If you regularly take trains in Japan, you will be familiar with some of the departure melodies that are played on station platforms just before a train departs. The tunes differ by railway company and locality and are meant to have a calming influence on passengers, letting them know that a train is about to leave without causing a sudden panicked rush. Departure melodies are generally very pleasant and many people grow fond of them as they associate them with particular areas or a favorite railway line. [Read more…]

A new train named “Kizashi” will begin running on the JR Sanyo Main Line in Yamaguchi Prefecture this summer. This is the first new train to be introduced to the Yamaguchi section of the JR Sanyo Main Line in 45 years.

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Travelers to Japan’s Tohoku region will have a new accommodation option in the region’s largest city of Sendai from this April. Hotel Metropolitan The Base Sendai is located just two minutes from the West Exit of Sendai Station and is intended to be a home-like base for accessing the region for both tourists and business travelers.

The new hotel has nine floors above ground with guest rooms from the second floor upwards. A total of 56 rooms are available, which include double and twin bed rooms, one universal twin room, and family-sized rooms that can accommodate up to four guests. The four-bed rooms come in two kinds with either flat beds or bunk beds, and are intended to serve the needs of families and group travelers. [Read more…]

Two spring tours in Japan’s central Tokaido region have been announced for the luxury cruise train, the Royal Express.

Jointly run by the railway companies Tokyu Corporation and JR Central, the Royal Express Tokaido-Fuji Cruise Train will run two distinct itineraries both of which include scenic views of Mount Fuji. These unique travel experiences will include a brand-new tour to Lake Biwa and a tour that runs to key cultural sites in Gifu and Shizuoka prefectures. Both tours begin and end in Yokohama, last for 4 days and 3 nights, and include high-end accommodation in the plans. [Read more…]

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi, which is located in a high-rise tower beside Tokyo Station, is to open new premium “Train View” rooms this spring. Design images released by JR East Hotels show a family-sized room that offers a floating-perspective over the railway tracks far below.

The hotel, which is directly connected to Tokyo Station, already has a number of “Train View” rooms offering views over the historic red brick station building and its many railway lines. However, these rooms are currently limited in size to Queen-size or twin bed rooms. The new premium rooms have been created in response to high demand from families and groups who would like to stay together in a single Train View room.

The new Premium Corner King rooms are corner rooms that can accommodate up to four people — making them suitable for family stays. Each of the new rooms has a King-size bed, a trundle bed that can be pulled out from beneath the main bed, and a fold-out sofa bed. These rooms also have two extra-large double-sided windows with stunning views over the train tracks. Here families can watch together Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains gliding between the platforms below with the Marunouchi skyline as the backdrop.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi occupies the 27th to 34th floors of the Sapia Tower, which is directly connected to Tokyo Station and is just 2 minutes from the station’s Yaesu North Exit. The hotel has been undergoing a complete renovation of its guest rooms since 2024, and the renovation of the 33rd and 34th floors is now complete. Renovation of the 31st and 32nd floors is currently underway, and should be completed this spring.

The new premium Train View rooms, which will also become available this spring, are perfect for rail fans or for anyone looking for a unique family home base in the heart of Tokyo.

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Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi. All rights reserved. Last updated 2-Oct-2025.

Marriott International has announced that it is collaborating with JR Central to open a new Courtyard by Marriott hotel this year which will be just a few steps away from Kyoto Station.

Called “Courtyard by Marriott Kyoto Station,” this will be the ninth Courtyard brand hotel in Japan and the second in Kyoto, following Courtyard by Marriott Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, which opened last year. The hotel brand, which is mainly aimed at international business travelers, now has 1,285 hotels in 60 different countries and territories. [Read more…]

A luxury Conrad Hotel is to open in one of Kobe City Hall’s main buildings in 2029. Kobe City Hall Building No. 2, which is currently being rebuilt, occupies a prime location in Kobe’s city center, being close by the main JR, Hankyu and Hanshin railway stations of Sannomiya and having easy access to the waterfront attractions of the Kobe Port area.

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You have probably seen people rushing onto a train just as its doors are closing. Although there are regular announcements warning people not to do it, it is a common sight in Japan — but it’s actually pretty dangerous. If someone was trapped in the doors they could be pulled along the platform and seriously hurt.

Train drivers always check to see if any passengers are approaching the doors before closing them, but it can be difficult to do a thorough check if there is only one driver on the train and the platform is crowded.

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Hotel Associa Shin-Yokohama, a luxury hotel in the Shin-Yokohama Station building, is to be rebranded, renovated and reopened in August 2026 as Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Yokohama Station.

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A new type of platform door is to be installed on the Shinkansen platforms at Tokyo Station. The first platform doors of their kind, the new doors can automatically open at a location that suits the different door positions of each type of Shinkansen train.

Several different types of Shinkansen train stop at Tokyo Station which range in length between 7-car and 17-car trains and they also have doors in different positions. Platform doors will be installed in a layout that corresponds to all of these different Shinkansen train formations. JR East is currently developing a system that can use QR codes to identify each of these train formations. [Read more…]