can you do the bullet train on a day trip?

Any itineraries you can suggest?

Hi, you mean like from Tokyo, and you want to try the bullet train and see somewhere nice?

Sure can. I'd keep the travel to about an hour or two each way. From Tokyo Station that would include somewhere like Karuizawa which I really like, or Atami in another direction. Not that fussed on Atami itself but the local train from there goes some interesting places. Then Nikko looking north (bullet train to Utsunomiya then local train up to Nikko).

Also along the same line as Karuizawa there is Nagano (pretty enough) or Ueda (pretty down, but short ride by local train to Bessho Onsen which is very pretty).

I have done a day trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa, 2.5 hr ride each way. It wasn't bad at all - I enjoyed both Kanazawa and riding the bullet train.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2167.html

Sure you can. Within 2 hours you can take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai, take the Loople Bus with the stop at the station, then explore the various sites such as Aoba Castle and the Osaki Hachimagu Shrine before looping back to the station and have a plate of gyu taan before heading back to Tokyo.

http://loople-sendai.jp/en/about/

You can also go to Utsunomiya and tour the Oya Caves outside the city and then loop back by municipal bus and have gyoza in dozens of restaurants around the train station.

Japan I think is one place where trains are so convenient and fast you can do many day trips.

There are lots of day trips possible that can involve the shinkansen (as posted above). The point about some of them, however, is that the cost is based on distance so Sendai (I visit Matsushima as a day trip) is 23,000 yen round trip and if you are not on a rail pass, that makes it pretty expensive.

A cheap day trip is somewhere like Atami - my last visit there, because of my starting location it was a few hundred yen extra for the shinkansen versus the express (and half the time). Tokyo to Odawara for the Hakone area is also a cheap option and the trains still run 265kph on that short section.

My daytrips with shinkansen which are easily doable specially if you are alone i.e without wife and child :-) who want shopping etc etc.
2013
Tokyo-Utsunomiya-Tokyo + local train to Nikko. Easily doable including both the main shrines-temples and waterfall with a local bus ride.
2017
ShinOsaka-Himeji-Kobe. Daytrip included Himeji castle and onsen bathing in Arima Onsen
2018
Tokyo-Niigata-Tokyo. We wanted to go to Fukushima Aquamarine (JR Izumi station) but all tickets were sold out so we took the shinkansen to Niigata instead to visit aquarium there.
Tokyo-Nagano-Tokyo + monkey park.
2019
ShinOsaka-Himeji-ShinOsaka. Himeji castle, zoo and mount Shosha. Mountain part was pretty rushed.
ShinOsaka-Okayama-Kobe. Okayama garden and castle + bathing in Arima onsen.

Please notify that for JR West railpass users the Nozomi trains are also allowed although the voice in the train in several languages is kind of intimidating "If you have a JR Pass, leave the train immediatelly!". I was little bit nervous that maybe the conductor does not know that JR West passes are OK and JR Nationwide pass is not and i might have some trouble.

Regarding the JR East shinkansen usage - i strongly recommend to reserve tickets at least on the previous day to be 100% certain to get seats.

Of course, starting point should be early i.e the shinkansen train should depart no late than 9:00.
Also, keep in mind that going solo is easier compared to family, because when you count all the extra minutes for shopping, dining, slower tempo, extra photos, toilets etc, then at the end of the day those extra minutes transfer to extra hours.

I always wondered on my latest trips with family that how was it possible to see so much more while being single. Of course, i would never-ever want to have that being-single time back. Showing the same places to my daughter where i was a la 10 years back alone is also an enjoyment and the face when she saw the deers at Nara is priceless.

I've done a day trip to both Yamadera and Matsushima from Tokyo in the past.

- 06:32am SHINKANSEN KOMACHI 1 from Tokyo Station to Sendai. (arrival time 08:04am)

- 08:18am JR Senzan Line Rapid for YAMAGATA from Sendai to Yamadera (Arrival time 09:13am)

Look around the Yamadera temple complex. Estimated visit time of 90 minutes.

- 11:10am JR Senzan Line for SENDAI from Yamadera to Sendai (Arrival time 12:10pm) Transfer: 12:18pm JR Senseki-Tohoku Line Rapid for ISHINOMAKI from Sendai to Shiogama (Arrival time 12:37pm)

- Walk to the Shiogama Ferry terminal for the Basho Cruise which departs at 13:00 (Est. 50 minutes tour)
https://www.marubun-kisen.com/english/matsushima/basho.html
https://www.marubun-kisen.com/english/matsushima/timetable.html

- You'll arrive in Matsushima for 14:00pm and this will give you plenty of time to explore the area.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5100.html

I would say that between 3 - 4 hours is long enough in Matsushima Bay (along with dinner)

- 18:12pm JR Senseki Line Local for AOBADORI from Matsushimakaigan to Sendai (Arrival 18:50)

- 19:30pm SHINKANSEN KOMACHI 36 from Sendai to Tokyo (Arrival 21:04)


This is a very long day. However I've done this exact trip myself in the past (twice in fact) and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time on both occasions.

[Alternatively if you want to spend an extra hour in Yamadera. Then you could skip the Basho Cruise from Shiogama to Matsushima by taking the 12:07pm JR Senzan Line Rapid for SENDAI from Yamadera to Sendai. From where you'll transfer onto the 13:21pm JR Senseki Line Local for ISHINOMAKI from Sendai to Matushimakaigan. And you'll arrive in Matsushima for 14:01pm)