Let's go on a trip, especially in the cold winter! [Kyun Pass Day Trip 2026]

This article is a report on a day trip I enjoyed using the "Kyun Pass" offered by JR East.

It has turned into a long article of over 7,000 characters.
The first half explains the "Kyun Pass."
If you want to see how the trip went, please jump to that section from the table of contents.

I would be happy if you could stay with me until the end.

JR East has done it again this year!

Travel on Weekdays! JR East Tabi-Kyun Early Bird Pass

For details, I would love for you to check the content on the official website, but here is a rough summary of the features of this campaign.

• Within the free area you can ride as much as you want for 1 day or 2 consecutive days! (For reserved seats, you can specify seats in advance up to 2 times for 1-day passes and 4 times for 2-day passes.)

• The target period is limited to weekdays from February 12 (Thu) to March 12 (Thu), 2026, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays!

• Purchase it on "Ekinet (Web)" from one month before the start date up to 14 days before, and with the ticket issued at a ticket machine, you get unlimited rides on all JR East lines in the free area, Aoimori Railway, Iwate Galaxy Railway, Sanriku Railway, Hokuetsu Express, and Echigo Tokimeki Railway (between Naoetsu and Arai) for local, rapid, and limited express trains (including Shinkansen).unlimited rides.

• 1-day pass: 10,000 yen, 2-day consecutive pass: 18,000 yen *Only available for adults (no child fares).

A point you must be careful about regarding the purchase conditions is that you can only purchase it between one month and 14 days before the start date.

For example, as of the publication date of this article (2026/2/21), you can purchase for the 4 days from 3/9 to 3/12
.

If you are interested, before you finish reading this article, go to the Ekinet site right now!

(*I am not affiliated with JR East.)

The free area is wide.
It makes me think, maybe I should stretch my legs and go to places I don't usually visit!

Even though it is limited to weekdays, isn't it a great deal?

Since it is a campaign held during the off-season in winter, it includes many areas where there is inevitably concern about the impact of snow.

Even taking that into account, depending on the plan, couldn't you enjoy a trip quite affordably??

So, in this article, we will deliver a report on the [Kyun Pass Day Trip 2026] taken by a
spicy food lover who is perfect at finding deals and managing time and loves Sichuan pepper, and a
sweet tooth who goes straight for what they like and loves Starbucks and chocolate, a hard-working dual-income couple living in the southern Tohoku region
.

Also, at the end of this article, I have included:
・Recommended points of the Kyun Pass felt through the trip
・Report articles on Kyun Pass day trips from the past two years
If you'd like, please come and check those out as well.

A spicy-food-loving husband and a sweet-toothed wife go on a trip to escape reality.

The specs of the couple going on this trip are like this.

👨Husband: An information-driven person who wants to move without waste.
・A spicy food lover. But, he's also totally fine with sweets.
・When going out, he always wants to be on the move.
・He loves fun things and new things. He's a trend-follower.
・He loves coupons and deal information. Finding deals and achieving them is his greatest pleasure.

👩Me (Wife): An emotion-driven person who is indifferent to information.
・A sweet tooth. Especially a chocolate lover.
・I want to enjoy things slowly without being rushed by time.
・"Food" is also a hobby. I want to share delicious things with my husband while enjoying them.
・The purpose of going out of the prefecture is: Sightseeing < Visiting Starbucks stores. Increasing the number of My Store Passports is my greatest pleasure.

When these two go on a trip, this is how we do it:

I pick up the "I want to go here!" spots.

↓

My husband does the meticulous scheduling.
(He prioritizes: How can we go more cheaply and smoothly?)

That is the usual routine in our house before a trip.

So, this year as well, we have planned a rather hard itinerary to fully enjoy the Kyun Pass benefits.

In this article, I will provide a report from the start of using the Kyun Pass ticket until after it has been used.

Note that the numbers represent the number of trips taken using the Kyun Pass ticket.

Without further ado, here we go.

A Kyun Pass day trip 2026 by a busy dual-income couple

In any case, first, we head to Tokyo.

1. Tohoku Shinkansen (Sendai to Tokyo) 《1st reserved seat》

When people think of the Kyun Pass, they often imagine people living in the Kanto region heading north, but our family is heading to Tokyo.

