A Plan of Investigation on Abandoned Lines in Hokkaido - Am I Too Extreme?

[JohnFranklin523]

I would ask if this plan is too extreme and unachievable. Basically I will investigate on four abandoned lines in Hokkaido, Japan during a 5-day period.
I am from China, I should get a visa before visiting Japan. And this summer vacation I would be quite busy, not sure if I will have time. But once I have at least a week free, I will do that. Cherish the current lines of Hokkaido, because they have chance of abandonment every day.

A Super Extreme Plan of Investigation on Abandoned Lines in Hokkaido
5 days, 4 nights, 4 abandoned lines
John Franklin
15-19 July 2024 (Showa 99)
Default: unreserved seats


Day 1 Monday

Soya (to Wakkanai) JPY8030
0730 Sapporo ---- Otoineppu 1041
Otoineppu {Tempoku Line} Memorial Museum, not closing at Monday!
Sarobetsu 1 JPY5020
1525 Otoineppu ---- Wakkanai 1725
Wakkanai + Noshappu-Misaki Sightseeing

Night 1: Wakkanai Hotel Miyuki
Single JPY15000


Day 2 Tuesday

Bus JPY1420
0928 Wakkanai ---- Soya-Misaki 1021
Soya-Misaki Sightseeing
Bus JPY940
1420 Soya-Misaki ---- Onishibetsu 1504
Onishibetsu + {Tempoku Line} Middle Section exploration
Bus JPY1010
1749 Onishibetsu ---- Hamatombetsu 1848

Night 2: Hamatombetsu Onsen Wing
Japanese-Style Room JPY8850


Day 3 Wednesday

Highway Bus JPY3500
0648 Hamatombetsu ---- Nayoro 0905
Nayoro Sightseeing (Kitaguni Museum) + Lunch (Three Star Restaurant)
Bus JPY1530
1306 Nayoro ---- Horokanai 1453
{Shinmei Line} Memorial Museum
Bus (Rapid) JPY1130
1748 Horokanai ---- Fukagawa 1855
Kamui 33 JPY1380
1906 Fukagawa ---- Asahikawa 1925

Night 3: Asahikawa Kuretake Inn
Single + Breakfast JPY12000


Day 4 Thursday

Bus JPY1680
0800 Asahikawa ---- Rumoi 0959
Rumoi Sightseeing + {Rumoi Line} Remains
Bus JPY430
1344 Rumoi Jujigai ---- Mashike 1414
{Rumoi Line} Mashike Station Remains
Bus JPY430
1659 Mashike ---- Rumoi Jujigai 1756

Night 4: Rumoi Hotel North I
Single JPY6600


Day 5 Friday

Bus JPY1260
0930 Rumoi ---- Haboro 1051
{Haboro Line} Haboro Station Remains
Bus JPY1360
1403 Haboro ---- Teshio 1534
{Haboro Line} exploration
Bus JPY540
1637 Teshio ---- Horonobe 1714
Soya (To Sapporo) JPY9460
1839 Horonobe ---- Sapporo 2256

Hotel Expense 15000+8850+12000+6600 = 42450
Transport Expense 8030+5020+1420+940+1010+3500+1530+1130+1380+1680+430+430+1260+1360+540+9460 = 39120
Catering Expense (Approximate) 3000 * 5 = 15000

Total JPY 96570 (CNY 4488.57 - 2024/5/17 00:37 GMT+8)

As you can see, this is nothing near comfortable travelling. This is exploration, with half of journey on some vehicles. To lower the difficulty, I choose summer, because it would not be so cold. However, it is still energy-consuming, and I am not sure I can manage to do it. I can speak only a little Japanese, and the average English level of northern Hokkaido would not be so high. In summer, travellers flood in Hokkaido, making hotels expensive and with few vacancies. But I just want to do it so much.

Any advice?

[ebla71]

I would ask if this plan is too extreme and unachievable. Basically I will investigate on four abandoned lines in Hokkaido, Japan during a 5-day period.
I am from China, I should get a visa before visiting Japan. And this summer vacation I would be quite busy, not sure if I will have time. But once I have at least a week free, I will do that. Cherish the current lines of Hokkaido, because they have chance of abandonment every day.

As you can see, this is nothing near comfortable travelling. This is exploration, with half of journey on some vehicles. To lower the difficulty, I choose summer, because it would not be so cold. However, it is still energy-consuming, and I am not sure I can manage to do it. I can speak only a little Japanese, and the average English level of northern Hokkaido would not be so high. In summer, travellers flood in Hokkaido, making hotels expensive and with few vacancies. But I just want to do it so much.

Any advice?

I've been to Japan multiple times, but never so far north. In my experience, if you are familiar with a few simple rules of politeness, travel is no problem even when you have no knowledge of Japanese (and your counterparts none of English).

In shops and restaurants, you simply point on things you want to buy and then often people pull out a big pocket calculator to type in the price and show you. Restaurants usually have pictures of the dishes on the menue, although you should be open-minded, since it is not always what you think it looks like Maybe a few phrases like "Bus/Train to" and "Hotel room available" will useful but generally people are super-helpful and will try to manage to figure out what you want. Also, Japan is about the most safe country in the world to travel and the thing I would be most worried about is the weather, so make sure you don't get soaked or freeze (or, on the other extreme, get sunburn).

If you are generally interested in abandoned trainlines, here is a link to a (German-language) website of a guy called "Railwalker" who explores abandoned lines mostly in France and does extensive photodocumentation of them:

https://railwalker.de

Oh - and of course make sure the lines are really abandoned and completely free of any traffic, not that you are run over by a train working crew (assuming that you really want to walk on the rails, not just visit some stations).

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

[Pacific RailRoad]

From my experience, the language barrier can be a bit intimidating, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Many people in tourist spots are used to travelers, and a translation app can really save you. Plus, picking up a few simple Japanese phrases can go a long way. I found that locals appreciate the effort, and you might end up with some fantastic recommendations for hidden gems.

And hey, keep in mind that a packed itinerary can be overwhelming. I’ve had trips where I tried to do too much in too little time, and it ended up being more exhausting than enjoyable. Make sure to pace yourself and don’t hesitate to take a breather if you need one

[Redirect Left]

Impossible? No. Hard? Probably!

Make sure you have a grasp of at least basic Japanese words. From speaking with many (and people says games is all useless gubbins) they often do know some English but it's basic. So just be aware of that. A lot of Japanese can be pronounced how it is spelled if you camera translate words to your local alphabet. Even if not correct they will probably get it. It is possible there is bias there, as most of my communication has been through games, or otaku stuff. Maybe not repesentitive of Japan language skills in general.

From personal experience of overplanning. It can actually be stressful trying to keep to a specific schedule or itinerary. Give yourself plenty of slack in the timetable. Keeps stress down, and let's you take a moment to just 'be' , you know?

Also as long as you enjoy it, it ain't extreme. It's just having fiun in ways others may not understand. I have that a lot with my stuff.