Sapporo by train
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Sapporo Shinkansen
The Tohoku Shinkansen, which currently runs from Tokyo to Hachinohe, is inching its way slowly towards Hakodate, with plans to eventually extend the line to Sapporo. Under the current schedule, bullet train service over the full Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo will not open until 2020 - but when it does, the Hokkaido Prefectural Government claims that a travel time as low as four hours between Tokyo and Sapporo will be possible.
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Getting to Sapporo by train is time consuming and expensive. Purchasing a JR pass is economical, if you're coming from Tokyo or anywhere in the south. Within Hokkaido, trains connect Sapporo to most major cities, including Hakodate, Otaru and Asahikawa.
JR Sapporo Station (札幌駅), North 2 West 1 (On the Namboku Line.), ☎ +81 011 222-6130. This is the main train station for Sapporo. (43.067838,141.350677)�
Trains run from Honshu to Hokkaido via the Seikan Tunnel. With a total length of 53.85 km (33.49 mi), the Seikan Tunnel is currently the world's longest railway tunnel - although in 2018 the Gotthard Base Tunnel, under construction in Switzerland, will surpass it by about 3 km. The Seikan Tunnel also claims the title of the world's longest undersea tunnel, with a 23.3 km (14.5 mi) section under the waters of the Tsugaru Strait.
Perhaps the most popular way to reach Sapporo by train is on the various overnight sleeper services. These are popular, so book in advance. Note that for sleeper trains, the Japan Rail Pass only covers the basic fare. Pass holders are responsible for paying for the room and other surcharges. For example, a B2 room for two people on the Hokutosei costs �12,600, with up to �8,000 in surcharges.
Cassiopeia (カシオペア). This is perhaps Japan's most prominent ? and most expensive ? overnight train, running a few times a week between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo. The one-way trip takes about 16.5 hours. The less expensive and more frequent Hokutosei (北斗星) also runs daily from Ueno. �
Twilight Express (トワイライトエクスプレス). This train makes a few runs a week from Osaka and Kyoto, is the longest overnight train service in Japan, making the journey to Sapporo in about 21 hours. �
Nihonkai (日本海). This nightly train runs from Osaka and Kyoto to Aomori, from which two connecting express trains bring you to Sapporo by the following afternoon. The total journey time is about 20.5 hours. �
A free overnight option from Tokyo to Sapporo for Japan Rail Pass holders is to take the shinkansen to Shin-Aomori and a regular "shuttle" train to Aomori, then take the Hamanasu (はまなす) express train to Sapporo. The one-way ride takes just over 11 hours, with arrival in Sapporo at around 6AM the next morning. The return trip to Tokyo takes 12 hours, owing to a longer layover in Aomori.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Sapporo
