Hokkaido to Tokyo by Shinkansen GranClass | First Class Service

[@samuel-s-c]

the notification ringtone of tohoku shinkansen always comforts me, i use it as my ringtone on my phone!

[@kazuwilliams5222]

After a long day at work, watching your videos is always relaxing and reminds me of past travels.

[@theartfullibrarian4109]

Just got back from 14 days in Japan. Had Curry with tonkatsu. SO much better than here in the States. Thank you. We had so much fun and fell in love with Japan. ❤🎉

[@GoodGood-vb8gm]

I've been to Japan (Nagasaki) once on packaged tour. Now, I wish to travel on my own, hopping on a train to enjoy a scenic view and taking a ferry from one city to another. Thank you for all these videos as they provide with me a lot of information which helps me plan my trip to Japan in future.

[@paulinelau7809]

Thanks

[@SoloTravelJapan]

Thanks for the super!

[@RT-qd8yl]

My life goal is to visit Japan someday, and I WILL ride the GranClass. 😎 Thanks for another great video STJ!

[@IdeI2StOnEd]

After spending several thousand USD for the flight, this will be considered cheap.

[@RT-qd8yl]

@@IdeI2StOnEd I'm not entirely sure I'll fly.

[@kazuwilliams5222]

Depending on where you live, Zipair is the cheapest flights I have seen. I live in Los Angeles and, if I buy tickets far enough in advance, they are around $400 for economy / $1200 for first class. They only fly into Tokyo so you can do the GranClass. Overall, I'd recommend this Japanese cheap airline company. Also, when you go to Japan, a wonderful way to get to other islands is riding an overnight ferries. The ferry food is really good and port cities are always wonderful to see.

[@loosilu]

@@IdeI2StOnEd Flights to Japan aren't several thousand USD, at least not in economy.

[@traciechakraborty3829]

"it's coupled. I'm single." LOL! Nice one! Even though it was labled "Western" finding roasted green tea is pretty rare in the US. Which is sad, because I love hojicha. It's second only to Tieguanyin, aka Iron Goddess tea, in my heart. The Shinkansen looked AMAZING! I took the train down to New Orleans and it was NOTHING like that. But, I brought enough snacks for five people!

[@parmenides2576]

As someone from New Orleans the thought of comparing anything in New Orleans to Japan is hilarious to me 😂

[@traciechakraborty3829]

@@parmenides2576 I was talking about the train. Spec, The City of New Orleans. But I see your point, even tho I ❤NOLA

[@judgedee7956]

The entire "Western" meal seemed more Japanese than Western

[@staceytroffer8287]

Pretty sure the “western” option was referring to WESTERN Japan Fare. Not The West, like the USA. As in what people who live on the west side of Japan normally eat.

[@brian67oq]

It's labeled 洋食 Yoshoku which is Japanese-style western (as in European/American) food. Yoshoku usually still looks Japanese especially from a western perspective.

[@TobiasJärvinen]

Thank you for your videos STJ. It’s a pure joy to watch your productions!

[@sdetent5787]

Very nice train ride. You know it's luxury when you get two tables.

[@AmbientWalking]

Your way of seeing the world is so awesome. I really enjoy every minute of it!

[@R4TEDR]

Hello from Singapore 🇸🇬

[@ibeam23]

Another very pleasant video. That beef bento looked good!!

[@kukatpally]

That underwater tunnel from Hokkaido to Honshu is still so cool to me.

[@debbiecurtis4021]

I did that ride in 1995. It took my breath away.

[@Milnoc]

Fun fact: the Shinkansen has to slow down in the tunnel otherwise the amount of air it can displace at full speed can be powerful enough to topple over freight trains.

[@ShellyS2060]

This was great and the train was very beautiful. The meal was VERY light!

[@FeHopeCyndiW]

Thanks for the video! I am headed to Hokkaido for a race this summer. I didn't know this was even a potential option.

