Riding Japan's Fastest Bullet Train First Class - Shinkansen Hayabusa | Tokyo to Niseko

Start your journey at Tokyo Station, picking up your pre-booked tickets from the automatic vending machine. Head to the Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen gate, then board the Hayabusa Shinkansen's Gran Class car 10. My seat, 1A, offered a luxurious experience with a 45-degree reclining genuine leather seat, 52cm width, and 130cm pitch. You'll find slippers, an in-car magazine, a reading light, cocktail tray, and a small table. The seat controller lets you adjust recline and footrest, and there's a power outlet. Once we departed Tokyo at 6:32 am, the attendant provided bottled water and salt chocolate. Enjoy all-you-can-drink alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and choose between Western or Japanese light meals. I had the Western Fare, which included Hokkaido pumpkin gratin, cod brand risotto, wine pork ragu, and chestnut soufflé cake – it tasted better than it looked! The train reaches speeds of 320 km/h after Utsunomiya, offering a beautiful sunrise view. The Gran Class facilities, including spacious, clean, wheelchair-accessible TOTO toilets with washlets and non-contact flush, are impressive and don't feel outdated. The 4-hour 16-minute ride to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto was incredibly comfortable, and I didn't feel tired at all.

After arriving at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, I transferred to the Limited Express Hokuto, which departed at 11:05 am. This 6-car train, which debuted in 1965, offers both green (business class) and standard seats. I sat in a clean green seat with a headrest, hook, ticket holder, seat back pocket, footrest, and a dedicated computer outlet. The ride to Oshamambe took 1 hour and 9 minutes, costing 2,450 JPY. The train felt a lot of shaking, and the toilet, while clean, felt older than the Shinkansen's and lacked a washlet. There were no vending machines, only a multipurpose room and luggage storage. I enjoyed the beautiful lake views of Onuma and ocean views of Uchiura Bay along the way.

After a 1 hour and 15 minute wait at Oshamambe Station, I boarded the JR Hakodate Main Line train to Niseko. This one-car train, which only has four departures a day to Niseko, also features a multipurpose toilet and a variety of chairs. The ride offered beautiful snowy scenery in winter, passing through unique station platforms covered in snow and alongside a beautiful river. The journey from Oshamambe to Niseko took 1 hour and 16 minutes, costing 1,490 JPY.