Luxury tours in which participants can take a leisurely trip while eating full-course meals and listening to live music on a luxury train with elaborate designs and decorations are gaining favor. In winter, you can enjoy the view of a snowy world from the train windows.
Tokyu Corp. and Izukyu Corp. have been operating the eight-car Royal Express, which runs between JR Yokohama Station and Izukyu Shimoda Station, since 2017. The interior of the train is decorated with traditional crafts such as kumiko woodwork and stained glass, and includes an event space and libraries.
I got on the train at Yokohama Station in mid-September. There were 47 passengers that day, many of whom were couples or women. One of the couples, Tetsuo Oshima, director of a hospital in Sapporo, and his wife Yukiko, have ridden luxury sightseeing trains in various places. "You can enjoy the meal while looking at the view from the train window and talking with the crew," Oshima said.
During lunchtime, I listened to a piano and violin concert in the restaurant car. The audience applauded when the violinist played a celebratory song for a young couple on their honeymoon.
The Royal Express offers a tour that includes accommodations at a ryokan inn (from 150,000 yen for one adult) and a one-way ride plan that includes live music and course meals (from 39,000 yen). Hiroyuki Senoo, a public servant from Yokohama who took part in the tour with his wife Chiaki to commemorate their 25 years of marriage, laughed as he said: "I'm satisfied by much more than the price. We've made a good start on our journey towards our 50th wedding anniversary."
Enjoy the local food
Many of the luxury sightseeing trains are designed to revitalize local areas.
Echigo Tokimeki Railway Co., based in Niigata Pref., has operated the Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka sightseeing train since 2016. The interior features Echigo cedar and Yasuda tiles, a specialty of the prefecture's city of Agano, and you can see the nature of each of the four seasons from the large windows that reach up to the ceiling.
Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., based in Fukuoka Pref., started the Rail Kitchen Chikugo service this year.
The service consists of a train tour of local areas including brunch, lunch and dinner made with local ingredients.
"This new form of railway tourism has become sought after by senior citizens who have experience traveling. It's perfect for small groups or individuals traveling, and we recommend also searching for a local tour at the destination," said Kanako Morito, a member of the tourism research institute Jalan Research Center.
Glamorous bus travel
Travel by luxurious sightseeing bus is also becoming more popular.
For the past 5 years, JTB Corp. has been focusing on bus tours that feature large 10-seat buses converted from 45-seat ones. The luxury leather seats extend the full length of passengers' bodies, and there is enough space between seats that you can recline without worry. The bus is equipped with a hotel-quality bathroom, which addresses concerns brought up by female passengers. Many of the participants are senior citizens, who prefer domestic travel because it is less trouble than going overseas.
Many people are aficionados of both luxury bus and train tours. "In terms of physical comfort, the luxury sightseeing bus is a more comfortable means of transportation," said a JTB official.
-- Teruo Miyazawa
Information
The Royal Express: (03) 6455-0644
Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka: (025) 543-8988
The Rail Kitchen Chikugo: (0570) 00-1010
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