[$12,000] Luxury Train “Twilight Express Mizukaze” | trip 1 nights 2 days | Recorded in 4K

[$12,000] Luxury Train “Twilight Express Mizukaze” | trip 1 nights 2 days | Recorded in 4K

Today we would like to introduce one of Japan’s three most luxurious sleeper trains, the Twilight Express Mizukaze. Mizukaze is a train that runs for a limited time during the year between the Kyushu region and the Kansai region.

Kyoto station was the final destination on this trip, but the destination changes depending on the season. This time we departed from Shimonoseki Station for a 2 day trip to Kyoto Station. There are two routes for this trip: one through the Sanin region and the other through the Sanyo region.

This time we took the southern route through Sanyo to Kyoto. This trip begins in Shimonoseki. Before departing, we visited some of the tourist sights in Shimonoseki. To start our trip, we visited the residence of the daimyo, the old samurai clan leader, and his garden called the “Chofu Gardens”.

We then enjoyed some fresh and delicious seafood at “Karato Market”, Shimonoseki’s famous market place. The view over the Kanmon Bridge which connects Kyushu and Honshu was very beautiful. We boarded the Mizukaze after the sightseeing in Shimonoseki. The train’s dark green body with gold decorations are very impressive. Now, we board the train.

We were seen off by station staff and local residents at Simonoseki Station. We were invited to a tea ceremony first after boarding the train. The tea master from the famous traditional tea ceremony school “Urasenke” was onboard to serve us matcha. The matcha is made from a famous tea called “Zuien”.

We were also served with Japanese sweets that went well with matcha. All the utensils and teapots used were made especially for Mizukaze. This time, we stayed in “The Suite”. “The Suite” is one of the world’s rarest room in which the whole train carriage is used as accommodation.

“The Suite” costs 1.5 million yen (US $ 12,000) for the 2 day trip. The Japanese style natural wooden amenity box is an original piece specially made for Mizukaze. The living room and bedroom are separate. ” It’s so hard to believe we are on a train, since it is so comfortable and relaxing.

The room was prepared with welcome drink as well as snacks. The bathrobe is also Mizukaze-specific. We were served dishes from “Anagomeshi Ueno” for lunch on the first day. It is a long-established restaurant in Hiroshima Prefecture, serving anagomeshi rice.

Anagomeshi is made with Anago/eel (salt-water eel) grilled in a special sauce, then adding it to rice cooked in a clay pot. The rich sauce and the texture of the eel matched well in this dish. We arrived at Hatsukaichi Station in Hiroshima in the afternoon.

We got off the train to go sightseeing in Miyajima, the most famous island in Hiroshima. We traveled by Mizukaze’s private bus. Then we took a boat to Miyajima. We arrived in Miyajima. A tour guide took us on a walk around Miyajima.

Miyajima is known for the Itsukushima Shrine, which is well known for the shrine built over the sea. It is very famous as a shrine on the sea. Mizukaze visitors are allowed to make a formal visit to the shrine and is offered a special opportunity to see a performance on stage.

This is not available to the general public, but reserved especially for Mizukaze passengers as an exclusive tour. This Torii Gate is also very famous. We took a boat and bus back to the station from Miyajima. This is where we say good bye to Hatsukaichi.

The station staff and locals saw us off at the station. Dinner on the first day was served by Kikunoi, a long-established Ryotei (Japanese traditional restaurant) in Kyoto. The cuisine was truly exquisite, using seasonal ingredients from all the places we visited on this trip.

There are several train travel packages in Japan that offer meals on board, but the Mizukaze is the only one that offers a hot pot meal like this. I felt it was a dish suitable for this special moment. After dinner, we enjoyed a concert duet by a flute and violin in the lounge.

The music was an original Mizukaze piece supervised by the famous Japanese composer “Taro Hakase”. You can also enjoy some drinks at the bar in the lounge car. The bar offers a variety of drinks, but we recommend the original cocktails only available on Mizukaze.

This cocktail is a beautiful green color that matches the Mizukaze train image. You can go out on the deck of the last car while the train is running. The night breeze was very pleasant. A panoramic view can be enjoyed from the inside, through the large glass windows.

You can also enjoy the panoramic view from car number 1 as well. The lighting is fantastic and the interior looks like a spaceship from a science fiction movie. There is a telephone with a direct line to the bar where drinks and snacks can be ordered and brought to you.

The observation car looks a little different after sunrise. We also had morning coffee and chocolates before breakfast. Breakfast was a Western-style meal. We had coffee and snacks in the lounge after breakfast. Lunch on the second day was a dish served by HAJIME, a famous restaurant in Osaka.

It was a very luxurious experience to be able to taste a 3 Star Michelin restaurant even on the train. The meal was a representation of this journey with dishes from the mountains, the sea and everything in between. For afternoon tea, we enjoyed Pierre Hermé sweets.

We got off at Onomichi Station in Hiroshima after the meal. We headed to a resort hotel called “Bella Vista Spa & Marina Onomichi in Onomichi”. We took the Mizukaze private bus to the hotel. Welcome drink and light meals were available. While staying at the hotel, you can dine on locally produced foods,

Including seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, and ingredients from the mountains of Hiroshima. Only the sky, the ocean and the characteristic island of Setouchi spreads out in front of you. From here we move to the boat landing by the hotel to enjoy a luxury cruise along the Onomichi Waterway.

It is a chartered cruise, allowing you to enjoy some privacy on the sea. The Setouchi area is also known for its citrus fruits, and you can enjoy sodas made from Setouchi lemons and craft colas onboard the ship. After enjoying the cruise you will be returned to the Mizukaze.

Upon your return, you will be treated with generous hospitality by the station staff and train crew. We then continued our trip to our final destination, Kyoto Station. We also enjoyed this beautiful fruit platter in the remaining time. Fruits and flowers were colorfully arranged o the plate.

The train crew and the restaurant chef sent us off the train. After saying good bye to Mizukaze, we had a farewell party at the Mizukaze Lounge on the 15th floor of Hotel Granvia Kyoto.

The lounge was created based on the concept of Mizukaze’s interior and we had a comfortable time in this calm space. The trip on the Mizukaze is definitely out of the ordinary, and an extremely satisfying experience.

It’s a bit pricey but definitely worth it, so if you are interested I highly recommend this wonderful trip on the Mizukaze.

◆Train Information◆
Train Name: Twilight Express Mizukaze
Company: JR WEST
Route: Shimonoseki → Kyoto
Price: $12,000 for 1 nights 2 days trip

◆Chapter◆
00:00 Opening
00:24 Location
00:43 Shimonoseki
01:25 Boarding
01:53 Tea Ceremony
02:20 The Suite (Room Introduction)
03:17 Day1 Lunch
03:47 Miyajima
05:49 Day1 Dinner
06:27 Lounge Concert
06:39 Bar
07:12 Observation Car
08:20 Breakfast & Tea time
08:48 Day2 Lunch
09:20 Onomichi Station
09:30 Bella Vista
10:24 Setouchi Cruise
11:44 Back to Train
12:21 Kyoto Station
12:42 Mizukaze Lounge
06:26 Lounge Concert
13:08 Ending

Hi. I’m Kagumi, CEO of ARKADEAR, a concierge company designed for the upper class living across the globe.
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