Overnight train from Tokyo to Akita

Hello everybody! we are arriving next week to Narita Airport around 7.00pm. We want to go to Akita's Festival. So we are planning to buy Seishun 18 ticket to get there, we already know that the Seishun 18 does work for the "Moonlight Echigo" to Niigata. The question is how we continue our way to Akita during the night?
We saw the example 3 on the "Seinshun 18 Kippu" and apparently we can continue paying and extra fee after midnight in Takasaki, do we have to pay this fee just once or in every station until "day fare" runs?
Thank you very much! :)

It is a long, long, long way to travel from NRT to Akita City not taking any JR Shinkansen or Ltd. Express trains, which you cannot take with a Seishun (not "Seinshun") 18 Kippu. You may need more than 14 hours, taking many trains. There is no such railroad connection after 7 pm which can bring you to Akita Station by 3 pm on the following day.

If you get back to Tokyo, you had better choose a JR East Pass or a Japan Rail Pass, depending on your itinerary.
To be eligible for any of these passes, you should land on Japan with Temporary Visitor status of residence.
You can purchase a JR East Pass directly inside Japan, while you should purchase an Exchange Order for a Japan Rail Pass outside Japan.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_02.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

Is about 700 to 750 kilometers by JR from the stations in the two NRT terminals to Akita Station.
If "Akita's Festival" here refers to Akita Kanto Festival held in Akita City during August 3 - 6 and you fly into NRT by August 5, you can travel to Akita on the following day taking only two trains (Ltd. Express + Shinkansen) in 7 hours or less and may have a chance to see the festival.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3627.html
http://www.kantou.gr.jp/english/index.htm
You may hope to take one of highway buses instead, but they are available not directly from NRT but from Shinjuku in Tokyo.
(NRT is actually located outside Tokyo.)
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html?aFROM=2027_3011
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3626.html

How is your day-by-day itinerary?

So we are planning to buy Seishun 18 ticket to get there, we already know that the Seishun 18 does work for the "Moonlight Echigo" to Niigata. The question is how we continue our way to Akita during the night?

The Moonlight Echigo service has been suspended. You can still use the Seishun 18 Kippu but be prepared to spend about 14-15 hours on the train each way. The routes are also pretty complicated, and require between 7-12 transfers along the way. The trip can be made fully within one calendar day of the pass.

Frankly you'll be wasting a lot of sightseeing time on the trains, so I'd only recommend it for the railfans. If that's not you then consider taking an overnight bus instead. The Japan Bus Pass may be a good deal for you:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2369.html

Unfortunately, seats of Willer buses for Tokyo -- Akita seem to be already reserved until August 11.
http://travel.willer.co.jp/st/3/ja/pc/bus/route/calendar.php?oR=230100...
http://willerexpress.com/en/

Concerning the night from August 3, also seats of Odakyu City buses and Akita Chuo Kotsu buses for Tokyo -- Akita seem to be already reserved.

You had better find accommodation for the night from Day 1.

Hey guys! I was the one that started this thread.... thank you for all your answers... And yes, we'll arrive the 5th of August at 7pm. And we also meant the Akita Kanto Festival on the 6th and then on the 7th to the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri. So looks like we should buy the Japanese Rail Pass at the beginning we are going for 30 days. Can we take overnights train from NRT or Tokyo to Akita? I hope we can do both festivals!!
Thank you again guys!!!

Hyperdia does not give any overnight train option, you will have to spend the night in Tokyo or in Sendai (Sendai is better if you want to arrive in Akita early).

So looks like we should buy the Japanese Rail Pass at the beginning we are going for 30 days.

Take a look at the JR East Pass instead. It'll be cheaper:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_02.html

Can we take overnights train from NRT or Tokyo to Akita?

There aren't any. Instead you'll just need to take an early train, or do as Firas suggests and stay in Sendai (or further north) to get an earlier start.

Does not seem possible to reach somewhere north of Sendai (e.g., Morioka) by leaving Narita after 7pm, all the available Shinkansens (Hayabusa 37 and Yamabiko 159 and 223) terminate at Sendai.

Hello again! I'm excited because we found a night train! from Ueno to Akita... and is the Akebomo! :) for the 5th at night. Is compatible with the JR pass!!! Am I right?? Cheers guys!

Oh yeah, I forgot to set the correct date when searching on Hyperdia, the Akebono does not run every day... Because the Akebono has only sleeper cars, it is not entirely covered by the JR Pass. You are covered for the basic fare, but you need to pay the limited express charge (8,310 yen for the cheapest option).

It might not even be worth it, a night in Sendai will be cheaper (cheapest I can find on booking.com is 6,200), more confortable, and you will arrive in Akita only half an hour later (9:32 vs. 8:59).

It takes less than four hours from Tokyo to Akita by Shinkansen Komachi #1. Leaves Tokyo at 0632 and arrives at 1025am. It's 18,140 yen.

I repeat: You had better find accommodation for the night from Day 1.

If you dare stick to low possibility of taking an overnight train, you should secure an alternative measure, which in your case is reserving your hotel room.

In order to take Sleeper Ltd. Express Akebono (not "Akebomo") train, you will have to leave NRT
by 20:15 if you pay for a Keisei Skyliner ride (about 2700 yen per adult)
or by 19:50 if you choose JR-East trains.
With your flight or immigration procedure delayed, you can easily miss the connection.

I checked the vacancy in the Akebono train starting on August 5. JR Cyber Station answered only a small number of Type B berths were remaining for Ueno -- Akita. They may be soon reserved by the time you will reach JR Ticket Office in your NRT Terminal.
(You cannot make reservation from outside Japan via Internet in JR-East trains departing on Day 1.)

Is compatible with the JR pass!!!

No.
When Akebono trains were regular trains, there were sleeping spaces regarded as seats, but they seem to have got abolished.
When you have a ride on a sleeping berth, a JR East Pass or a Japan Rail Pass is not valid for the additional service charges, covering only the basic fare.

Sleeper Ltd. Express Akebono was demoted in March 2014 from regular trains to extra trains, because it became unpopular and its facilities became old.
I suppose you can find a hotel room with much better amenity at a much lower cost.
(Personally I have experienced an old-type berth in Sleeper Ltd. Express Izumo (which was abolished in 2006) and a new-type berth in Sunrise Seto.)

Unfortunately, there are many complications taking the Akebono as many have pointed out. First and foremost are reservations as it can be almost impossible to secure same day reservations for popular, seasonal night trains. The second big concern is actually making the train, as the latest connection out of Narita Airport leaves at 20:10. It's not impossible, but it will be a tight connection.

Is compatible with the JR pass!!!

In case you were confused by the conflicting answers, YES, the JR and JR East Passes are compatible on this train BUT they only cover the base fare which is roughly half of the 19000 yen fare.

Overall you're better off taking the first Shinkansen in the morning. It's faster, cheaper (even when you add in a hotel for Tokyo on day 1), and arrives just 90 mins later at 10:30. Very few things start at 9:30 anyway and the interesting things (like the kanto skills exhibition) go on through the afternoon.

Are you only doing Tohoku this trip? If so, then you should definitely check out the JR East Pass. It'll save you roughly 5000 yen each.

Thanks for all the help! So now we will spell our first night in Tokyo and in the early morning on the 6th take the train to Akita!

yllwsmrf can you give me the name of the webpage that you are looking for the bookings?