[@alexstrolls801]

That small meal from the train looks nice but I would be starving. Thanks for the small anxiety when you left the train to buy ekiben 😆When you said after the trains coupled "I'm single", sorry but I had to lol, welcome to a tranquil and almost stress free life STJ ;)

[@RCT3Crashes100]

When I visit Japan, I’m definitely gonna be riding the Shinkansen a fair bit, as I’d like to visit 3 or 4 cities during a 3 week trip, and for these prices, I think I gotta try the Gran Class! First class service for the cost of an economy class flight, or a non-high speed train ticket at peak season prices here in the UK! The bullet train system continues to lead the way and outshine everything we’ve got here :)

[@larkspin]

Oh man!! That traffic in Sapporo at the beginning looked like a free-for-all!! 😮

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip. To be honest, i always mix up the place between Tsuruga and Tsugaru. They coupled, I'm single is make me laugh and realising i'm also single. Thankfully you still got ekiben, and yeah still got the coupling of two Shinkansen.

[@sabbys7750]

I hope i get to travel to Japan one day. Honestly to see the sights yes but to mainly eat... The food there looks amazing!! Lol

[@happycook6737]

I never had a bad meal in Japan and lived there for a few years. Even the convenience store food is yummy.

[@staceytroffer8287]

Right!!?? Even the food out of vending machines or in a box look amazing!!

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

You know which car is close to the shop? That's real dedication to detail. Edit: oops - spoke too soon.😁

[@jackking5631]

Wish you have a coupled travel Japan channel soon🎉

[@murasame5071]

there are two countries on my bucket list Japan and USA. And damm , i must say , Japan looks utterly beautifull .

[@annettefournier9655]

That beef bento is the first bento I've seen that i could actually eat. Very nice train . I agree that 4 bites does not make a light meal.❤

[@loosilu]

The beef bento is fairly easy to find, it's usually called beef bowl. Just beef and rice, many small restaurants carry it.

[@mvdamistad3479]

Japanilaiset tekevät erittäin mielenkiintoisia matkailuvideoita (kuten tämäkin video), mutta yhtä asiaa olen aina ihmetellyt, että miten he pystyvät syömään aina niin paljon :D

[@debbiecurtis4021]

Are you Finnish?

[@mvdamistad3479]

@@debbiecurtis4021 Yes :) ..and you?

[@roboftherock]

I don't know about the rest of Japan, but Solo-San would earn that country a gold medal at Eating Olympics or World Championships!

[@barbarajones9111]

You really should bring more prepared snacks from home on your journeys, you have a big appetite 😀

[@marizaanvisagie9537]

Haha love this videos its awesome and the mountains so beautiful

[@senselessdreamer6583]

Solo - San had a very enjoyable train trip.!

[@djor316]

Nice trip Solo Travel San Thanks for the nice calm trip. God Bless and Be Safe.

[@danopticon]

When the train goes through the tunnel, how do you all hold your breath for 22 minutes without fainting?

[@TravelZoneWorld-111]

So fast

[@BansaiiBerserker]

Haha 🤣

[@countD8852]

I plan on going the opposite way as this video some day. I really miss riding the Shinkansen and eating Ekiben...it's wild to think that going from Sapporo Eki to Shin-Hakodate Eki takes almost as much time as going from Shin-Hakodate Eki to Tokyo Eki.

[@dirtygertee]

Love it. I would have ordered more drinks😉

[@AnaSolVa]

That light meal was extremely light 😅 It was like, 4 bites of food and 2 bites of cake.

[@Nurfa.iqah.1]

I havent watch in ages and i miss your videos so muchhhhh now i can binge watch✨✨ Question, how do you know if the shinkansen will stop for a longer duration that will be enough to step out to buy ekiben? Is there actually an announcement? Being prepared with food before the whole ride is what i wld do but u know sometimes things happen and u cld end up not having the time to buy food🥲

[@kapilachandrabharathi7134]

Thanks a lot for the video We'll be trying this April 2025 Gran class looks a bit lonely though. Cheers (sanpai hope I got that right) from Sri Lanka

[@juneallisonramos4120]

That menu is top notch!

[@suejmaryoung]

That was a real interesting travel vlog. Your choice of foods looked delicious. Can’t wait for your next vlog.

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

I'd love to do this while I'm in Japan, but it's so much cheaper and more convenient to take a domestic flight from Tokyo to Sapporo or the other way. The green car is probably more comfortable though

[@janellesnow]

Wow! I also ride the same Shinkansen as you!

[@Waywren]

Oh gorgeous. Yeah, the food is apparently only soso--though all that Western stuff was, as mentioned, pretty exotic even to a Western person! XD--i might well choose Gran Class just to be sure that I'd have comfortable accommodations as a disabled person!

