How different is reserved and unreserved seats.This is how the unreserved seats look like:
http://hodo.travel.coocan.jp/s/burutore/hamanasu/img/ha...
This is how the reserved "Dream Seats" look like:
http://hodo.travel.coocan.jp/s/burutore/hamanasu/img/ha...
As you see, there is not a big difference.
Do I stand a chance of getting a seat in the UNreserved category(using the pass). My date of journey from sapporo to Aomri is 12th August night.
I think that on most nights, the train is not very crowded. However, August 12 is one of the busiest days of the year. All reserved seats and berths are already booked out as I write this. There is a considerably risk that the competition for unreserved seats will be quite big, and that some people might not be able to get a seat.
My question is in the context that we have our son with us who is just 1 year old.
Then, frankly, I would consider using the Japan Rail Pass instead of the Hokkaido-Higashinihon Pass for your travel and make seat reservations in advance.
Also, our overall objective is to travel from sapporro to utsunomiya on 12th night (in cheapest but decently fast way). We prefer to travel in the night.
Then, the Hokkaido-Higashinihon Pass is certainly not the way to go. Even if you were to take the Hamanasu, it would still take you about 13 hours and 7 transfers of trains to get from Aomori to Utsunomiya with the pass!! I strongly recommend to consider daytime trains with a Japan Rail Pass or a plane instead.
