In a country that really loves its trains, the latest wonder is about more than just a fancy trip.<\/b>
\nThe nation\u2019s rail network is already the idol of transportation enthusiasts around the world, and the latest addition is sure to attract even more adoration. A new long-distance train, the East Japan Railway Company\u2019s Shiki-Shima, launched this week, and it\u2019s already earning praise as perhaps the most luxurious train in the world. Its 10 cars hold 17 spacious suites, some kitted out with cypress bathtubs and lofts. And that\u2019s not the only thing that makes it feel like a five-star hotel: This train also sports a piano bar, two glass-walled observatory cars, and even a Michelin-accredited restaurant.
The Shiki-Shima follows Japan\u2019s first luxury cruise train, launched in 2013 by the Kyushu Railway Company. (Japan privatized its National Railway in 1987, and established six passenger lines to serve different regions; Kyushu operates in the southwest.) West Japan Railway Company will launch its own version next month, with routes originating in Kyoto and Osaka.
Alas, with the astronomical fee, it\u2019s not likely that the people who need it most will be savoring such an experience. And it might seem puzzling that a luxury offering is doing so well. Japan\u2019s economy has been struggling to grow, poverty is on the rise, and Japan\u2019s youth often aren\u2019 t financially stable enough to leave home, buy cars or houses, marry, and have children. The country\u2019s rapidly aging population will also add to its economic insecurity in the coming years.
Despite the unattainability of the Shiki-Shima and similar luxury lines, Robins thinks they won\u2019 t spur resentment among the general population. They\u2019 re more a symbol of what the country can continue to accomplish, train-wise\u2014even in a depressed economy. \u201cI think they\u2019 ll spur pride in Japan\u2019s design and engineering capabilities, \u201d he says.<\/p>\n