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Tips on riding the local trains operating from Ichinoseki Station

Besides being a Tohoku Shinkansen stop, Ichinoseki Station is home to two local train lines. They have a few quirks that may catch you off-guard if you are not used to one man operated train lines and unmanned stations.
Here are some tips and guides to get you to and from your destination.
 

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How to ride the JR Ofunato Line
Ichinoseki Station 一ノ関駅 to Kesennuma Station 気仙沼駅

Ofunato Line

​Purchasing Tickets at manned stations (Ichinoseki Station and Kesennuma Station)

  • Standard purchase of tickets at ticketing machine with cash.

  • If you are making a round trip to an unmanned station within the same day(?), you can purchase your return ticket in advance.

*Note:

   ●　The use of Suica cards is not available on this line

  • Commuter passes like the JR Rail Passes are accepted, so please use as per usual (except for the Pokémon with YOU Train).

 

Purchasing your fare at an unmanned Station

  • All stations between Ichinoseki Station and Kesennuma Station are unmanned, including Geibikei Station.

  • If you are without a ticket or a commuter pass, when boarding a train from an unmanned station, take a boarding ticket seiriken found inside the train (at the entrance).

  • When getting off the train, show your boarding ticket to the driver and put the correct amount of money as well as the boarding ticket into the fare box.

  • To check your fare, utilize the fare table at the front of the first carriage.

*Please be sure to organize small change for your fare. If you have 1000yen notes, you can use the money exchange machine to make smaller change.

 

How do I get on the train?

  • The rear door of the first carriage is the entrance, and the front door (behind the driver) is the exit. Please note that the doors of the other carriages will not open.

  • If the door is not open, press the button found next to the door.

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How do I get off the train?

       Please be aware that the doors will not automatically open when you arrive at your stop.

  • The only way off this train through the front carriage. Show your ticket/JR Rail Pass or boarding ticket (and pay the fare in the fare box) to the driver when getting off. 

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Other things to note:

  • Depending on the weather, the train may not run. Announcements will be made in Japanese at each station, but if you are uncertain of the train’s status, try the call center listed below or check JR website/SNS.

  • The Pokemon with YOU Train, which runs along the Ofunato Line, is a fully reserved train. You cannot get on with a JR Rail Pass unless you have reserved and paid for seating.

How to ride the Tohoku Honsen (mainline)

Tohoku Main Line

Ichinoseki to Morioka (going North)


If you do not have a commuter pass, please buy a ticket from the ticketing machine.

Suica can only be used between Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi (major northern hubs such as Hanakami or Morioka are outside the same Suica domain)
 

Ichinoseki to Sendai (going South)

If you do not have a commuter pass, please buy a ticket from the ticketing machine.

Suica can be used at Ichinoseki Station and stations between Kogota to Sendai.
 

Purchasing fares from unmanned stations:
・Please pick up a seiriken boarding pass when you board the train. If you cannot find the boarding pass (I wasn’t able to locate one once), please ask staff on board to organize your fare.


Getting on, off the train
To get on and off the train, please press the ‘open(?)’ button found next to the doors.

If you need assistance

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  • JR East Call Center: 050-2016-1603 (10am-18:00)

English, Chinese and Korean assistance is available.

 

Lastly, regarding Ichinoseki Station itself, if you find yourself on the East Exit and want to walk through to the station to get out of the West exit, you will need to purchase a ticket (150yen).

 

*Information as of September 2024 and is subject to change. Please use as a reference.

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