Shinkansen Train Run at Tokyo Yamagata "Tsubasa" no 123
Shinkansen Train Run at Tokyo Yamagata "Tsubasa" no 123
Overview
In this energetic vlog, John Daub navigates Tokyo Station in a rush to catch the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa no. 123. Filmed in January 2022 during the Omicron variant surge, the video captures the unique atmosphere of train travel during the pandemic, including mask protocols and social distancing. John utilizes his JR East Pass to secure an assigned seat and takes viewers on a "train run" to the ekiben (station bento) shop before boarding.
The journey highlights the variety of bentos available at Tokyo Station, with John ultimately selecting a classic salmon ikura box. Along the way, he spots a lost pigeon inside the station, engages with his livestream chat, and shares excitement about upcoming content in Yonezawa, famous for its Wagyu beef and onsens. The video serves as both a travel log and a practical guide for navigating Japan's rail system with luggage and passes.
Highlights
- 00:03 John arrives at Tokyo Station Yaesu Central Entrance with extra luggage.
- 00:40 Explanation of the JR East Pass and seat reservation process.
- 01:39 Discovery of a pigeon inside the station concourse.
- 02:35 Tour of the Eki Benya shop and bento selection process.
- 03:42 Close look at unique bentos including self-heating boxes and wine meshi.
- 06:56 Rush to Platform 23 and confusion over train car splitting at Sendai.
- 10:56 Spotting the Tohoku Shinkansen on the adjacent track.
- 12:47 Livestream interaction and mask protocol reminder.
- 16:18 Discussion of Omicron symptoms and moving to unreserved seating.
- 17:44 Tease of upcoming Wagyu and onsen episodes in Yonezawa.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction at Tokyo Station Yaesu Entrance
- 00:40 JR East Pass and Ticketing
- 01:39 Ekiben Shop Hunt
- 02:35 Bento Selection
- 05:47 Purchase and Platform Rush
- 06:56 Boarding Tsubasa No. 123
- 10:56 Train Spotting on Platform
- 12:47 Onboard Livestream & Protocols
- 14:12 Eating Ekiben & Train Announcements
- 16:18 Omicron Context & Seating Change
- 17:44 Conclusion & Yonezawa Tease
Japan Travel Tips
- JR East Pass: Useful for unlimited travel on Tohoku Shinkansen lines for 5 days; requires seat reservations.
- Ticket Machines: Yellow machines accept credit cards and can issue tickets quickly (under 90 seconds).
- Ekiben Timing: Arrive early at Tokyo Station if you want specific bentos; popular shops get crowded.
- Train Splitting: Some Shinkansen trains split at Sendai (Yamabiko/Tsubasa); check your car number carefully.
- Mask Protocols: As of Jan 2022, masks were required on trains; speaking loudly was discouraged.
- Vending Machines: Available on platforms for drinks before boarding; cold coffee is common.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Shinkansen (新幹線): Japan's bullet train network. The Tohoku line heads north from Tokyo.
- Tsubasa (つばさ): Means "Wing." The specific Shinkansen service connecting Tokyo to Yamagata/Shinjo.
- Yamabiko (やまびこ): Means "Mountain Echo." Another Shinkansen service that often couples with Tsubasa.
- Ekiben (駅弁): Station bento boxes. A major part of Japanese train culture, often region-specific.
- Yuki (行き): Suffix meaning "bound for" (e.g., Shinjo-yuki means bound for Shinjo).
- Omicron: Reference to the COVID-19 variant prevalent at time of filming (Jan 2022).
Food & Drink Guide
- Salmon Ikura Ekiben: John's choice. Salmon and salmon roe over rice. A classic favorite. 03:42
- Unagi Ekiben: Eel bento. Noted as expensive ($25) or combined with chicken for lower cost. 03:42
- Yaki Niku Ekiben: Grilled beef on rice. 03:42
- Wine Meshi: A bento featuring wine-compatible dishes. 03:42
- Self-Heating Bento: Boxes where pulling a string heats the food. 02:35
- Yogurt Drink: Purchased from a platform vending machine. 11:42
People
- John Daub: Host and narrator. Rushing to catch the train while filming a livestream.
