Jim Breen wrote:
> Declan Murphy wrote:
>>> Prophet of the Way wrote:
> 
>>>> Hokutosei (Tokyo Ueno-Sapporo) and Nihonkai (Osaka-Aomori) runs will be
>>>> reduced.
> 
>> I haven't been on the Hokutosei yet - time to get my arse into gear
>> before its gone.
> 
> My first trip to Hokkaidou (1989) was on the Hokutosei. At that stage there
> were three each night. We used our JR passes and paid the bed fees. Still
> cheaper than hotel rooms, and it meant we didn't waste daylight time
> travelling.

My one experience with the Hokutosei was many years ago during one of
those affairs that produced massive quantities of light and sound but
very little warmth.  The lady of the hour and I were headed for Furano
for four days of skiing and thought it would be cool to train up and
back and do the horizontal tango for hours at 80kph.  It was one of
those junkets without a happy ending (her daddy was some giin or kanryo
who sent his people to watch us -- and they got very much under foot
when the lady and I had a quiet but intense argument in a restaurant),
but that wasn't JR's fault.

The one overnight I have yet to try is the Cassiopeia. I have wanted to
rent that car at the back end of the train for a long time but have yet
to find the proper excuse, the time off, and the proper amount of money
at the same time.  I believe there is a similar train that goes up the
Sea of Japan side from Osaka or Kyoto to Sapporo.

> How much is the reduction? The only 時刻表 I have (from 2000)  indicates
> there were still 3/night at that time.

Their web site: http://www.jreast.co.jp/cassiopeia/hokutosei/

says: 毎日　1往復


-- 
CL