Tokyo to Osaka by local trains

I will be going to Tokyo on March 15-23. I will like to visit Osaka for only one day and understand that I can travel by the local train which takes 9-10 hrs. Is this an overnight train? It involves 4 transfers of trains but will I be able to take the train from Tokyo on Monday evening and be arrived at Osaka on Tuesday morning and take the local train back to Tokyo in the evening and arrived Tokyo by Wednesday morning?? Therefore I don't need hotel for 2 nights if I travel this way? Do you recommond this or you have other suggestions for me? I want to visit Osaka but don't want to pay high prices for the bullet train.

Can I also use the Seishun 18 Kippu? So how much will that be for a round trip using the Seishun 18 Kippu from Tokyo to Osaka and back to Tokyo?

Thank you and I really appreciate your help!

The regular trains are not night trains. The total travel time would be more like 14 hours because of the 3 or so hours around midnight that the trains don't run. Anyway it would be quite the marathon ride (I did 7 hours once on a local train and was mentally and physically exhausted afterwards).

Unfortunately, March 15th, the day you arrive, is the day they will be discontinuing the Ginga night train from Tokyo to Osaka.

There is hope though. Why not take a night bus instead? I find them way more comfortable and cheap too. This company is often recommended on this forum as it has online reservations in English and competitive prices (although I can't vouch for them as I've never used them):

http://www.123bus.net/

Actually the Moonlight nagara is categorized as a rapid train which is allowed with the 18 kippu. However you have to pay an additional seat reservation and it rquires a few transfers:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362_01.html

However its a popular train so I don't know if all the seats are already reserved/sold out.

Good catch John, for some reason I got it in my mind they were canceling all the night trains on that route.

Victoria,
Good luck getting a reservation and if you do end up taking the bus please let us know how it was. We definitely need some feedback on 123bus.

hi, i live near kyoto (an hour or so from osaka) and i took the slow train to tokyo over hte new year. from here it was a bit over 9 hours, depending on connections each way. there are faster ways of doing it, by catching a few express trains, however if, like i did, you want to go onthe seishu juhachi kippu, then you are restricted to the local or rapid trains. so its about 10 hours, a bit more to osaka. there is a good website - www.hyperdia.com, which if you fill in the details will give you a handful of ways to do it. however some of the routes are not very convenient. i left about 8am and arrived in shinjuku about 4ish in the afternoon. think i had 7 connections, but this was okay. four or so changes can be had by using the express trains. but then youcant use the juhachi kippu. that ticket is only valid at certain times of the year - ie holiday times, so check whether it is valid for when you want to go.
cant comment about hotels etc though. the ju hachi kippu, meant that both my wife and i were able to use the one juhachi kippu to get from kyoto to tokyo and back, with a day spare. wasnt so handy whilst there, but meant it was about 2500yen each per trip. we had the time and enjoyed seeing far more of japan than is visible on the shinkansen.

sorry, forgot to say, if you really want to travel overnight, the night bus might be the best way to go - like you say saves the hotel bill.

Thank you very much for all your suggestions.

For the 123Bus I understand that it's 3900 yen per ride which is 7800 yen for a round trip. However, for the Moonlight nagara night train, using the 18 kippu how much including all the reservation fees and the cost for the pass is it for a round trip?

I am thinking about the 123bus as it's cheap and no need to transfer. Does anyone ride this bus before to Osaka? I really want to know how was it.

Once again, thank u all for replying!