Reply To: taking the train from Tokyo to Sapporro
Hello,
It is possible, but you may not want to do it! It is about 8hrs!
The first stretch is the new(ish) JR Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto shinkansen line that takes you to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station just outside of Hakodate. This trip is about 4 hours and you can get a good glimpse of Northern Honshu on your way.
The train is quite new and has accessible seating and accessible toilets as well as a food trolley.
You then need to switch trains to the Hokuto Limited Express train to get you the rest of the way to Sapporo – taking about 3.5 hours. (NOTE: Until March of 2020, the train was called “Super Hokuto Limited Express”, but the “Super” was removed.)
There should be enough time to leisurely change trains. For example, the 9:36 shinkansen from Tokyo arrives in Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto at 13:34 and the train to Supporo departs at 14:12, so you have about 30 minutes to get something to eat etc. (you should be waiting at the train about 5-10min before departure). However, if you miss it, or want to leave extra time, there are departures at 16:55 and 18:11 … the last one for the day is 20:13.
The Hokuto Limited Express has accessible seating and a larger accessible toilet in the 5th train car.
Though, you may want to spend a day in Hakodate as there is a lot to see and do there considering its size!
Hope this helps 🙂
