Sipping some delicious mikan juice — mikan is satsuma in one of those “wait, the English word for that actually a DIFFERENT Japanese word?” situations — at 285km/h is one of those #JohnDoesJapan experiences that I hope never gets old.

They all hit the same top speeds — it’s just that the Kodama slows down for the most stations, and the Hikari slows for more than the Nozomi.

“Fast” in Shinkansen terms is about stopping pattern and journey time, not top speed.

#JohnDoesJapan

The “slow train” on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the Kodama — which is hard to explain.

It’s the same actual train as the “semi-fast” Hikari (the fastest you can take with the Japan Rail Pass, and which makes fewer stops) and the “fastest” Nozomi (which makes the fewest stops).

#JohnDoesJapan

trains are so great, i can barely even

#JohnDoesJapan

One of the extra joys of staying at what I call a “Kodama Station” on the Tokaido Shinkansen — where the fastest Nozomi services don’t stop, but the all-stations Kodama ones do — is that every 90-120 seconds you get this while you wait for the “slow train”. #JohnDoesJapan

The Tenhama platform at Kakegawa (about 1.5h west of Tokyo) is right next to the old Tokaido Main Line (now mostly freight and commuter rail) AND the Tokaido Shinkansen, where most trains whiz through at speed while you wait for your little diesel rural railcar.

Peak #JohnDoesJapan vibes, no notes.

What do you MEAN your all-day tourist pass (¥1950, about $/€10) on the Tenhama Railway is a keyring you can hang on your little bag or whatever?

That is the CUTEST thing, even for me, an elderly Millennial who barely remembers who any of these people from Evangelion are.

#JohnDoesJapan

You know the Japanese railway is going to be extremely good* when its terminus station next to the JR station looks like this. #JohnDoesJapan

*i mean i have never found a japanese railway that was not at least good

the tier list is, starting at the bottom, something like:

B
A
S
OMG
HOMG
HOMFG

A #JohnDoesJapan rule is never pass by a local museum — and Kakegawa came through with this incredible exhibition of 97-year-old Kimura Setsu’s art.

It’s a modern take on the millennium-old chigiri-e torn paper collage style, and absolutely charming.

Kakegawa Castle is super interesting and a great day trip from anywhere between Tokyo and Osaka — reconstructed, but in wood, and a hybrid hill-flatland castle on the old Tokaido.

yes of course it also has adorable yuruchara mascots, this is #JohnDoesJapan

#JohnDoesJapan, day 2…

*documentary voice*

…from the heights of Kakegawa Castle, carefully reconstructed in the 1990s, the daimyo would survey his domain—

—now including the 1625 Nozomi service to Shin-Osaka.

I'm only 99% sure this isn't the most horribly wrong sort of too-soon gallows humour, because of the emoji you used, but:

I quite like making "what a way to go" jokes, and you've got to say that it would, at least, have been on-brand. Not so much #JohnDoesJapan as #JapanDoesJohn to end the series.

…and a DOCTOR YELLOW spotting? That’s, like, two full horsemen of the #JohnDoesJapan -pocalypse.

My Shinkansen ended up emergency stopping right on that famous bridge looking up at Mt Fuji.

I mean, if this is the way I go, this is the way I go. 🤣

#JohnDoesJapan

Well, the hellish shrieking from everyone’s phones on this Shinkansen sure got the adrenaline going… as did the emergency hard stop on the train a few seconds later. #JohnDoesJapan

Friends, when I tell you the suspicion with which I sipped at this bottle, only to discover that it was just sort of Yorkshire nana-strength tea…

…anyway, it’s really quite nice. Not quite THE PUNGENCY (real ones know) but not bad at all.

#JohnDoesJapan

Look, I tried the drinkable mayonnaise, I’m going to try the TEA LATTE with ESPRESSO. #JohnDoesJapan

Choo choo onegaishimasu. #JohnDoesJapan

(To the tune of Pink Pony Club)

I’m gonna book some tickets at the
Japan Rail Cafe

Collect my reservations at the
Japan Rail Cafe

Ask my rail fan questions at the
Japan Rail Cafe
Japan Rail Cafe

#JohnDoesJapan

Top #JohnDoesJapan tip for the Narita Express: absolutely no need to upgrade to the Green car, since it’s in the same 2-2 layout as the standard car (the one in the pictures here).