advantage of the Puratto Kodama Ticket (in Japanese) which offers a discount for Kodama services if you purchase at least one day in advance. You get a reserved seat and a free drink on board. With this ticket a trip to Hamamatsu costs �6300 from Tokyo (2 hours), �3500 from Nagoya (50 minutes), �6300 from Kyoto (1 3/4 hours) and �6800 from Shin-Osaka (2 hours). Kodama trains run once an hour from Shin-Osaka and Kyoto; twice per hour from the other cities. A few early-morning Kodama trains cannot be used with this ticket.
Regular local train services on the Tokaido Line will get you from Tokyo to Hamamatsu in approximately 4-5 hours for �4310 with at least one change of trains required. From Osaka, it takes around the same amount of time for �4940 with several train changes required.
Train service from Nagoya take as little as 1 hour 40 minutes on the regular Tokaido Line (�1890), changing at Toyohashi, or as little as 30 minutes on the Shinkansen (�4810).
All of the above train services are free with a Japan Rail Pass.
The Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto trains make overnight stops in Hamamatsu on runs to Izumoshi and Takamatsu, respectively.
By car
Japan's Windy City
Hamamatsu gets little snow in winter, but it often feels much colder than it really is, thanks to what is known as the enshu-no-karakkaze, a very strong and dry wind which blows across Lake Hamana and into the city. If you come here in winter, hold onto your hat because the enshuu-karakkaze is one of the strongest urban winds in the world.
The Tomei Expressway, the main artery through the Chubu region, also bisects the city.
By bus
Hamamatsu serves as a major stop for bus travel throughout the country, thanks in large part to its location near the Tomei Expressway artery. Through buses may stop at the Hamamatsu Kita interchange of the expressway, a good distance from Hamamatsu station.
To/From
