East Japan Railway's Extends  Tohoku Shinkansen "Bullet Train" Service

East Japan Railway Company's Tohoku Shinkansen, the bullet train that operates from Tokyo to Northern Honshu Island, extended its service earlier this week from Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, 289 miles northeast of Tokyo, to Hachinohe Station in Aomori Prefecture.

This new train named Hayate travels almost 60 miles farther, right to the Pacific Coast. The new Morioka-Hachinohe section, constructed at a cost of 474 billion yen (about $4 billion), means travelers no longer need to switch trains at Morioka for the final section of the 348-mile journey. It also means the total traveling time from Tokyo to Hachinohe has been slashed to under three hours, saving passengers 37 minutes of travel time.

Hachinohe is a port city that is ecologically famous for its 4.4- acre Kabushima Island. Kabushima, which is connected to the mainland by a sandbar, was designated a natural monument in 1992, because it is a breeding ground for Japan's endangered black-tailed seagulls. In early spring, more than 30,000 of these birds come here to lay their eggs.

Hachinohe is also not far from Lake Towada, where a new hot spring was discovered in May 2002. Area innkeepers are gearing up for a rush of tourists. Officials of Towadako town recorded 2.29 million tourists last year, down more than 20 percent from the 1995 peak. Town elders are now expecting a turnaround.

Foreigners traveling to Tokyo for business or pleasure will find the Hachinohe area easily accessible, especially if they purchase a Japan Rail Pass. The JR Pass, which must be purchased BEFORE arriving in Japan, allows unlimited travel on all JR trains throughout Japan* for 7, 14, or 21 days. A seven-day pass costs 28,000 yen (about $230). This is 2000 yen (about $18) less than one round trip fare from Tokyo to Hachinohe. Accommodations at the upscale Hachinohe Grand hotel start at 15,500 yen for two (about $130), and accommodations at a minshuku or bed and breakfast along Lake Towada start at 6,000 yen ($50) per person, including two meals.

*Except the Nozomi Super Express, which cuts the trip from Tokyo to Kyoto by 20 minutes.