Akita prefecture and its capital, Akita City, is located in the Tohoku Region in the north of Japan’s largest island, Honshu. Akita translates to ‘autumn rice paddy’ in Japanese, and accordingly the prefecture is well-known for its extensive rice farming. It is also famous for its sake breweries and for supposedly being the origin of the Akita dog breed.
Shinkansen series guide: All Shinkansen train models
Japan’s high-speed Shinkansen services are the fastest and most convenient way to get around the country, and there have been a variety of types of bullet train series used on the lines since the first was inaugurated in 1964.
While some of the many types of bullet trains have been retired from use or upgraded to newer models as updated technology was developed, there are still a large number of different trains in operation on each Shinkansen line. This complete guide can help you identify the different types of Shinkansen models before you being your journey with your JR Pass.
Aomori city and prefecture travel guide
Aomori prefecture, located in the Tōhoku region of Japan, boasts a number of spectacular natural landscapes that shouldn’t be missed on a trip to the country. It’s also home to the northernmost prefectural capital city on the main Japanese island of Honshu, Aomori city.
10-year anniversary of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami
On March 11th, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami hit the shores of Tohoku northern Japan and caused huge amounts of damage across vast swathes of land, destroyed towns and villages, and triggered the Fukushima nuclear plant accident
In the following years, the Japanese government has commemorated the victims of the disaster with a memorial event on the anniversary of the disaster. This will be no different in 2021 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Fukushima tsunami, although the memorial will take place at a reduced scale to follow coronavirus restrictions in place in Japan.
Shinkansen Safety: Protocols and measures against Covid-19
As more than 400 high-speed trains run across Japan on a busy day, approximately 1 service every 3 minutes, it’s understandable that ensuring Shinkansen safety measures is a major priority for operators.
In addition to a number of safety protocols to guard against accidents and natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, Japan Rail has also implemented a number of measures to protect Shinkansen passengers from the spread of COVID-19 during the global pandemic.
New train line from Haneda Airport to Tokyo Station
JR East has announced that it will open a new train line that will directly connect Haneda Airport to Tokyo Station in the city center, cutting the total travel time down by half to just 18 minutes and making it easier for holders of a JR Pass to access the Japanese capital upon arrival.