It doesn't start until we get to Tokyo.

We head to Tokyo first on the Hayabusa Shinkansen, where all seats are reserved.

By the way, this was the fastest train to Tokyo, starting from Sendai Station and only stopping at Omiya along the way, but the seats were almost completely full by the time it departed Sendai Station. There was even an announcement on board saying, "All seats are sold out for today."

This is my third year using this campaign.
This is my second time traveling south, but...

At first, I had the impression that the age group using the Kyun Pass was older, but this time, there were families with small children and groups of younger adults who seemed to be traveling with friends.

Even though it's early in the morning, you can see how enthusiastic everyone is.

After all, you want to make as much time as possible to have fun, don't you?

2. JR Tokaido Main Line (Tokyo to Shinagawa)

Shinagawa Station is a transit point for our next destination.

We had a little time, so we stopped by here as well.

Starbucks Coffee JR Central Shinagawa Station Store

I only bought my husband's favorite coarse sausage pie, thinking I would eat it on the next train.

The store was quite crowded, so I just took a picture of the entrance and left.

Since it's located at the top of the stairs, the view was nice, but it's not separated from the outside, so it's a bit cold this time of year.
It doesn't seem like a place where you can spend much time relaxing... I wonder if the air conditioning is on in the summer??

I took the photo during the morning commute (thank you for your hard work, commuters ☕).
I pushed through the crowd and boarded the next train.

My first time visiting Shizuoka Prefecture for my 'oshi-katsu' (fan activities).

This time, I decided to take this Kyun Pass trip specifically because I wanted to go to Shizuoka Prefecture (I wanted the Shizuoka Prefecture medal for my Starbucks My Store Passport).

3. Limited Express Odoriko (Shinagawa to Atami) <<Ticketless limited express ticket purchased separately via Ekinet>>

For this trip, I'm prioritizing time performance. So, I'm heading to Atami on the Limited Express Odoriko.

This was my first time riding the Limited Express Odoriko.
Coming from someone used to riding the Shinkansen and subways, my impression was that it shakes quite a bit.

It felt strange to look out the window at areas like Kawasaki and Yokohama, where I usually walk when I visit (it's the area where my husband's grandmother lives).

By the way, I am using the Kyun Pass as a basic fare ticket. However, please note that you need to purchase a reserved seat limited express ticket separately.

Ekinet offers early bird discounts, so I recommend checking it as soon as your travel plans are set.

By the way, our family completely forgot to book it on the day reservations opened...
We ended up buying a limited express ticket for the outbound trip with a lower discount rate. (Needless to say, my husband, who stakes his life on finding good deals, was devastated.)

...

Actually, right after leaving Shinagawa Station, the Odoriko train hit the emergency brakes and came to an emergency stop.

I thought that if it dragged on, I would have to reschedule the rest of my plans, but they got us moving again right away.

I am truly grateful for their prompt response.

...

After arriving in Atami, I had time until my return Odoriko limited express train for the only sightseeing stop of this trip.

4. JR Ito Line (Atami -> Kinomiya)

After arriving in Atami and taking photos in front of the station, I went to Kinomiya Shrine.

There was also a poster created to commemorate the release of the movie 'The Guardian of the Camphor Tree'.

The sacred camphor tree was incredibly impressive and full of divine life force.
They say that walking around it once adds a year to your life, and I certainly felt the energy there.

Even though it was winter, there was greenery, and the air was refreshing.

Atami Pudding, which must be a local specialty.

There were several flavors to choose from, but I thought I should start with the regular one, so I bought the standard pudding.
It was smooth, pleasantly sweet, and delicious.

Speaking of Atami Pudding, it has also been a hot topic recently because a new facility, Atami Pudding Factory, has opened.

By the way, for the first store near Atami Station, the waiting line was in a different place than in front of the store, and I waited for about 15 minutes.
If you are going to Kinomiya Shrine, I recommend going to the new store that opened at Kinomiya Station.

(We had planned to go and knew where the shop was, but after finishing our visit to the shrine, we mysteriously decided to walk to Atami Station, missed stopping by the shop, and ended up waiting in line at the first branch instead...)

My biggest destination:
Starbucks Coffee, Lusca Atami branch.

If I don't come here, there's no point in extending my trip all the way to Shizuoka Prefecture, right?