- Sean: Likely a staff member or helper assisting John with receipts/gear.
- Livestream Viewers: Aiken, Rikazan, Shikazan, Nicholas. John interacts with their comments during the train ride.
Key Takeaways
- Tokyo Station's ekiben shops offer incredible variety but can sell out of popular items.
- Shinkansen trains often couple/uncouple services (Yamabiko/Tsubasa) at major hubs like Sendai.
- Pandemic travel in Japan involved strict mask etiquette and reduced onboard services (no coffee service).
- The JR East Pass is a valuable tool for exploring Northern Japan from Tokyo.
Notable Quotes
- 00:03 "I got way more bags than I need because on this shoot, I don't know what to expect."
- 01:39 "Maybe he's gonna get on the Shinkansen." (Regarding a pigeon)
- 03:42 "Alright, just get something, John. Doesn't matter."
- 10:56 "Oh, this is the best ever." (Seeing the Tohoku Shinkansen)
- 12:47 "John loves stressing out."
Related Topics
- Tokyo Station Ekiben Guide
- JR East Pass Tutorial
- Yonezawa Wagyu Beef
- Japanese Onsen Culture
- Shinkansen Seat Reservation Guide
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo-station #shinkansen #yamagata #yonezawa #ekiben #jr-east-pass #train-travel #winter-travel #omicron #tsubasa #yamabiko #japan-travel
Full Transcript
00:03 John Daub: Alright, here we are in Tokyo. I'm about to get onto the Tsubasa (Wing), the Yamagata Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station. It takes about two hours to get to Yonezawa, where I'm headed for the next few days. Oh my gosh, I got way more bags than I need because on this shoot, I don't know what to expect. Gotta be prepared for anything. We got a mask up here. I actually have a better mask. This is the Yaesu Central Entrance. I usually come by taxi and it drops me off right there. It goes around there, so it's pretty easy to get on the Shinkansen.
00:40 John Daub: I think we have about 15 minutes, so we might have time to grab a bento. Welcome to Tokyo Station, everybody. I'm getting onto the Shinkansen with the JR East Pass. It's five days of unlimited travel on the Tohoku Shinkansen, not the Tokaido one that goes to Kyoto. And you need an assigned seat, so I had to get a seat reservation. I'm calling this a Shinkansen run because usually I'm booking, which means going pretty quickly. Now you can grab a ticket pretty fast over there using your credit card too. The yellow ones are for credit cards only. It moves pretty fast. I can usually get a ticket within 90 seconds or less if I'm on the run for real. I'm kind of on the run. Alright, we have 15 minutes.
01:39 John Daub: For those that have done these runs before, you know exactly where I'm going. I'm heading to that green one right there. You can tell the Shinkansen by the colors. Now it's early enough where I might be able to grab a bento. Hey! How'd I get in here? Get in here! I've never seen a pigeon inside this deep. Poor guy's lost, I'm sure. Maybe he's gonna get on the Shinkansen. On the left side, there is a bento shop. I have just enough time to grab one. Let's see what we got. I want to be on the platform in five minutes.
02:35 John Daub: Bags! This is the Ekiben (station bento) shop. You can see it's almost empty! Usually, you can't even see the floor. There's so many people wanting to get a bento. On the wall here, you can see they have all the different kinds that are available. The specials are on here. Alcohol in my hands here. That's one of my favorites. Oh, this is my favorite of all time. This is the Tokyo Station Eki Ben. They only make a certain amount of them. Looks like there's only 10 here. Those are the self-heating bentos, the ones where you pull the string and it starts to get hot.
