Shika Shima Luxury Slow Train in Tohoku Japan
Unlike the Shinkansen, which travels at up to 320 km/h between Japanese metropolises, the luxurious “Train Suite” Shiki-shima takes its time in northern Japan and the island of Hokkaido. An exclusive railway experience worthy of the legendary Orient Express.
A pioneer of speed and punctuality in the field of trains, Japan is also a pioneer in the art of living. To better enjoy the landscapes, it even knows how to praise slowness. In 2017, the JR East railway company inaugurated its Train Suite Shiki-shima (shiki-shima means “island of the four seasons”), a luxurious “cruise train” traveling through the north of the island of Honshu and that of Hokkaido, the northernmost of the archipelago. Offering trips of up to 4 days and 3 nights on board the train, 34 hand-picked guests are welcomed on board the train. The latter has 17 rooms including two suites, a restaurant, a piano bar and two panoramic cars opening through bay windows onto the nature of the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions.
The Shiki-shima departs from Ueno Station in Tokyo, and the ritual begins upon boarding with the station master standing to attention, being greeted by uniformed staff and the driver wearing white gloves. Omotenashi , the Japanese sense of hospitality, is here pushed to its peak.
Inside the train, Japanese refinement is reflected in the smallest details, designed by designer Ken Kyoyuki Okuyama, known for his collaborations with Ferrari, Porsche and Maserati. The windows, sofas and seats made of steam-curved wood, or the Japanese cedar bathtubs in the two suites, pay homage to Japanese craftsmanship. Pianist, starred chef, cocktail in the evening before dinner, the train is a real luxury hotel on wheels. The height of the experience, two cars, located at both ends of the train and pierced with organically shaped bay windows, allow you to admire the countryside and the seaside of the regions crossed, a northern, rural Japan that is little known to tourists.
Excursions are planned at certain stops depending on the length of the trip. On the 4-day, 3-night tour, the train stops at Hokodate on the island of Hokkaido, where travelers tour the coastal city by vintage tram. In Shiraoi, the northernmost point of the journey, the Ainu culture, an indigenous people living in northern Japan, is in the spotlight, while in Aomori, it is possible to admire ruins from the Jōmon era or meet local artisans. Gastronomy is not to be outdone, designed by chef Shigeru Sato, who has worked at Arnaud Lallement’s three-star L’Assiette Champenoise in Champagne, as well as the two-star Le Grand Véfour and Taillevent in Paris.
2-day/1-night tours in Yamanashi and Nagano, or 4 days/3 nights
From 800,000 yen (+/- €6,100) per person for the 4-day/3-night tour and 370,000 yen (+/- €2,800 approximately) for a 2-day/1-night stay