I also had lunch in Atami.

The restaurant was Irochaya.

It seems there is seating on the second floor as well, but during lunch, it felt like almost every table was occupied by customers.

I arrived about 15 minutes after opening, and perhaps my timing was good, as I was able to enter the restaurant immediately without waiting.

There is also a sister restaurant called Suisui nearby.

I had plans to eat more later, so I intended to keep it light...
Even though I thought that, I ended up with a hearty set meal. Haha.

Speaking of Atami, it's all about seafood and dried fish, right? That's why I visited.

The dried fish has a rich flavor, and the more you chew, the more umami you can taste.
Since I shared with my husband, we were able to have both the horse mackerel and the splendid alfonsino, and being able to eat both the dashi chazuke and the fried horse mackerel made my happiness increase even more.

True to the name Irochaya (Irori Tea House), the interior has a very Japanese atmosphere.
It's easy to see why it's a popular restaurant where customers are always coming in; the food was also very delicious.

Thank you for the meal!

In search of an urban Starbucks in Kanagawa.

Since I was able to visit the Starbucks in Shizuoka Prefecture that was my goal, I'm moving on in search of the next Starbucks.

5. Limited Express Odoriko (Atami → Yokohama) 《Ticketless limited express tickets are purchased separately via Ekinet》

Having thoroughly enjoyed the sightseeing, I'm now heading into the city.

6. JR Negishi Line (Yokohama -> Sakuragicho)

I made a point of getting off at Sakuragicho Station to visit a place I'd been wanting to go.

It's the Starbucks Coffee Yokohama City Hall Lacross Front store.

I go to Yokohama every year for the New Year holidays, but I've never been able to stop by here.

That's because they are completely closed during the New Year holidays.

With this year's Kyun Pass, I had decided well in advance that I would definitely come here.
I'm satisfied that I was able to get in without any issues.

7. JR Keihin-Tohoku Line (Sakuragicho -> Yokohama)

I'm just heading straight back for my next destination.

We're heading back to Tokyo for some couple's 'oshi-katsu' (supporting our favorite idols/characters).

8. JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (Yokohama -> Ikebukuro) Rapid

Up until now, my husband has mainly been tagging along with my hobbies.
On this trip, I will, of course, be accompanying him for his interests as well.

This was what I was aiming for here.

Kikanbo.

I heard the main store is in Kanda, but we came to Ikebukuro because this location has a shorter line (*according to my husband's research).
It's a spicy and numbing miso ramen shop.

It doesn't look that spicy in the photo... (Why is that?!).
It's a ramen with quite a strong kick.

I ordered the spice and numbness at the regular level, and while it's a bit spicy, this is the level where I can enjoy it the most.
(I've grown, as I'm often taken by my husband to eat spicy and numbing ramen.)

By the way, my husband, who loves the numbing sensation, ordered extra numbness. What a pro...

And, while we were at it, I had him stop by Starbucks, and then we headed to the next spot.

I was able to visit one store here.

Starbucks Coffee Ikebukuro Sunshine Street store.

From around here, I start to lose the ability to take photos of Starbucks... (I'm tired. lol)

9. JR Saikyo Line (Ikebukuro -> Shibuya)

Since we had some time, the strategy was to rack up Starbucks store visits in the neighborhood.

There are so many Starbucks in Tokyo that you can rack up numbers even around a single station. It's a big help~. (lol)

There were too many people, so I couldn't take photos to my satisfaction, but
I was able to visit 5 stores.

Starbucks Coffee Shibuya Modi store
Starbucks Coffee Shibuya Mark City store
Starbucks Coffee Olive LOUNGE Shibuya store
Starbucks Coffee SHIBUYA TSUTAYA 1F store
Starbucks Coffee SHIBUYA TSUTAYA 2F store

Speaking of Shibuya, the Scramble Crossing is a must (a bit of a country bumpkin thing to say, I know), so here it is.

The Starbucks Coffee SHIBUYA TSUTAYA 2F store was so crowded, it was absolutely insane.

But it was a store I had wanted to visit at least once, so I'm glad I went.

With my hands full of baked goods, a staple of my Starbucks store-hopping days, I head off to the next location.

10. JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (Shibuya -> Urawa)

Since I had some extra time, I moved further within the area.

