Today was the last day of the trip, and we would spend most of it traveling back to Tokyo. I had a couple of options in mind. One was to take a break at Himeji and see Himeji Castle. The second was to take a break at Shin-Fuji to see Mt. Fuji. Getting to see Mt. Fuji trumped visiting Himeji Castle; however, based on travel blogs and websites, it seemed that getting a good view was subject to local weather conditions and the time of day. The last thing we wanted was to get there and not be able to see it.
The third option was to break the journey in Okayama and do a side trip to Takamatsu in Shikoku, effectively visiting all four main islands of the Japanese archipelago. We chose this one and used our Japan Rail Pass 🔗 for seat reservations on the trains to Tokyo. Looking back, we could have also left Kagoshima-Chūō the previous evening to stay in Hakata and visit Fukuoka before heading back to Tokyo.
We got up very early, checked out of the Toyoko Inn, and walked to Kagoshima-Chūō Station to catch the 6:00 AM Sakura 580 to Okayama. It was operated by the N700-8000 series trainset and ran on the Kyūshū Shinkansen line to Hakata and then on the San'yō Shinkansen line to Okayama. Again, the standard-class reserved car had a 2-2 seating configuration, so the seats were as spacious as Green Car seats and almost as comfortable. There was free Wi-Fi on the train, but it was sketchy. We covered a distance of 730.9 km in 3 hours and 33 minutes, with an average speed of 205.89 km/h.
We reached Okayama a little before 9:30 AM and switched to the Seto-Ōhashi Line to take the Marine-Liner 19 for Takamatsu at 9:54 AM. Our journey took us across the Seto Inland Sea on the Great Seto Bridge, the world’s longest two-tiered bridge system. Crossing the bridge took about 20 minutes, with highway traffic on the upper deck and railway tracks on the lower deck.
We saw the Dakitemmai at Takamatsu Station, a work of art symbolizing people hugging each other. Outside in Takamatsu Station Square, we saw the Flower Clock and the Kaisui Pond, which contains seawater and is connected to the sea. The Takamatsu Symbol Tower, the tallest building in Shikoku, dominated the skyline next to the Maritime Plaza shopping mall. We also saw the uniquely shaped JR Hotel Clement.
Another reason for the detour to Shikoku was to try the famous udon noodles. We asked at the Kagawa Takamatsu Tourist Information Center, and the staff recommended Goyashiki Udon Restaurant in Maritime Plaza. It was great to have a relaxed sit-down lunch after a week of quick meals. To round it off, we picked up green tea ice cream from the 7-Eleven in Maritime Plaza, which was—for lack of a better word—unique.
After lunch, we took the Marine-Liner 34 at 1:10 PM, reaching Okayama just after 2:00 PM. We then connected to the Hikari 474 at 2:23 PM bound for Tokyo. It was operated by an N700 series trainset and ran on the San’yō Shinkansen line to Shin-Osaka and then the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line to Tokyo. We saw Himeji Castle as we zipped past. We hoped to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji near Shin-Fuji, but it was already dark, so we couldn’t see a thing. We reached Tokyo around 6:40 PM, covering 732.9 km in 4 hours and 16 minutes at an average speed of 171.77 km/h.
We met a friend at Tokyo Station, and she suggested Yakitori Ichidori for dinner. We ordered grilled chicken skewers, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, spring onion, and shishito peppers, with some sake to go with it.
Afterward, she took us to Taiyaki Tetsuji for taiyaki—a Japanese fish-shaped cake with sweetened red bean paste. It was wonderful to catch up and share our week-long adventure.
It was past the time for the last scheduled Narita Express and soon it was time for us to leave. We bid my friend goodbye and took the JR Sobu Line Rapid Service to Chiba where the same train continued as the JR Sobu/Narita Line Rapid Service to Narita Airport. The train was almost empty and it looked like we were the only people headed to the airport this late. It was our last night in Japan and we were going to try something we hadn’t done on this trip so far, staying in a capsule hotel.
We booked Nine Hours Narita Airport. We had always wanted to try a capsule hotel, and staying at the airport allowed for a more relaxed morning. We were able to check-in individually at the front desk. The facility had separate sections for men and women. After checking in, I went to the locker room—which was large enough for full-sized suitcases—and changed into the provided loungewear.
The common washrooms and showers were extremely clean.
The main sleeping hall was separated by light-blocking curtains, with capsules stacked in two levels. My capsule on the upper level was larger than anticipated; I could sit up comfortably. A pull-down screen blocked out light and sound. It didn’t feel cramped at all, and the bedding was quite comfortable. I can imagine how convenient this must be for solo travelers, who just want a safe and warm place to sleep for the night. Definitely worth trying just for the experience of it, if not for anything else.
🍽️ Goyashiki Udon Restaurant
🍽️ Yakitori Ichidori
🛏️ Nine Hours Narita Airport