Akita Shinkansen
Akita Shinkansen E6, Tazawako station (JLM)
The beautiful red shinkansen of northern Japan
The Akita Shinkansen is a high-speed train that links Tokyo to the town of Akita, in the prefecture of the same name in northern Japan, where nature and beautiful landscapes dominate. It is fully accessible with the Japan Rail Pass.
The special Akita Shinkansen line
The Shinkansen line to Akita has been in service since 1997. A special standard-gauge track (1435mm) is dedicated to the Shinkansen, which runs parallel to local trains (metric gauge 1067mm), from Morioka to Akita through mountains and large agricultural plains.
Trains travel at high speed (up to 320km/h) between Tokyo and Morioka, where they are coupled to the Hayabusa (E5-series Shinkansen), before the E6-series Shinkansen sets off alone towards Akita at the reduced speed of 130km/h on a single-track line. Crossings are made only at stations.
On this section of the Akita Shinkansen line, trains stop at the following stations:
- Shizukuishi, 16km from Morioka, where only a few Shinkansen stop during the day.
- Tazawako, 40km from Morioka, a small town located near the large Lake Tazawa, nestled in an ancient crater and ideal for nature hikes.
- Kakunodate, 60km from Morioka, a beautiful town with a long cultural history, nicknamed the "little Kyoto of the North", famous for its large weeping cherry blossoms in April-May.
- Omagari, 75km from Morioka, is famous for its fireworks competition at the end of August, a sublime and much-attended spectacle. In winter, the area is covered by meters of snow. At this station, the Shinkansen heads back to Akita in the opposite direction for the last 52 km.
- Arrival atAkita station, terminus of the Akita Shinkansen line. The largest city in the prefecture, it has a population of 300,000, and the famous Akita Kantô matsuri lantern festival in early August draws large crowds.
The Shinkansen E6 "Komachi
The train you're about to travel on is the E6 series, in service since 2013. It comprises 7 cars, including one (car 11) in the top 'Green Class', for a total of 338 seats. All seats on this train must be booked in advance.
It's called a "mini-shinkansen" because of its reduced 7-car composition and the simple line winding through the countryside on which it travels.
" Komachi " is the name of this Shinkansen that runs on the line to Akita, but it was also originally the name of a famous poet who sang the praises of his beautiful native region.
You can't miss the "Komachi", with its bright red livery and elongated nose, designed by the great designer Ken Okuyama as a tribute to nature, which changes color in autumn during the koyo, and the image of the demon Namahage, a legendary figure from Akita.
Inside, the seats are comfortable, with adjustable backrest inclination, soft headrests and generous legroom. Electrical outlets are available at every seat.
The yellow fabric of the seats evokes the rice paddies at the end of summer, just before the harvest. You'll find ears of grain loaded with heavy grain depicted on the automatic doors at the entrance to each car.
The total journey between Tokyo and Akita takes just under 4 hours.
Akita Shinkansen E6 at Tokyo (JLM)