I figured I might as well try to visit a few more Starbucks stores while I'm at it! (I'm greedy, haha.)

I went to these three stores.

Starbucks Coffee Urawa Tsutaya Books
Starbucks Coffee Urawa West Exit
Starbucks Coffee Urawa Parco

I was too tired from walking to take any photos...

To end the trip, I had a Japanese-style dining experience in Saitama.

11. JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line (Urawa -> Omiya)

Actually, there was a place I wanted to visit.

It wasn't necessarily limited to Omiya, but due to the itinerary, I had booked my return Shinkansen reserved seat from Omiya Station, so I stopped by the Omiya store.

Okage-an Omiya East Exit branch.

They haven't opened a location in my area yet. But it was a place I had always wanted to visit (Country bumpkin, part 2).

Due to past trauma, I still can't drink matcha, which limits my options, but looking at the menu got me excited.

That said, I had already eaten ramen in the evening, so I kept it modest.

The table was about to overflow with food.
The small container on the dango plate was something to add to the drink I ordered.

(There was no explanation when it was served, so I didn't know at first and drank it as is... but it was delicious when I added it, so I'm pretty sure that was right. lol)

It was fun being able to add various toppings to the freshly grilled dango.
It was chewy and piping hot, and delicious.

To think I could grill dango right at my seat!
This was the most impressive part of the trip. ←Wait, really?

12. Tohoku Shinkansen (Omiya → Sendai) 《2nd Reserved Seat》

The trip that started early in the morning has come to an end.
I'm heading home on the Hayabusa, a Shinkansen where all seats are reserved.

The Hayabusa doesn't stop between Omiya and Sendai, so it's overwhelmingly fast.

Just like on the way there, there was an announcement that the train was fully booked.

I must have been exhausted from all the fun, because I fell asleep on the train.

Highlights of this trip

We dashed through the 2026 Kyun Pass trip as well!
Well... this year was particularly intense.

On this trip, we were able to greedily enjoy each of our favorite things as a couple, and we both had a very fulfilling day!

A trip limited to 10,000 yen per day on JR East where we

• visited one metropolis and three prefectures and

• visited 12 Starbucks stores and

• ate what we wanted to eat andwent to places we wanted to visit and

Those wishes were fulfilled.

We were able to pack in so much greedily thanks to theKyun Pass campaign, and thanks to JR East for operating the trains almost exactly on schedule without any major accidents.

Now, finally, I would like to summarize the recommended points of the Kyun Pass once again.

Here is what's great about the Kyun Pass!

First of all, it goes without saying that

within the free area, there are no additional charges and you can ride as much as you want! is the key.

I've gotten used to Mobile Suica, so I sometimes fumble...
but since you can just pass the ticket through the ticket gate without extra charges, you can stop by wherever you think of.

For me, as someone who collects stamps for the Starbucks My Store Passport, this is truly a god-like, dream ticket.

...

Furthermore, it is a service provided at a10,000 yen for 1 day (18,000 yen for 2 consecutive days) exceptional price that is perhaps only possible because it's the off-season!

It's a price where you could probably break even just by taking the Shinkansen from Sendai to Tokyo at the regular fare.

Within the free area, no matter how many times you go back and forth, visit various prefectures, or reserve reserved seats, it doesn't cost extra (*there is a limit to the number of reserved seats)!

There is nothing more wonderful than this.

It was quite a long distance, but the only additional cost for this trip was the limited express ticket (reserved seat) for the Odoriko train.

The biggest trick to keeping costs down here was also choosing to board from Shinagawa Station instead of Tokyo Station.

Due to work commitments, I haven't been able to try two consecutive days yet, but I hope to do it someday.

This is a campaign exclusive to JR East and only available on weekdays, but if you have the time, why not enjoy a trip with a Kyun Pass ticket?

Thank you for reading this long article to the end.

Bonus

This is the third year I have written a report article on the Kyun Pass.

To JR East,
thank you so much for providing such a wonderful opportunity.

In the past, I have also taken trips that were affordable, luxurious, and sometimes busy (?).

If you are interested, please take a look.

▼Click here for the 2024 version▼

▼Click here for the 2025 version▼

I enjoyed touring Starbucks cafes with the Kyun Pass.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*