Getting There & Around
The Michinoku Coastal Trail feels remote, but getting there is easier than you might expect. The Tohoku Shinkansen (Bullet Train) gets you most of the way from Tokyo, while trains, buses and the Sanriku Railway connect much of the coast.
For most international hikers, there are three particularly useful gateways: Hachinohe, Miyako and Sendai/Soma.
Hachinohe
Best for: Northern trailhead, Tanesashi Coast and northern Iwate
Tokyo → Hachinohe → Same
About 3 hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen.
Check Shinkansen tickets →Miyako
Best for: Jodogahama and central/northern Sanriku
Tokyo → Morioka → Miyako
Shinkansen to Morioka, then bus or train.
Check Tokyo → Morioka →Sendai / Soma
Best for: Southern trailhead, Miyagi and Fukushima
Tokyo → Sendai → Soma
Shinkansen to Sendai, then continue south by train.
Check Shinkansen tickets →*If you buy through an affiliate link on this page, I may earn a small commission to help keep this website going, at no extra cost to you.
Getting to the Northern Trailhead
The northern end of the MCT is at Kabushima Shrine in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, a short walk from Same Station（鮫駅）. “Same” (pronounced sam-eh) means shark in Japanese, and there is a rather striking statue of a shark outside the station, which makes for a good selfie.
From Tokyo
• Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Hachinohe Station, roughly 3 hours (Tokyo to Hachinohe costs approx 17,000 yen)
• Take the JR Hachinohe Line to Same Station, around 20 minutes (approx 240 yen).
• Walk from Same Station to Kabushima Shrine (a short walk)
If you're travelling on a tighter budget, overnight highway buses from Tokyo are another option, although considerably slower (see “BUDGET OPTIONS” box below).
Flying into Misawa Airport can also work, particularly if you're travelling domestically, but for most international visitors arriving through Tokyo, the Shinkansen is much simpler.
Hachinohe is also the easiest gateway to the Tanesashi Coast, one of the most accessible and beautiful sections of the entire MCT.
Same Station（鮫駅）, near the northern trailhead, complete with iconic Shark statue (“Same” means shark in Japanese).
Miyako: The Best Mid-Trail Gateway
If you're not walking the whole trail, Miyako is one of the best places to enter or leave the MCT. It gives you easy access to Jodogahama and some of the most dramatic parts of the Sanriku coast. Miyako is also a proper regional hub, with accommodation, supermarkets, restaurants and onward connections on the Sanriku Railway.
From Tokyo
• Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Morioka (approx 15,000 yen)
• From Morioka, continue to Miyako by the 106 bus or JR Yamada Line.
The fastest 106 bus services take around 1 hour 40 minutes. The JR Yamada Line is slower and considerably less frequent, so the bus will usually be the easiest choice. Once in Miyako, you can continue north or south on the Sanriku Railway, or walk around the very pleasant Jodogahama section.
If you have a few days rather than a few weeks, Miyako makes an excellent starting point. Jodogahama is nearby, and public transport makes it relatively easy to combine hiking with different sections of the Iwate coast.
Getting to the Southern Trailhead
The southern end of the MCT is at Matsukawaura Kankyo Koen in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture.
From Tokyo
• Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai.
• Continue south to Soma Station on the JR Joban Line.
• The park itself is either a short bus ride (15 minutes, 310 yen) or a 3.7km walk from Soma Station (in case you need a warmup before you begin!)
If you're arriving from elsewhere in Japan, Sendai Airport is also a useful gateway. The Sendai Airport Access Line runs directly to Sendai Station.
Highway & Overnight Buses
If you're watching your budget, long-haul buses from Tokyo can be considerably cheaper than the Shinkansen. Overnight services can also save you the cost of a night's accommodation.
They're much slower, of course, but worth checking if time is less important than cost.
*Hachinohe bookings link to 12Go; Morioka and Sendai use Klook.
Should You Buy a JR EAST PASS?
The JR EAST PASS covers JR East trains including the Tohoku Shinkansen, JR BRT services and the entire Sanriku Railway.
5 days: ¥35,000
10 days: ¥50,000
It can make good sense if you're travelling from Tokyo and using trains frequently to move between hiking sections.
If you're thruhiking for several weeks and mostly walking once you reach the trail, individual tickets may be better value.
Check JR EAST PASS →GETTING AROUND THE TRAIL
One of the advantages of the MCT is that public transport follows much of the coastline. That makes section hiking, skipping a section, changing plans or getting off the trail relatively easy in many areas. Services can still be infrequent, so always check current timetables before relying on an important connection.
JR Hachinohe Line
Sanriku Railway Rias Line
JR BRT
JR network
JR Joban Line
A Few Recommendations
Carry cash. The Sanriku Railway and some smaller services still require cash or paper tickets! Don't assume Suica or other national IC cards work.
Check the timetable the day before. Rural trains and buses may run only once every hour or two, so please plan ahead as much as possible! I would suggest using a tool like Jorudan (available in English) to figure out what works best for you.
Don't assume every village has a bus. Some of the remote peninsulas are surprisingly difficult to leave once you're committed.
Taxis are sometimes very handy! On some stretches, a short local taxi journey can save hours of complicated connections. Ask staff at accommodation to help you book ahead or use translation apps if needed!
Google Maps, Jorudan and Japan Travel by Navitime are useful for planning, but for an important rural connection I recommend checking the operator's current timetable as well.
Where Public Transport Gets Harder
Most of the northern railway corridor is relatively easy to work with. Some remote peninsula sections are not. Take particular care when planning the Omoe Peninsula south of Miyako, the longer peninsula sections of Iwate, and parts of Minamisanriku to Onagawa.These are places where buses may be infrequent, seasonal or reservation-only. If you need to leave the trail unexpectedly, a taxi may be much simpler.
What About Renting a Car?
What About Renting a Car?
For a thruhike, I wouldn't recommend it. You would constantly need to find your way back to the car.
For a shorter MCT trip, however, a rental car can be extremely useful. Some remote trailheads, peninsulas and viewpoints are much easier to reach with your own wheels.
Good bases include Hachinohe for the northern trail, Morioka for Iwate, and Sendai for the southern half.
Keep Planning
Ready to go further? Use these guides to build the rest of your trip.