[$17,000] Luxury Train “Train Suite Shikishima” | trip 2 nights 3 days [Japan trip]

[$17,000] Luxury Train “Train Suite Shikishima” | trip 2 nights 3 days [Japan trip]

This time we introduce Train Suite Shikishima. Shikishima is operated by JR East and is a luxury sleeper train that travels from Tokyo Ueno to Tohoku and Shinshu. We hope to show you many of the attractions of Shikishima. This time, we chose a route starting from Ueno and passing through Fukushima and Yamanashi prefectures.

Routes vary according to season and number of nights. The Shikishima journey begins at the Tokyo Station Hotel. The hotel is built within Tokyo Station and is directly connected to Tokyo Station. The station’s structure is characterized by its wide width and low height. We will be staying in one of the junior suites.

With high ceilings, it is a spacious and comfortable place to relax and unwind. Chocolates and fruits are available as welcome sweets. The bathrooms are also white with marble, giving them a luxurious feel. BVLGARI amenities are available. The day before boarding Shikishima, there is a pre-boarding party.

Lightly Smoked Hokkaido Cherry Trout with Shinshu Kogen Vegetable Salad Crab bisque with cappuccino Poiret of Natural Fishing Bream Direct from Misaki, Kanagawa Prefecture Sauteed French Lamb Loin Spring Special Desserts The next morning, you will depart Tokyo Station Hotel for Ueno Station, the starting point of your Shikishima journey.

There is a private shuttle service to and from Ueno Station, and you will feel the thick hospitality. At Ueno Station, passengers will pass through a gate dedicated to the “Shikishima” train, which is different from the general ticket gates, and head for the boarding platform.

With staff escorts, you can feel a sense of “specialness” even before you board the ship, which is something you cannot experience in general. After passing through the gate, you will find the PROLOGUE SHIKISHIMA lounge next to the platform, where you can spend some time before departure.

The lounge is a chic and relaxing space. Also on display and for sale are specialty products and Shikishima original goods from the places Shikishima stops during its journey. As a welcome menu, you can enjoy Shikishima’s original rakugan (Japanese sugar sweets), which is only available here, and Shikishima private tea.

After a short while, the “Shikishima,” with its champagne gold body and distinctive front end, comes into view. The Shikishima logo is also prominently displayed on the car body. Leave the PROLOGUE SHIKISHIMA and board the SHIKISHIMA. The boarding platform is separate from the other train platforms,

And passengers must pass through a special gate to reach the platform. The ceiling of the Shikishima platform is decorated with the Shikishima logo. Shikishima boarding is only available from No.5 car, and the onboard lounge “Komorebi” is also in No.5 car.

The interior of the car and its luxurious feel are designed for adult tastes. The lounge also has a bar where you can relax after dinner. This time, we stayed at the “Delux suite”.

It is the most expensive (2,000,000 yen (15,000USD)/2 persons) for 2 night 3 days, and is the highest rated room on Shikishima, where the odds of winning are even lower than the odds of winning. Unlike the other suites, the Delux Suite is only in No.7 car.

The entire staff will see you off when you depart from Ueno Station. The Delux Suites are maisonette type, with two floors, and are very spacious and comfortable, not unlike a train. There is also a pseudo fireplace (steam + light) in the center of the room.

It is surprising that there is a hinoki (types of tree) bath in the guest room despite the train. A black button on the wall can be used to fill the hot water. The black box in the bathroom contains amenities. The “Japanese” packaging is very appealing to me.

Seasonal drinks are also available in the room, and the menu changes each time. Drink, snacks and amenities are all included in the price and no extra charge. There is also an in-car iPhone in the room, and the train crew will arrange for you to get what you need.

For lunch on the first day, we had a course at the Chinese restaurant Bai Yan. From now on, all dishes served at Shikijima will be prepared mainly with ingredients from the places you will visit on Shikishima. Seasonal Medicinal Soup with Shark’s Fin Dried Abalone Fried scallop fritters in a hot pot without soup

Koshinetsu Ankake Fried Rice Each No.1 and No.10 car is an observation car named “Kizashi” and “Ibuki,” respectively. You can enjoy the panoramic view of the No.1 car, which is not easily experienced on ordinary trains. French cuisine will be served in the car for dinner on the first day.

After dinner, after-dinner drinks will be served in the lounge located in No.5 car. Nuts, cookies, and other snacks are also available together. A piano is permanently installed in the lounge, where guests can listen to live piano and violin music after dinner.

Noodles, pudding, and other relatively large portions are available for the evening meal, so if you are hungry after dinner, no problem. On the way, we will stop at the Obasute Station in Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture.

This place is famous for its beautiful night view, and we were able to see a beautiful night view on this day. On the second day, we will get off at Shioyama Station in Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture in the morning and enjoy breakfast & sightseeing. A private bus will take you to the restaurant.

This is the Grand Blue Resort, a sightseeing bus specially designed for Shikishima. Like Shikishima, it is very beautiful and has an amazingly luxurious feel. The toilets in the bus is like this. It is so beautiful that it is hard to believe that it is a toilet in a bus.

The seats are four-row, but all seats recline and have footrests. Although the bus journey is not very long, it was very comfortable. The desired restaurant is close to the station, so it is a short walk to the restaurant. The restaurant is called “FRENCH DINING RYU”.

It is an atmospheric site with a “Japanese” feel, but it is a fine French restaurant. The restaurant, with its large windows overlooking the courtyard, was filled with natural light and was a calming space. The meal was a wonderful French morning with plenty of “Japanese” elements.

Leaving FRENCH DINING RYU, we will head to our next destination. As Yamanashi Prefecture is one of the leading wine-producing areas, a winery visit and wine tasting are included in this tour. We listened to the people involved in production and toured the production site. What you see are vineyards for wine grapes.

You can compare several kinds of specialty wines. At the “Grape Hill” not far from the winery, Specialty wines and liquors are available for purchase. The view from the observatory on the hill is vast and spectacular. After the tour, we will return to the bus.

At the station, the Shikijima passengers were sent off with a Japanese drum performance. Others, including local residents and station staff, gave us a grand send-off. Bidding farewell to Kofu City, Shikishima continues toward Ueno Station. Lunch on the second day was a Japanese lunch, “Kassen Oka”

We were served lunch in the form of bento. The lunch, which used many local ingredients from the Koshu region we visited, was truly exquisite. After a short time, the Shikishima arrives at Ueno Station. The elegant time passes quickly, and we bid farewell to Shikishima.

Just as on the way there, the return trip also passes through the Shikishima Gate and leaves the platform. The trip will conclude with a farewell party at the lounge “PROLOGUE Shikishima”. As in the case of going to the station, you will go out through the ticket gate for Shikishima only.”

A courtesy car is available, and you will be escorted by a staff member. It was a short but very enriching experience that I could never have had anywhere else.

◆Train Information◆
Train Name: Train Suite Shikishima
Company: JR EAST
Route: Tokyo→Nagano→Tokyo
Price: $17,000 for 2 nights 3 days trip

◆Chapter◆
00:00 Opening
00:24 Route Map
00:35 Tokyo Station Hotel
02:25 Ueno Station
03:44 Boarding on Shikishima
05:09 Room Introduction
06:53 Day1 Lunch
07:28 Observation Car
07:49 Day1 Dinner
08:48 Lounge
09:23 Outside Activities
11:51 Back to Shikishima
12:40 Day2 Lunch
13:00 Back to Ueno Station

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