Question about train travel on Showa Day

[Yama Imo]

We are planning our itinerary for an upcoming trip We will spend a few days in Kyushu , and are thinking about going to Hiroshima on Sat 4/28, spending the night there, and then moving on to Tokyo on Sunday 4/29. Realizing that 4/29 is Showa Day, is train travel that day likely to be difficult, as in really crowded. Would it be better not to travel that day? Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated.

 

[Mike Cash]

Hiroshima to Tokyo at the start of Golden Week? It'll be crowded no matter what form of transportation you take. You could hardly have picked a more congested time to visit.

 

[Yama Imo]

Thanks for the reply, Mike. That's kindof what I figured. Back when we planned the trip, I didn't realize that it was Golden Week. Now that we are getting closer to the time, I was trying to put together some of the last details. Maybe it would be better to go on to Tokyo on Saturday.

 

[Mike Cash]

Lots of workplaces have gone to a five day workweek, meaning there will be plenty of people available to congest things on Saturday. I'm afraid it won't make much difference. The only thing in your favor is that there will be fewer riders heading into Tokyo than out, but I would guess you'd have to be past the Osaka area before you notice a difference.

 

[Yama Imo]

Mike, thanks for the information. We've gone back to Plan A -- Arriving in Hiroshima early on Saturday, and leaving for Tokyo early on Sunday. We'll just deal with the chaos and crowds. Hell, who knows, it might add to the fun. The last few trips that we have taken to Japan have been during quieter times of the year, but back in the '70s, when I was stationed in Japan, my wife and I frequently traveled on busy holidays, and didn't mind it so much.

 

[Yama Imo]

Here is an update to the thread. We had a great trip, and travel on Showa Day wasn't a hassle at all. We went to Hiroshima Station early in the morning to get in line for a Hikari Shinkansen bound for Tokyo that originated in Hiroshima at about 6:30AM. We were able to get good seats in the rear of one of the non-reserved cars, so we were able to stow our bags behind the seat, and traveled comfortably all the way to Tokyo.

The train was pretty crowded by the time we got to Osaka, but we were in a good spot, and were in Tokyo before noon. After staying out late, drinking and eating, it was pretty rough getting to the station that early, but I think that getting an early start was the key to avoiding a lot of the crowd.

 

[Mike Cash]

Congratulations! Glad you were able to secure seats for the entire length of the trip.