Hokkaido Shinkansen opened

Hokkaido is finally linked to Honshu by Shinkansen!  That means shaving time off getting from Tokyo to Hakodate by nearly an hour!

I am so looking forward to finally be able to get to Hakodate.  Previous options of getting there consisted of:

• a domestic flight from Tokyo to Hakodate
• Shinkansen from Toyko to Shin Aomori then transferring to Haokodate by limited express, or by ferry

Both options did not appeal to me enough.  I would prefer to be on a train than a domestic flight and would prefer not to have to break my journey up especially if I have bags with me.

There are only 10 cars for the Hokkaido Shinkansen - actually only 8 to me because I am unlikely to want to pay for either a Green Car or Gran Class seat for now, much shorter than the 16-car Tokaido Shinkansen.

Considering that it took me a year before I travelled on the Hokuriku Shinkansen after it opened, it might be 2017 before I'm on my first ride on the Hokkaido Shinkansen.