Thanks for the report, ChrisLi.
Originally Posted by
ChrisLi
However, staff will be kind of clueless if the train is outside their primary area (e.g. booking a Konami Shikansen from Tokyo to Akita followed by some stupid resort car train @ Sapporo Reservation Office)
- The E2 shikansen is rather uncomfortable in their 5-across configuration. I will suggest to take E3 ones (Kodama) unless you going to Hachinohe / Aomori
I guess you mean
Komachi.
If there is anyone interested in how the Shinkansen is named Komachi, please read the following.
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Akita Shinkansen Komachi is named after Ono no Komachi (小野 小町, c. 825 – c. 900) , a famous Japanese
waka poet known as a ultra-beautiful lady.
Let me introduce one of her
waka. This is taught in Jr. high here and almost all the Japanese people know about it. I can recite it.
Hana no iro wa
Utsurinikeri na
Itazura ni
Wa ga mi yo ni furu
Nagame seshi ma ni
The flowers withered
Their color faded away
While meaninglessly
I spent my days in the world
And the long rains were falling
-Translation Donald Keene
Everyone gets old however beautiful one has been.
Wikipedia :
Ono no Komachi
Some more translations of her romantic waka by someone at Washburn U.