Have You Heard of the ‘Shūyū Kippu’ (Touring Pass)? ~Memories of Great Train Journeys~

This time, I don’t want to tell a serious story; instead, I want to share my experiences regarding the “Shūyū Kippu,” which was sold by the JR Group until 2013 (Heisei 25). I hope this gives you an idea of how much I love trains.

Are you familiar with a train ticket called the “Shūyū Kippu”? Unfortunately, this was a special promotional ticket sold by the JR Group that ceased sales in 2013 (Heisei 25). There were various rules, but simply put, it required purchasing a set of “Yuki” (destination), “Zone,” and “Kaeri” (return). At the time, there were about ten such zones across Japan. Within these zones, you could ride all JR lines, including limited express trains. You could choose your desired route for both the outbound and return journeys and purchase it at a 20% discount. For example, traveling from Osaka to the Tokyo zone by Shinkansen, and returning via the Joetsu Line out towards the Japan Sea side, and finally back to Osaka through the Hokuriku Main Line—that’s what it was like. Of course, within the Tokyo zone, you could ride everything from limited express to rapid trains; even though it was called “Tokyo,” it covered areas ranging from Omiya in Saitama Prefecture (on the Tohoku Main Line) in the north, to Narita in Chiba Prefecture on the east, Takao on the Chūō Line in the west, and Ofuna on the Tokaido Line in the south. Back when the Shūyū Kippu was available, I used it often for wonderful train-filled trips. The biggest advantage was that you could ride everything! You could take limited express trains without hesitation and practically warp across the country. The “Hokkaido Zone,” which covered all of Hokkaido, cost 20,000 yen for five days, and the “Kyushu Zone,” covering Kyushu, cost 14,000 yen for the same five-day period. Of course, I plan to talk about my past journeys using both the “Hokkaido Zone” and “Kyushu Zone”—the routes I took and where I went—for this unlimited rail travel. For those who only take trains for daily commuting or school… you might give me a cold stare like, “Hmm, what’s so fun about it? Is sightseeing enough?” But I write this believing that at least one in hundred people will understand my passion! So, let’s start with the “Hokkaido Zone.” Since this was many years before the Shinkansen crossed the Tsugaru Strait, some of the trains might no longer exist, but I will do my best to explain what they were like.