Tokyo to Sapporo by Rail

Introduction

Sapporo is one of the most important commercial and business hubs in Japan, and popular destinations for tourists. It is approximately 830 km (516 miles) north of Tokyo, and almost everyone travelling between Tokyo and Sapporo choose flights. According to a travel intelligence company OAG, the flight route between Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo New Chitose was the world's second busiest in 2024. Unlike 50 years ago, rail transport is no longer seen as a feasible option.

However, some people still travel by rail, including an insane railway enthusiast like me. I travelled to Sapporo and returned to Tokyo by rail using two routes in Hokkaido. This article is a sort of diary about two train trips. Note that some photos in this article were taken not during this trip but my previous trips.

To Sapporo via the "coastal route"

Train 1: Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto

E5 series Shinkansen

The journey started from Tokyo station. When Hokkaido Shinkansen opened in 2016, some bullet train services were extended to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. Today, the fastest service between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto takes 3 hours and 57 minutes. It might sound too slow for an 823 km (515 miles) journey, but this is because the trains have to slow down in Seikan Tunnel.

The train I took, Hayabusa 11, was so busy that some people could not make seat reservations and thus had to stand by the doors. About half of the passengers alighted from the train at Sendai, but the train remained busy until Morioka. There were quite a few passengers travelling to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, but most of them must have boarded at Sendai, Morioka or Shin-Aomori rather than Tokyo or Omiya.

End of the line

Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto is in the middle of nowhere, though a few buildings were built after the station opened. The city centre of Hakodate is more than 16 km (10 miles) away. According to Nippon TV, JR Hokkaido envisages extending the high-speed rail to Sapporo in around 2039, which is more than seven years behind the original schedule mainly due to geological difficulties.

Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto is the longest station name on Shinkansen networks in Japan (when written in alphabet, including hyphens). This awfully long name reflects an absurd controversy: JR Hokkaido built it as the closest station to Hakodate, but it is actually located in nearby Hokuto. Both Hakodate and Hokuto cities insisted that their name should be included, and they eventually made a compromise.

Train 2: Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo

The "coastal route"

The only railway towards the centre of the island is called Hakodate Main Line, which goes on to Onuma, Mori, Yakumo and Oshamambe. There are two routes from Oshamambe to Sapporo: the "coastal route" and the "mountain route". All regular intercity services have used the "coastal route" (via Muroran and Chitose) since 1986, as it is far faster despite being more than 30 km (about 20 miles) longer than the other route.

Technically, the "coastal route" from Oshamambe to Sapporo consists of three lines: Muroran Main Line between Oshamambe and Numanohata, Chitose Line between Numanohata and Shiroishi, and Hakodate Main Line (again) between Shiroishi and Sapporo. The lines between Higashi-Muroran and Sapporo are electrified, but the remaining sections still require diesel trains.

KiHa 261 series

Limited Express Hokuto connects Hakodate and Sapporo using diesel trains. The journey from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo takes approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Herring and herring roe (kazunoko)

Hokkaido had been well known for Pacific herring fishing, which was once the most important industry in the region. The catch of herring dropped in the mid 1950s due to overfishing and changes in migration patterns, so the herring available in Hokkaido today are mostly imported from other countries, such as the United States and Canada. However, Nikkei BP reported in 2019 that the number of herring is gradually increasing thanks to the conservation programme.

Mt Komagatake (2012)

The Pacific Ocean near Mori station

The sunset in Muroran

Limited Express Hokuto 13 ran by mountains and the Pacific Coast. The railway is not fully doble-tracked, and since other trains hit "small wild animals", my train had to wait for oncoming trains longer than scheduled. As a result, I arrived at Sapporo at 17:43, delayed by 13 minutes.

From Sapporo via the "mountain route"

The "mountain route"

The return journey consisted only of Hakodate Main Line via Otaru and Kutchan, which is commonly known as the "mountain route". Historically, this route was the most important railway connecting Hakodate (and by extension, Honshu) and Sapporo since 1905. However, due to tight curves and steep gradients, all regular long-haul trains have already shifted to the "coastal route", and thus the traditional route between Sapporo and Oshamambe or Hakodate is used only by a few people these days.

Since the "mountain route" is shorter than the "coastal route", Hokkaido Shinkansen is being constructed along the former one.

Train 1: Sapporo to Otaru

731 series

The Line between Sapporo and Otaru has been heavily used both by local residents and tourists. It is one of the busiest commuter railways in the region, and Otaru is highly popular among tourists. To deal with congestion, most services here are provided by commuter trains similar to those in Tokyo or Osaka.

