it before
going to Mozumi).
Summary: almost 9 hours and 12980
yen
My way back on the 31st of July,
2005 (Sunday), was 1.5 hours shorter:
6:47
Mozumi. Train for Inotani.
6:55 Inotani
(2nd stop). 250 yen.
7:08 Train for
Toyama
7:58 Toyama
(pl. 3). (say "RYO-SHYU-SHYO"
at the exit). You have 1 hour for a breakfast.
9:00 Toyama.
pl. 5: train for Echigo-Yuzawa (car number 5 for non-reserved,
non-smokers).
10:57 Echigo-Yuzawa:
transfer to platform 13 (say "RYO-SHYU-SHYO"
at the exit).
11:10 Pl. 13: Train to
Tokyo (car number 4 for non-reserved, non-smokers).
12:28 Tokyo Station. Go to
"transfer area", (say "RYO-SHYU-SHYO"
at the exit),
then Yaesu
Central Exit, then Yaesu South Exit (follow yellow signs)
Find JR High
Way Bus office and buy a ticket with receipt for Kou-Enerugi-Kenkyusho
(KEK). Prepare
a piece of
paper with your name in advance (for receipt "RYO-SHYU-SHYO").
12:50 At the
platform 4 (yellow line) on the Yaesu South Exit, the bus for Tsukuba
Mount (Tsukuba-San yuki) is departing.
Don't be confused
with buses for Tsukuba-Center.
14:15 KEK (push the
button when hear the announcement "Kou-Enerugi-..."),
give your ticket to the driver.
Summary: 7.5 hours and same 12980 yen.
Examples of tickets:
Tokyo -> Inotani