[@neilwilliams7479]

A good trip, no wonder your dozed off after that cocktail of drinks lol - hope no hangover 🤞

[@michellemeentemeyer7047]

I love your videos.

[@cidiracing7481]

It's such a long ride, but in winter also such a beautiful ride when there is snow. Still need to try out the Gran Class. Maybe on a day trip to Sendai I might spring the extra money for the Gran Class on the way back to Tokyo just to enjoy all the luxury for once. 🤔

[@Ms.HarmonyJ]

My friend, it's so good to see another amazing video be safe much love have fun for me

[@happycook6737]

Go ekiben go! I would do the same thing. From the few ekiben left in the shop I bet everyone else was just as hungry as you were. Very thoughtful they also wrote the emiben type in English.

[@marilynturcotte5304]

When I saw that light lunch, I also laughed! That was a snack, not a lunch! Travelling by air, you get a larger meal, so what if you can get booze! So you are correct in saying Plan, Plan, Plan and use a lower class seat for this train.

[@SUBARCTICPSYCHO]

Thank you Solo Travel, very cool!

[@mariojsworld]

Great Shinkansen ride.

[@UrdnotChuckles]

Some of those train platform shops could probably do a fair amount of business if they either delivered meals to people during the stops, or had them ready for quick pickup. You'd likely have to pay in advance of course, but it could work. Especially when you've only got a few minutes per stop!

[@yankeedrifterm3]

You can do that at certain train stations in Japan. It certainly beats the old way of throwing money out the window of the train car and getting bentos through the open windows! There's also a food trolley selling bentos onboard for the regular seating passengers onboard that particular Hayabusa.

[@HonneyAllStar]

Awe, the memories it brings ❤ Thanks for sharing

[@ultimobile]

we took the shinkansen from Tokyo to Aomori return a couple months ago - with a couple of side trips on the way back - very nice - green car seats looked like old-fashioned lounge chairs with electric recliners and footrests were slightly short for this six footer - my feet would end up pressed against the back of the seat in front. GranClass looks nicer seats but more expensive so meh. Definitely a way to travel at least once for the experience. Oh yeah - our north-bound train started with the red and green cars joined - red split off at Morioka for Akita I think - green continued north - so you got the reverse sequence.

[@amputeeright]

It looks like it was comfortable, even if the food wasn't stellar. Thanks for taking us along!

[@AP-hn8wd]

Looks fantastic, but I’m ok with just the Reserved seats on the Hayabusa 😂

[@milliehousam4514]

Do the ferry companies allow you to show the vehicle/truck transport areas of the ferry? It would be interesting to see how many vehicles are transported per the trips. Thank you for your interesting and entertaining videos.

[@elliephants7047]

Poor Solo - that was not near enough food for you! I think even I might have gotten pretty peckish. Gosh - 22 minutes in a tunnel going almost 200mph...that's an awfully long tunnel, I'm amazed! My ma, who hates tunnels, would definitely not approve. I gotta say, half an hour in one might be a bit much for me! That's wild.

[@Genmah]

I am trying this exact trip this summer, GranClass Hakodate-Tokyo. I agree that the portions size in the "light meal" seems small. Would it be weird to bring an additional bento if also eating the complementary light meal? Or would no one really care?

[@superp2222]

Bro’s trip from Hakodate to Tokyo was filled with luxury Meanwhile when I went the trains were so full we had to stand around in the halls for 4 hours ;-;

[@iO-Sci]

That is serene and good Japan service :) 그것은 고요하고 좋은 일본 열차 서비스입니다 :)

[@pamz7531]

Wow! You sure drank a lot. I wouldn’t be able to walk after that. It looked like a comfortable ride, but there wasn’t enough food. Was there a dining car? Thank you for sharing the experience. From N Carolina, USA

[@darkryder2434]

I didn’t Know there’s a district in Japan called Hayabusa, reminds me of the legendary Suzuki Hayabusa…Japan is literally 50 years ahead of the rest of the world in overall development.Your vlogs are very informative. Thank you, STJ San!

[@cboy0394]

Hayabusa is the name of the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Hokkaido, it's not a region.

