Train Train Hashittenai!

During my two years here, I have constantly been in search of the best way to get to Tokyo. And when I say "best" I mean the quickest. Not the cheapest, but the quickest. Yes, I know, Tokyo is only 3 hours away by normal train but that's three hours I could be doing something else. And I make this trip regularly, so I just want to get there now. I've tried the normal trains (which a friend, who joins me in this pursuit, and I have dubbed the "slow train"), I have taken the Ryomo Express train from TuttyB (not bad) and - without shame - I have even taken the Shinkansen. And while the last two were good (gotta love a good shink), they weren't entirely convenient. (Ok so I lied. The "best" way to Tokyo means "fastest and most convenient".) So yesterday, I thought I would try the Kusatsu Express which runs from Takasaki to Akabane. Needed to take the "slow train" from Maebashi to Takasaki, and then two more "slow trains" from Akabane to Mitaka, but I thought riding the express train would be worth it.

Being mid-Saturday morning, I didn't worry about getting a reserved seat. Big mistake. I ended up having to sit in a smoking car. Not nice. But I thought that because it was the express train, I'd be off it in an hour. And I should have been, had it not broken down. I have never been on a train that broke down, and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. Couldn't get out for fresh air or anything. The service lady was doing her best to keep us all happy, pushing her drinks and food trolley up and down the aisle but it just wasn't helping. 90 minutes we were stranded. And for those 90 minutes, the guy in front chain smoked. One after the other. Grossness at its finest.

90 minutes and a new engine later, we were back on course. I got to my lesson about 40 minutes late in the end, which wasn't so bad.

So, on the way home, I decided to treat myself to the Green Car on the Akagi express, all the way to Maebashi. And it was L-U-S-H. I think I have found the way to travel to Tokyo. Just shy of two hours from Maebashi to Shinjuku. Quick. Convenient. Perfect.