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Congratulations! Tohoku Shinkansen opened to Hachinohe Station (Aomori Pre.) on December 1st, 2002.

Feature Program　TOHOKU LIMITED EXPRESS

Tohoku Shinkansen extended to Hachinohe Station on Dec. 1st, 2002, which means Shinkansen has started running in Aomori Pre. Then, Limited Express "Hatsukari" which had been one of the representatives of Tohoku Line has disappeared. Tohoku Line was once a limited express paradise. Here are the signs on their faces.

#1	#2	#3-1	#3-2	#4	#5	#6	#7	#8	#9
"Aizu"	"Hakutsuru"	"Hatsukari"	<	"Hibari"	"Michinoku"	"Tsubasa"	"Yamabato"	"Yamabiko"	"Yuzuru"

#1 Aizu

Between Ueno (Tokyo) and Aizu Wakamatsu (Fukushima Pre.). Appeared in 1965. Type 485 had been used as the passenger cars. One round a day. It had run as "Viva Aizu" and "Holiday Viva Aizu" between Koriyama (Fukushima Pre.) and Aizu Wakamatsu (partly Kitakata, Fukushima Pre.) since 1993, but changed the name as "Aizu" and "Holiday Aizu" by the revised schedule on December 1st, 2002.

#2 Hakutsuru

Between Ueno and Aomori. Appeared in 1964. Type 583 (Type 24 since 1993) had been used as the passenger cars. One round a day. It was a night train running only through Tohoku Line, and had an important mission connecting to and from Hokkaido. Even this former star express disappeared by the revised schedule in December, 2002.

#3 Hatsukari

Between Ueno and Aomori. Appeared in 1958. Type 583 (Photo #3-1 above), Type 485 (Photo #3-2), and Type 14 for seasonal trains, had been used as the passenger cars. Six rounds a day. It took eight and a half hours, which means it was the fastest train except Shinkansen in Japan with the average speed (including the time stopping at the stations) of 89.2 km/h.

First train for Seikan Tunnel	Renewed Type 485	"Super Hatsukari" with Type E751
Hakodate Sta. Mar. 13th, 1988	Morioka Sta. Aug. 2nd, 2002	Aomori Sta. Aug. 8th, 2001

It was shortened as between Morioka and Aomori when Tohoku Shinkansen opened in 1982, and was partly extended to Hakodate (Hokkaido Pre.) when Seikan Tunnel opened in 1988, which was the first train running through the tunnel from Hakodate. Renewed Type 485 had been used since 1996, and E751 partly as "Super Hatsukari" since 2000, however, it disappeared in December 2002, taken over by "Hakucho" and "Tsugaru".

#4 Hibari

The last run of "Hibari"

Between Higashi Omiya and Hasuda, Nov. 14, 1982

Between Ueno and Sendai (Miyagi Pre.). Appeared in 1961. Type 485 with 12 cars was used for all of 14 rounds a day. It departed every top of the hours from 7 until 19 o'clock (one more departure between 14:00 and 15:00), which was known as the most frequent express called "L-Express". Don't you think that a half or less express fee of Shinkansen and four and a quarter hours that is more than two times of Shinkansen between Ueno and Sendai could convince you to use "Hibari" if you went now? It disappeared in 1982 when Tohoku/Joetsu Shinkansen opened.

#5 Michinoku

Between Ueno and Aomori. Appeared in 1972. Type 583 had been used as the passenger cars. One round a day via Joban Line. It ran not only for transporting passengers, but also for forwarding the passenger cars for the above "Hakutsuru" and the below "Yuduru" which were night trains running between the same stations as "Michinoku". It disappeared in 1982 when Tohoku/Joetsu Shinkansen opened.

#6 Tsubasa

Between Ueno and Akita. Appeared in 1961. Type 485 had been used as the passenger cars. Three rounds a day. It survived, changing the terminal to Fukushima (and Sendai later) after Tohoku Shinkansen opened in 1982, and the name was given to Yamagata Shinkansen in 1992. It has run from/to Shinjo (Yamagata Pre.) since 1999.

#7 Yamabato

Between Ueno and Yamagata. Appeared in 1964. Type 485 had been used as the passenger cars. Three rounds a day. It supplemented the above "Tsubasa", running on the same line and stopping at more stations between Fukushima and Yamagata than "Tsubasa". Current Yamagata Shinkansen has similar schedule there are a few different types of expresses, stopping only at the terminal, every station, etc.

#8 Yamabiko

Between Ueno and Morioka (Iwate Pre.). Appeared in 1965. Type 485 had been used as the passenger cars. Four rounds a day. This train, which fortunately taken over the name to Tohoku Shinkansen running between the same stations in 1982 as you may know, had run as a supplement of the above "Hatsukari", however, had an imposing cars with a diner as all the above trains except "Aidu".

#9 Yuzuru

"Yuzuru"s waiting for departure

Aomori Sta., around 1980

Between Ueno and Aomori. Appeared in 1965. As you may be able to see from the used passenger cars of Type 583, 24-24, and 24-25, both of electric cars and no-motor cars had been used for this train, and Type 583 that is an electric car had been used for three of seven rounds a day. Type 583 had a stronger mission connecting from/to Hokkaido than other types as it took about an hour shorter time. Though the above "Hakutsuru" ran through Tohoku Line only, "Yuzuru" ran via Joban Line between Nippori (Tokyo) and Iwanuma Sta. (Miyagi Pre.). The number of its rounds had been gradually decreased since Tohoku Shinkansen opened in 1982, and finally all disappeared in 1993. The scene which "Yuzuru"s were waiting for their departure at Aomori Station was so great. I was so impressed as the name of "Yuzuru" meaning cranes flying in the evening sky matched the elegant body of Type 20 used before changed to Type 24.