[@stevengonzalvez1557]

To say the rest of the world will be like Japan in 50 years' time is very optimistic indeed. Many parts of the world are far more than 50 years behind Japan, of course. And those which are only 50 years behind cannot hope to reach Japanese-level development by simply waiting. It is not a matter of time.

[@firebanner6424]

Japan is not 50 years ahead of the world in overall development. Many of the rural areas are blighted and slowly fading away. Also, they are on course to certain demographic collapse. Things work well but are held together by sticker and tape propped up by government spending. Japan is ahead in that it is one of a few countries to have basically completely eliminated the problems of homelessness, drug addiction, and desperate poverty, and the only one of such size and sprawl.

[@stevengonzalvez1557]

@@firebanner6424 "Propped up by government spending". Why, of course. Would you expect private initiative and free market forces to accomplish it? When and where has such a thing happened?

[@axios101]

Tnaks for the video! Questions is "GranClass" available only for northern routes or is there something alike also for southern (towards Osaka and maybe Kyushu)???

[@yankeedrifterm3]

Presumably they couldn't make an economic case or profit for running GranClass services or seats on those routes. Already on the Kyushu Shinkansen, green class seating is limited.

[@Lfne7em2f]

ЯПОНИЯ ПОЕЗД БУДУЮЩЕГО...ВСЕ НА КНОПАЧКАХ..КОМФОРТ..МОЛОДЦЫ...БРАВО...🎉🎉🎉🎉🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌷🌷🌷🌷🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@johnmc3862]

Grand class, ‘Tis’ grand.

[@djackmanson]

So it took almost as long to get from Sapporo to Shin-Hokkaido station, as it did to go from Shin-Hokkaido to Tokyo! Are there plans to extend the Shinkansen to Sapporo? Or do not enough people make the trip for it to be worthwhile?

[@djackmanson]

Oops, I mean Shin-Hakodate

[@Kuro_kaz]

@@djackmanson Yup, the extension work is underway it's expected to be completed by end of 2030.

[@cidiracing7481]

Jep they are currently building that extension. It seems to run behind schedule so it will be still a while until it is open. I did that journey once from Tokyo to Sapporo, but had an overnight stop in Hakodate because 8 hours of train rides in one day is a bit much. Especially after ariving on the same day via a 12 hour flight. I would say it's a nice journey to do once.

[@whiskeysk]

03:05 both E5 and H5 in one shot, very nice! For some unexplicable reason I prefer the JR Hokkoaido's H5 even though from the point of view of the passenger they're the same :)

[@kathleenevans1201]

Very nice!

[@louiscy]

Nice, unlimited drink😁

[@cecilia6496]

They are coupled. I'm single.😂 It's okay STJ, curry rice is your best wife🍛

[@netrhyda8761]

Nice! I was wondering how you would get from Hokkaido to Honshu......

[@YamiKisara]

Don't worry, you'll eventually find someone to be coupled with ^^

[@educanassa100]

Nice train

[@TheHawaiianc]

Awwe solo not going un sun flower to Hokkaido? lol😂 jk love the video

[@putrialifa7599]

always curious on why was the shinkasen got attached to another train?? hehe i saw it also happens to other trains in other videos of your trip..

[@JBM425]

At first, I wondered why it took so long to reach Hakodate from Sapporo; I had taken a train from Chitose to Sapporo in 2005 that took only 30 minutes. Then I realized I was confusing Hakodate with Tomakomai, which is about 25 to 30 minutes south of Chitose, while one must go completely around Uchiura Bay to reach Hakodate. I need to brush up on my geography…

[@krissp8712]

I always have the same problem with mistemembering geographic "acquaintances"!

[@mrg09211976]

Japan is so far ahead of the US in tech and well just about everything.

[@gurtejbauer659]

Cool 😎

[@jorgeabivagarcia2544]

Hello Solo. Can one bring inside the Gran Class bento box and drinks?

[@rishidawdazri]

Keep sharing sir

[@kevinwilson296]

First class beautiful

[@elteescat]

So many free drinks included in the price! Too bad there wasn't any curry! 😂

[@ozbolli]

What a mammoth machine.

[@vickyschnorbus4166]

I can't believe you drank all of those different beverages. I hope you weren't sick later.

[@staceytroffer8287]

Oh thank god we got an EKIBEN!! I was worried of starvation. Phew.

