In a country that really loves its trains, the latest wonder is about more than just a fancy trip.
The nation’s 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’s Shiki-Shima, launched this week, and it’s 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’s 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’s 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.