03:42 John Daub: Gosh, there's a lot of them. What should I get? Oh, this is an unagi (eel) bento. That's $25. That's way out of my price range. This is a cheaper unagi bento, unagi and chicken. That looks good. This one's a yaki niku (grilled meat) bento. That looks good. Grilled beef on rice. And then this one's a wine meshi. This has wine in it. What? I like the outside of it. Looks pretty cool. Alright, just get something, John. Doesn't matter. The chicken one looks good. You know what? I'm gonna go with that. Gonna go with the age-old favorite. Salmon ikura (salmon roe).
05:47 John Daub: Thank you. Official receipts. All money must be accounted for. Thank you, Sean. I saw that coming in, Sean. I'm running out of hand space. This is the battle. All the way to the end. Like the gimbal's all crooked. You're all crooked. Look at the nose on it. I love it. My train's at 7-12. I don't have enough time to get a coffee. They stopped serving coffee on board, I believe. I can grab something when I get there.
06:56 John Daub: Make sure I have the right pass. Alright, there it is right there. Platform 23. Tsubasa. Okay, here we go. 1-2, 1-2, 1-2. Why are these escalators going down? Okay. This is Tsubasa 123. Car number 15, seat 3A. This is good cardio. 23. There it is! No, wait! Oh, wait. Okay, it's the same thing. Sometimes the trains split at Sendai. This is the Yamabiko (Mountain Echo) 2. Alright, find seat 15. It's like a riddle. Okay, this way. We're in the right direction.
08:37 John Daub: I guess this is where it departs. It shifts to the Yamagata Shinkansen. It'll take the passengers. Oh, my alcohol gum fell out. Okay. We can do this. Three cars to go. It's like nobody getting on this train while the cars are empty. 15. 3A, so get in from this car. Oh, I went the wrong direction.
10:56 John Daub: Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun. Dun dun. Tohoku Shinkansen! Drag racing! Do it! Double! It's a double! Oh, this is the best ever. Alright, we got about five minutes, so we're all good. All baggage is put away. That's pretty cool, isn't it? Check out that image here live from the Tokyo Station platform number 22. I love the Tohoku Shinkansen. I love that color.
11:42 John Daub: Let's get a drinky. Get rid of some coinage. Oh, that's got yogurt in it! It's yogurt flavored. Oh, there it goes! Go, go, go! Fast one! Oh, boy, that coffee would be good, but it's cold, and I never get cold coffee from a vending machine. Alright, I better get on the train. Oh, we can't see the nose of it, but I think you saw that, the connection. Alright, let's just jump on.
12:47 John Daub: Alright, I gotta get off this livestream by Ueno, and I'm not allowed to talk because of the coronavirus protocols. I don't want anybody to feel uncomfortable, so I'm not gonna be speaking much at all. Maybe some very light whispers. Hey, Aiken! John loves stressing out. Hey, Rikazan and Shikazan! Hey, Nicholas! Thanks for the drink, buddy!
14:12 John Daub: Alright, let's open up this bento. I gotta stop at Ueno. If you pass through the warehouse [driver's cabin?] from Yamabiko to Tsubasa, there is a driver's license [restricted area?], so you cannot pass. Please be careful. Thank you for your patience. Yamabiko 123, Sendai-yuki (bound for), Tsubasa 123, Yamagata, Shinjo-yuki (bound for). Next stop is Ueno.
16:18 John Daub: Omicron. I might wanna move now. Runny nose and hacking. This doesn't sound good. I have to move. There's an unreserved seating over there. When in doubt, book. Oh, there's Akihabara! Runny nose because it's cold and one of the symptoms of Omicron. The top symptom. My god. Alright.
17:44 John Daub: I'll see you guys in Yonezawa. Just think positive thoughts. Yeah, we got a lot of beef to eat. I'll be filming a Wagyu episode up there as well as an onsen, so it's gonna be pretty exciting. Thanks, everybody. We're in the tunnel. Ueno Station. Next stop. See you, everybody.