Ride the rails in style aboard Japan's 10 best tourist trains

Mar 08, 2020 | News On Japan

Mar 08, 2020 (Nikkei) - Since the debut of the luxury Seven Stars train on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu in 2013, sightseeing trains have drawn renewed interest among travelers. These resorts on rails offer everything from fine cuisine made with local produce to opportunities to meet people along the route.

New trains aimed at leisure travelers have appeared in Japan one after another in recent years. Here are a few of the trains that have rolled onto the tracks since 2015.

Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka (Niigata)

Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka made its maiden run in 2016. The train's vermilion exterior is a traditional Japanese color. Local accents include Echigo cedar and Tsubamesanjo metalwork in the carriages.

Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka offers spectacular views of the scenery, including the Sea of Japan, paddy fields and the unique Tsutsuishi Station, built in the middle of a tunnel, to name just a few.

Trains departing from Joetsu-Myoko Station serve French cuisine, with recipes from Ryuta Iizuka, a Michelin starred chef who hails from Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture.

Passengers departing from Itoigawa Station can savor Japanese cuisine from the storied Tsurugiya restaurant, which was destroyed in massive fire and rebuilt last year.

Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari (Kagawa, Tokushima)

This train meanders close to cultural landmarks such as Zentsuji Temple and Kotohiragu Shrine in Kagawa Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture's Iya Valley, home to the descendants of defeated Heike (Taira clan) warriors. Travelers can lose themselves in rustic landscapes, an undeveloped woodland and the beauty of the valley.

At Awa-Kawaguchi Station, locals welcome passengers to their hometown dressed as Yokai Tanuki, a mischievous, shape-shifting raccoon dog from Japanese folklore.

Aru Ressha (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki)

This train is modeled after a luxurious train built by a U.S. manufacturer during the Meiji period (1868-1912). The operator, Kyushu Railway, ordered the train but it never entered service because the company was later nationalized.

Yoshihiro Narisawa, a well-known chef has created a prix fixe course for passengers consisting of a boxed lunch and four kinds of sweets.

In March, the train begins travelling a new route between Hakata Station and Huis Ten Bosch theme park.

The Story of 13000 feet (Toyama)

This line runs in a loop from seaside to mountains and back. The train takes its name from the vertical distance from the bottom of Toyama Bay to the top of the Tateyama mountain range: 4,000 meters or 13,000 shaku -- a traditional Japanese unit of measure. Passengers can watch sushi chefs at work and sample locally brewed sake.

Okinawa Braces for Violent Winds as Typhoon No. 9 Approaches

Large and very strong Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) is moving west east of the Philippines and is likely to approach and pass near the Sakishima Islands from July 10 to July 11 while maintaining its intensity, raising the risk of violent winds, heavy rain and extremely high seas. As of 9 p.m. on July 7, the typhoon was east of the Philippines and moving west at 30 kilometers per hour.

Shizuoka Approves Start of Maglev Construction After Nine-Year Dispute

A nine-year dispute over the Linear Chuo Shinkansen effectively came to an end on July 7 as Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki told the prefectural assembly that he would allow Central Japan Railway to begin construction on the Shizuoka section of the project.

Japan Lowers Passport Fees to 7,000 yen

Japan lowered passport application fees from July 1, drawing large crowds to application counters such as the one in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, although applicants are being warned that issuance could take as long as about one month.

Tokyo to Set Accommodation Tax at 3% From Next April

Tokyo will introduce a 3% accommodation tax on hotel and other lodging stays from April 2027, formally replacing its current flat-rate system and extending the levy to private lodging services.

Heavy Rain Disrupts Rail Services in Northern Kyushu

Heavy rain continued across northern Kyushu, with some parts of Fukuoka Prefecture recording 120 millimeters of rainfall in the 24 hours through 3 p.m. on July 5.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Woman Arrested After Allegedly Sewing Housemate’s Lips Shut

A 49-year-old woman in Koga, Ibaraki Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of injuring a 42-year-old woman she lived with by sewing her upper and lower lips together multiple times with a threaded needle, police said.

Disgruntled Trainee Monk Accused of Setting Fire to Temple

A trainee monk has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to Entsuji, a temple in Imari, Saga Prefecture, after a June blaze destroyed its main hall and living quarters, with the suspect telling investigators he had become dissatisfied with the amount of training and the way he was being instructed.

Worker Found Floating During Runway Setup for Birdman Contest

A 59-year-old worker died after apparently falling about 11 meters into Lake Biwa while helping set up the runway for the Birdman Contest in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture.

Foreign Man Jumps Into River and Flees Near Osaka Detention House

A man believed to be a foreign national jumped into a river and swam away near the Osaka Detention House in Osaka’s Miyakojima Ward on the afternoon of July 6 while being pursued by Aichi Prefectural Police, and authorities are still searching for him.

Who Stole 11 Buddhist Statues From a Gifu Temple?

A temple in Yamagata, Gifu Prefecture, reported the theft of 11 Buddhist statues and other items on the morning of July 6, prompting police to investigate the case as a burglary.

Prince Group Boss Rearrested in Japan Over Immigration Violation

A senior figure believed to be one of the top executives of the Prince Group, described as one of Asia’s largest criminal organizations, has been rearrested in Tokyo on suspicion of violating Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act by unlawfully handing over his residence card to others, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Japan’s Youth Overdose Crisis Is Spreading Beyond Street Hangouts

The growing abuse of over-the-counter drugs among young people in Japan reflects not only easy access to medicines but also loneliness, social media influence and a shortage of places where troubled youths can be safely seen and heard, according to a discussion among an addiction specialist, a former overdose user and a recovery worker with experience of drug and alcohol dependence.

Indian Restaurant in Yokohama Destroyed by Fire

An Indian restaurant in a shopping street in Yokohama's Nishi Ward was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning, with 34 fire engines and other emergency vehicles sent to the scene.

< 2 3 4 5 >