The Sea of Japan near Otaru

The station board and the portrait of Yujiro Ishihara (actor)

As the train approaches Otaru, the Sea of Japan appears on the right side of the train. It is not always beautiful, as it easily gets grey with high waves in winter. Had I visited here in summer, it would have looked far better.

Train 2: Otaru to Kutchan

H100 series

The electrification ends here, and thus diesel trains are in use beyond Otaru. Trains run infrequently, roughly every 1-2 hours. However, most trains here are formed of two coaches, as some trains are crowded by foreign tourists.

Yoichi Distillery (2013)

Cape Shakotan (2013)

Most tourists alight from the train at Yoichi, a town approximately 16 km (10 miles) west of Otaru. Yoichi has many orchards and breweries, and most visitors here head towards the Yoichi Distillery where iconic buildings are still in use. An adjacent town Shakotan is known for magnificent scenery of the Sea of Japan, which is called the Shakotan Blue.

My train became almost empty after leaving Yoichi, and it ran slowly as it climbs mountains. The train suddenly stopped three times due to trespassers (deer), but fortunately none of them were hit by the train.

Train 3: Kutchan to Oshamambe

Kutchan station building, with new Shinkansen station behind

Kutchan is known for ski resorts along with nearby Niseko area, hosting many foreign tourists in winter. The station itself is small, but Hokkaido Shinkansen tracks and station are under construction. According to the Prefectural Government of Hokkaido, the new Shinkansen will connect Sapporo and Kutchan in around 25 minutes.

Niseko, the first National Railways station to have a katakana name

The Line between Kutchan and Oshamambe is the least used part, with just seven services a day (two of them terminate at Rankoshi). A train formed of only one coach (H100 series again) slowly ran with around 20 passengers. As the train goes on to Niseko and Rankoshi, I could see many mountains with ski courses. They were too early to enjoy skiing in mid-November, but some of them might be available today.

Train 4: Oshamambe to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto

Oshamambe station with cranes for Shinkansen construction

Just like in Kutchan, the Shinkansen was under construction in Oshamambe as well. The town of Oshamambe was once an important transport hub, but since long-distance trains have shifted to the "coastal route", and services have been modernised from steam trains to diesel multiple units, the town has declined. The main industries here today are dairy, forestry and fishing.

There is little to tell. I got on Limited Express Hokuto 12 and alighted at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. The journey took less than 80 minutes.

Train 5: Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Tokyo

Sadly, I failed to grab dinner, as a large group of tourists bought everything in a convenience store. What was worse, an onboard trolley service no longer deals in food, but just drinks, snacks and ice creams. I therefore asked for an ice cream, the essentials during a long trip on Shinkansen.

Trip itinerary

*SHH stands for Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto

Thu 13 Nov

• 11B (Hayabusa 11)
• Tokyo 9:36 ⇒ SHH 13:33
• 13D (Hokuto 13)
• SHH 13:50 ⇒ Sapporo 17:43 (+13)

Mon 17 Nov

• 3831M
• Sapporo 9:34 (+1) ⇒ Otaru 10:13 (+6)
• 1938D
• Otaru 10:57 ⇒ Kutchan 12:17 (+1)
• 2940D
• Kutchan 12:35 ⇒ Oshamambe 14:11
• 12D (Hokuto 12)
• Oshamambe 14:37 ⇒ SHH 15:54 (+2)
• 3034B (Hayabusa 34)
• SHH 16:20 ⇒ Tokyo 20:31 (-1)

Is it worth it?

The short answer is NO for ordinary travellers, as the rail travel between Tokyo and Sapporo is far longer and almost certainly more expensive than air travel. Furthermore, trains in Hokkaido are not as punctual as those in other parts of the country because trains are frequently disrupted by inclement weather (such as heavy snow) and wild animals (notably deer and bears). In fact, I felt it more like being in Britain than Japan during the trip.

Even so, both routes between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (or Oshamambe) and Sapporo are scenic, especially in summer. Fortunately, trains there are air-conditioned, so there is little risk of heatstroke inside trains.

The local governments and JR Hokkaido push for permanent closure of the railways and replacement with buses, as I reported in this blog. Since the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension has been deferred, the railway closure is also likely to be deferred, but its future remains bleak. I therefore highly recommend anyone interested in the rail journey plan to do so before it is too late.