most scenic train routes in japan

Hi, I'll be going to Japan this summer with a friend =) We're planning to buy the JR pass because we'll be traveling quite a lot. I really enjoy train rides (buses kill me), especially the ones that passes through the countryside.

Does anyone know of any great train routes in Japan where I can see the rice fields, mountains, rivers, ocean? Or any great experiences with train rides. We'll be traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, however we will be on the night train so I doubt we can see much. And though we would be riding the trains, I think we would be taking the shinkansen mostly to save time. Is the shinkansen a good way for scenic train viewing? I would like to include a train ride lasting about a few hours to see more of Japan.

ps./ can we eat our meals on board all the trains? (because where I'm from, eating is illegal on trains lol)

ps2/ can we open the train windows or are they sealed?

Thanks for your time ^^

The only part of your many questions I can answer is about eating: yes, you can. You can take it yourself from a 7/11 or from a shop on the railway station and you can even buy for example a bento box on the train from the hostess.

Some shinkansen routes are more scenic than others. For example, I do not find the Nagano shinkansen to be very scenic. It has its moments, but there are an awful lot of tunnels. I was sort of disappointed the first time I rode it.

My favorite shinkansen line is the Tohoku Shinkansen (which runs from Tokyo north up to Hachinohe). If you are in Tokyo for several days and want a relaxing excursion on the shinkansen, I recommend taking the Hayate up to Sendai or possibly even Morioka (or possibly Sendai, then a local train to Matsushima; with a JR pass this is a feasible one-day excursion from Tokyo). I like the scenery on this line very much. There are lots of rivers, rice fields, and as you get farther north, mountains in the distance. If your feet are sore from several days of pounding the pavement in Tokyo, this is a nice way to rest them. The Max Yamabiko (an alternate shinkensen on the Tohoku line) is also kind of fun. It has double-decker cars. Be sure to get a seat upstairs. It is slower than the Hayate, though.

Basically, the shinkansen lines are a mixed bag in terms of scenery but the trains go so fast that except where there are loads of tunnels I find them all reasonably interesting. And they are so comfortable!

With a JR pass, a train ride is also a reasonably good way to kill a few hours if you get stuck with a rainy day. The visibility is reduced although sometimes you get nice effects of clouds.

By the way, you can eat on the shinkansen and other express trains but it's not polite to eat on local trains or subways. There are several discussions on this topic. And you cannot open windows on high-speed trains but you can on some slow local trains.

Not only can you eat the food you bought outside on a shinkansen but you can get drinks etc. as a young lady come around regularly with a cart. I find the ride from Tokyo to Kyoto scenic enough though the rides from Matsumoto to Nagoya and Matsue to Okayama are more scenic. I am not sure why you want to travel to Kyoto at night as the ride is soo long and you can't sleep as there are so many changes ( 3 or 4). better get a cheap hostel in Tokyo and travel in the morning by Shinkansen.

Well, if you can manage the JR train from Nagoya to Takayama is really great, easily the best train ride in Japan I have been in.
The train travels fairly slow and has huge windows and very comfortable seats.

Lots of mountains with large streams running though them.