Mark Does Japan: The Trains and Trams

2 January 2026 Filed in: Travel

Following the lead of John Walton with #JohnDoesJapan I compiled a list of the different trains/trams/etc that I took on my trip and updated a thread on Bluesky #MarkDoesJapan with them. I could just point you at the thread but a more permanent solution is to document it here, plus I’ve fixed some errors. I’m still missing a number of Tokyo Metro lines and their equipment since I was more concerned with getting on the train than taking pictures of it, lines include at least Saikyo, Chiyoda, and Tozai.

  1. Limited Express Sōya (Series 261-0)

  2. Limited Express Lilac (Series 789)

  3. Sapporo Subway (Namboku line)

  4. JR Hokkaido 733-0 Series

  5. JR Hokkaido 721-0 Series

  6. Rapid Airport (JR Hokkaido 721-3000 Series)

  7. JR Hokkaido H100 series

  8. Limited Express Hokuto (Series 261-1000)

  9. Hakodate 8000 Series tram

  10. Hakodate 9600 Series tram

  11. JR Hokkaido 733-1000 Series

  12. Hakodate 2000 Series tram

  13. South Hokkaido Railway KiHa 40-1000 Series

  14. E5 series Shinkansen

  15. Limited Express Tsugaru (E751 series)

  16. Konan Railway Tôkyû class 7000

  17. 701-0 series

  18. W7 series Shinkansen

  19. Limited Express Shinano (383 Series)

  20. Alpico (Kamikochi Line)

  21. 211 Series

  22. Limited Express Azusa (E353 series)

  23. E127-100

  24. JR West KiHa 120

  25. Toyama Chihou Railway Type 10030

  26. Kurobe Gorge Railway (EDR class loco/1000 open car)

  27. Toyama Chihou Railway Type 17480

  28. Ainokaze Toyama 521-0 Series

  29. Limited Express Thunderbird (683 series)

  30. N700A Shinkansen

  31. Sanyo Electric Railway 5030 Series

  32. Hankyu Railway 1000 Series

  33. JR West 223 Series

  34. JR West 227-500 Series

  35. Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad 1080 Series

  36. JR Shikoku 1500 series

  37. Rapid Marine Liner (5000 series)

  38. Okayama 7000 Series Tram

  39. 500 Series Shinkansen

  40. Hiroshima T5100 Tram

  41. Hiroshima 3900 Tram

  42. JR West 227-0 (Red Wing)

  43. Nishikigawa Railway NT3000 series

  44. Tokotoko train

  45. JR West 115 Series

  46. Limited Express Relay-Kamome (787 series)

  47. Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen

  48. Nagasaki Type 5000 tram

  49. Nagasaki Type 1500 tram

  50. Nagasaki Type 1700 tram

  51. Nagasaki Type 300 tram

  52. JR Kyushu YC1 series

  53. Limited Express Hius Ten Bosch (783 series)

  54. Fukuoka subway

  55. N700-7000 Shinkansen

  56. Kagoshima Type 9500 tram

  57. 800 Series Shinkansen

  58. N700S Shinkansen

  59. Tokyo Metro 2000 series (Marunouchi Line)

  60. Tokyo Metro 17000 series (Yurakucho Line)

  61. E235 Series (Yamanote Line)

  62. E233-3000 Series

  63. Shonan monorail 5000 Series

  64. Enoshima Electric Railway Type 500

  65. Odakyu Electric Railway 3000 Series

  66. Toei Series 8500 (Sakura) Tram

Mark Does Japan: Further thoughts, statistics, etc.

7 December 2025 Filed in: Travel

To answer some of the “what was best” questions. Best hotel is tough since how do you fairly compare a luxury hotel against a businessman’s hotel? Therefore the answer is

  • Oirase Keiryu Hotel by Hoshino Resorts (luxury)
  • Y’s Hotel Asahikawa Ekimae (regular)
  • Toyoko Inn Hirosaki Ekimae (businessman)

Best location for autumnal leaves: Oirase Gorge

Best castle: Matsumoto Castle

Best museum: Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Best garden: Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu

Best Shinkansen: Gran Class Hokkaido Shinkansen (E5/H5)

Best Meal: The Saigawa Course at Atarayo Kanazawa, closely followed by the curry at Hype Cuisine & Drinks in Hirosaki but I had a number of fantastic meals in tiny restaurants.

Shinkansen count:

  • Hokkaido x 1 (I think it was JR East train on the Hokkaido track)
  • Tohoku x 1
  • Hokuriku x 3
  • Sanyo x 4 (Nozomi x 3, Kodama x 1)
  • Nishi-Kyushu x 1
  • Kyushu x 2 (Mizuho x 1, Tsubame x 1)
  • Tokaido/Sanyo x 1 (N700S based Nozumi)

Limited Express (LE) count:

  • Soya x 2
  • Lilac x 1
  • Kamui x 1
  • Tsugara x 1
  • Shinano x 1
  • Azusa x 1
  • Thunderbird x 1
  • Relay-Kamome x 1
  • Huis Ten Bosch x 1
Plus numerous local, rapid, subway, and tourist trains and some trams for a total of 62 different vehicle types.

The JR Pass (and the regional passes) don’t seem to offer any value over just buying the tickets. To makes the passes count you really need to be travelling on a Shinkansen every day of the pass and that’s nuts. Also you have to pay a supplement for a Nozumi train and the likely tourist departure/destination pairs make a Nozumi the natural choice, and the one that timetable apps/websites will chose for you. For the Shinkansen and LE trains I used the rail companies’ web sites to buy the tickets.

While the LE trains are half the speed of the Shinkansen they are still very nice trains and even the local trains can be comfortable if they aren’t packed to the rafters 🙂

Google maps worked quite well in creating a path through Tokyo (and other cities) although the connection times might have been a bit optimistic for someone hobbling and unfamiliar with the transfer stations. Like other cities the distance walked underground might have been better spent above ground or with a different choice of transfer station.

Awhile back I was asked how many photos I had taken so far, and the final count is 6,799 on the Nikon Z8, 3,573 on the iPhone and 159 more on the emergency Canon S100. The Nikon filled a 512GB card (although it already had some images on it) and I started using a 2TB card so I think it consumed about 520GB.