In an effort to entice more domestic travelers to Sapporo this winter, Sapporo City has decided to make its major tourist facilities completely FREE throughout the month of February next year. This is part of a raft of measures aimed at boosting the local tourist industry during what looks likely to be a difficult winter season.

In normal years Sapporo would see its highest tourist numbers in February because of the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, but next year there are plans to hold the festival on a much reduced scale and it is feared that tourist numbers will fall dramatically as a result [Read more…]

JR Kyushu have announced details on the introduction of a new six-car high speed train called the “Kamome” which will run on the Kyushu Shinkansen’s new western route. This new branch of the Kyushu Shinkansen will run between Takeo Onsen and Nagasaki and is due for completion in 2022.

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This month JR Hokkaido celebrated its 140th anniversary with the launch of a new multi-purpose limited express train called the Hamanasu. The Hamanasu is the first Kiha #261 5000 series train which as well as running regular express services, will also function as a special sightseeing train and provide extra services during busy periods. The second Kiha #261 5000 series train will be called the Lavender and will be introduced in April 2021.

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This autumn JR Kyushu will debut a new tourist train called the “36 plus 3”. Running a complete circuit of Kyushu over a five-day period the new train will have a six-car formation with 103 seats. All cars will be first class Green Cars with options for gourmet lunch and dinner menus featuring the very best local cuisine.

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Belles Montagnes et Mer (or “Berumonta” for short) is a special sightseeing train operated by JR West in Toyama Prefecture. This is mainly a weekend train which connects the cities of Takaoka and Nanto via the JR Johana Line on Saturdays, and the cities of Takaoka and Himi via the JR Himi Line on Sundays. Conveniently, Hokuriku Shinkansen passengers can transfer directly to this sightseeing service at Shin-Takaoka Station.

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Earlier this year Kansai Rapid Railway Co., Ltd. received government approval to carry out construction of the new Naniwasuji Line which will provide a more direct link between north and south Osaka. The new line will be 7.2km long of which 6.5km will be underground.

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JR East have announced that they are building a new shinkansen train, the E8 series, which will be introduced on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line in 2024. The new train will replace the E3 series and raise the maximum speed of the Yamagata Shinkansen service from the current 275 km/h to 300 km/h. This faster speed is made possible by the 9-meter-long nose of the E8 shinkansen which is a full 3 meters longer than the nose of the E3.

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With the lifting of Japan’s state of emergency many people who had been sheltering from the pandemic at home have now returned to a regular commute to work by train. Although the prospect of once again taking that morning and evening rush hour commute may depress some, there are some trains that may help lift people’s spirits.

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Food lovers visiting Fukuoka Prefecture should book their tickets for Rail Kitchen Chikugo; a beautifully designed sightseeing train that celebrates both local cuisine and craftsmanship. Rail Kitchen Chikugo is effectively a mobile restaurant operated by the private railroad company Nishitetsu Railway, and it runs along scenic rural routes on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line and Daizafu Line. The train is named after the historic Chikugo Province that once covered the southern part Fukuoka Prefecture.

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This year JR West will introduce a new long-distance train linking key areas of western Japan. The new train is called the West Express Ginga and offers a variety of seating and sleeping options to suit the varying needs of different travelers. The name “Ginga” means “galaxy” or “milky way” in Japanese, but for railway fans the new train’s name is evocative of the original Ginga train, an overnight express sleeper train that ran between Tokyo and Osaka between 1949 and 2008. The new West Express Ginga is flexible in that it can operate either as a daytime or overnight service. Initially it will run as a sleeper service between the Kansai and Sanin regions, but from October it is scheduled to run as a daytime service between Kansai and the Sanyo Region.

The new train has been created by remodeling a 6-car JNR #117 series train that previously ran as a commuter train on the Sanyo and Tokaido main lines. The #117 series was first introduced in 1979, so the train’s basic form has a vintage appearance which is enhanced by its new exterior coloring: a deep lapis lazuli blue which represents the beautiful sea and sky of western Japan. There are also white lines on the sides of the train that represent the long distances it will travel and the hope that this train will have a long future!

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