[@Deepak1233-c3t]

This train come in india in red colour

[@runspenstinski]

finally,,, your drinking something good,, wine.

[@coach.jaytee]

Wow it looks like a train from final fantasy 😗

[@nippon-kanko]

Woww. Is this a special class ??

[@jeremy1350]

ハクさん、こんにちは！！ 今日もスタイリッシュに旅行されていますね。最高の航空会社にふさわしいファーストクラスの座席。それは日本航空ですよね？ 赤ワイン・白ワイン・日本酒・ビール!!アルコールをカットするために水とリンゴジュースを加えてください、ははは すべて順調であることを願っています。

[@01Yiyi]

Solo-san! You also like watching Formula races?? If so, would you want to watch a race in the future?

[@cwolff]

@18:33 "they are going to be coupled. I'm single" bwhwhahahaha

[@망히-z9z]

Japan is so service perfet minded

[@Hope-wu7fr]

Just out of curiosity would it be cheaper and faster to just book a flight ticket?

[@debbiecurtis4021]

You drank white wine, red wine, sake and beer, are you not YOPORI?

[@bubbledoubletrouble]

It’s 45 minutes between Shin-Hakodate and Okutsugaru-Imabetsu stations. As Solo isn’t a teetotaler, 2-2.5 glasses of wine (each of those bottles look to be 175 mL) with food over that period of time ought to be enough to get him buzzed, but not drunk. From Okutusugaru-Imabetsu to Morioka Station is another 80 minutes. We can still see the sake bottle when Solo returns from the restroom when the train is in the tunnels past Shin-Aomori, which would place him at least 25 minutes after Okutusugaru-Imabetsu. So, we can assume that Solo hasn’t finished it yet (in fact it’s unclear whether he ever does, or the white wine for that matter, but let’s operate under the assumption that he does). Katsuyama “Ken” has an ABV of 16%, so a little stronger than wine, and that is their 180 mL bottle. Between the apple juice, water, and snacks Solo should probably be feeling the equivalent of two heavy shots on an empty stomach as the train makes its way to Morioka Station. After leaving Morioka Station, Solo proceeds to down an ice cream, then a beef bento with his beer. The can of Suntory The Premium Malts has a 6% ABV, the lowest alcohol content drink both in terms of percentage and total ethanol content. I suspect that Solo was most intoxicated around Hachinohe Station. If we consider the US’s BAC driving limit of 0.08 as being drunk (incidentally, Japan’s legal limit is 0.03), then he was most certainly drunk at that point, but not blotto. However, by the time Solo stepped off the train in Tokyo 3 hours later (over 2 hours after finishing his beer) he was only tipsy.

[@Herewego2288]

@@bubbledoubletroublelegendary breakdown 🫡🏆😂

[@OxygenC2]

​@@Herewego2288so is solo's liver 😂

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

​@@bubbledoubletrouble Good analysis. Solo should drink more of the free premium drinks available on all these top tier tickets he gets. Most of the time he seems to drink fruit juice or green tea. He should sample more of the free champagne, whiskey, sake, and wine which is available, and report on the quality of the free stuff!

[@SeaOfLuv]

He’s not driving.

[@bionicbikebuilder]

Are the food and drinks included in the price?

[@bokhans]

I would love to do that trip if it wasn’t for the long tunnel under the sea! 😬

[@paulthiel5145]

Not so different to the channel tunnel between the UK and France 🤷‍♂️

[@bokhans]

@@paulthiel5145and I avoid that one too, thanks very much! I prefer flying and have been flying to the UK since 1971 it was 737-200 then , been to the UK by car several times but always by ferry and once by hovercraft never the tunnel. 😂

[@paulthiel5145]

@@bokhans millions of people use the tunnel on a yearly basis and most come out on the other side relatively unscathed. I think you would be fine 😂

[@LostCanuck192]

".... they are coupled. I'm Single." 😂😂😂

[@samgraphie1273]

i laughed when you said train copled and im single hahahaha

[@bokhans]

I took the plane due to the scary leaking underwater tunnel you need to pass through to get from the island of Hokkaido to the mainland Japan . 😬

[@KyDarknight]

❤❤❤❤

[@renerivera9715]

Beautiful ❤

[@gbear8207]

Does this train go from Tokyo to Sapporo?