night train - tokyo to osaka and back

Hey guys and gals,

Planning a somewhat budget trip to Japan and we plan on booking accommodation both at Tokyo and Osaka. To save some extra money we've decided to take a night train from Tokyo to Osaka, and eventually back to Tokyo.

The plan is to take the sunset izumo/seta from Tokyo and arrive in Himeji in the morning, see the main attractions in Himeji and head back to Osaka at night. The reasons being because it contains seats, which will be free with a JR pass whereas the Ginga express has only couchettes.

So a few questions...
Is this a good idea?
Seeing as the train leaves at around 10am, what time would i expect to reach Himeji?
Is there room for luggage with seats?
And if there are any other cheap alternatives?

Any help will be highly appreciated, Jason

I am confused! how could a night train leave at 10 am? this is the morning! night trains start very late at night and the trip last for ever. You had be better off renting some very cheap hotel at 3500 yen a night and go from Tokyo to Himeji with a Shinkansen (you may have to change at Shin-Osaka)

PLEASE READ about the "seats" note they have to be reserved in advance as their number is limited
Limited Express Sunrise Seto: Tokyo - Takamatsu
Tokyo - Himeji - Okayama - Takamatsu
Approx. 10 hours. 1 train per day.
Equipped with private rooms and so called "Nobinobi" seats, which are basically carpeted compartments to lie down, but are categorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. The Sunrise Seto is coupled to the Sunrise Izumo between Tokyo and Okayama.

Is this a good idea?

If you can make reservations (it is a popular train, and the nobi nobi compartments especially so) and do not mind spending two consecutive nights on a carpet (I imagine it to be quite hard), it can be a good idea for low budget travelers. But note the early arrival time below.

Seeing as the train leaves at around 10am, what time would i expect to reach Himeji?

At 5:24am!

Is there room for luggage with seats?

It is a small carpeted space. I imagine there is some space for luggage besides your body. Here are some pictures:
http://homepage1.nifty.com/hodo/burutore/s_izumo/seat/sisse_...

And if there are any other cheap alternatives?

Night buses between Tokyo and Osaka/Kobe/Himeji can cost less than 5000 yen one way:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2366.html

I travelled on those sunrise trains so many time. I must admit that one might find it difficult to sleep with the noise etc. But I guess it is fine for just two nights. I spent 6 nights on night trains using the JR Pass for free on my last three trips. You will find it ok. I didn't have trouble doing the booking for most of the time except friday night from Osaka to tokyo. That was discussed here and so try to avoid travelling that direct on friday nights.
And it is true that the train arrive very early at Hemiji, therefore, i suggest you stop over at osaka first to have breakfast or whatever, and wait a couple hours there before ride another shinkensen to Hemiji. Trust me, I was there last year using the same night train and the morning I arrived there was nothing going on. The street was empty. Better wait a few hours in Osaka before heading there.

Oh sorry i meant 10PM...
anyway thanks for the nifty replies guys. Some really helpful information. For some reason buses never crossed my mind and will check them out.

I agree with person who suggested taking cheap accommodation and going on the shinkansen then you arrive refreshed after a decent night's sleep. I thoroughly recommend the JR sight below to get an accurate timetable of trains. It is fantastic -simply type in the starting pont and destination and it wil tell you a range of train methods along with times, costs and instructions. We found it invaluable in planning our 3 week itinery. Everything ran very smoothly.
http://www.japanrail.com/JR_hyperdia.html

Glenda

I have two days left on my 14-day JR pass and I have used it for three night trains, including the Sunrise Izumo, which was wonderful-- I slept like a rock, there was no noise from other passengers, it was comfortable and clean (the carpet was not too hard for me) and *best of all* it was NOT TOO HOT. Unlike any of the other trains I have used in Japan, the Sunrise Izumo actually has a (large) vent with fresh air so you can control the temperature of your little area. I wanted to try out the night bus option too, I have traveled that way in Argentina and I slept like a rock-- "deluxe" bus with three across, reclines like a bed. It sounds like JR Bus has similar units that you can use with your pass but my one attempt to use a bus was unsuccessful-- I think the bus reservation agents are somewhat unfamiliar with the JR pass, you definitely should print out the description of acceptable routes from the JR website before leaving in case you need to show it to the agent. By the way, you actually have some privacy on the nobi-nobi, it's not just a cattle car with carpeting. It's actually a very clever design. Ask for a top bunk-- a bit cooler than below and a way better view when the sun comes up!

One more thing... If you are thinking of getting off the Sunrise Izumo in the wee hours of the morning, maybe you should just ride it until a reasonable hour and then backtrack on the next train to Osaka! The scenery on the Izumo line is quite nice where it crosses the mountains, some of the best I've seen in Japan (and I have been zooming around from the far north of Hokkaido to the far southeast of Kyushu). You could probably get off at 8 AM or so and head back toward Osaka on an LEX (either directly or by connecting with the Shinkansen). (6-8 AM would leave you somewhere between the coasts, the train terminates at Izumo-ishi at 10 am).