Back in 2010 I took the now discontinued Hokutosei night train from Sapporo to Tokyo. I wish I could go back and do it all over again. Ended up staying in Japan for 8 years.

I love the fact about each station having it's own jingle. I've been to Tokyo a couple of times. Tokyo Station is huge and an absolute labyrinth.

That bridge crossing in the sunrise is absolutely stunning indeed ❤ Furthermore, the outside appearance of the train is sending me heavy NS ICM (Koploper) vibes 😄

Way back in 1987, I traveled on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka, with a stop at Gifu. I had my first bento breakfast!. I havne't been back, but plan to do so. You're right about the sleeper trains. Europe is finally bringing them back, thanks to guys like you, Superalbs, Thibault Constant and others pushing rail travel. I hope you get to Kyoto. It's the only city I had extra time in. This was a one week business trip and I was on the go the entire time. I didn't even get to seeTokyo. But I did get to the Zen garden at Ryoan-ji, attended a Japense tea ceremony, and got to see the world famous Takarazuka Revue. And ate my fill of sushi!

I travelled on the original bullet train in 1991 from Tokyo to Kyoto. It was greeeeaaat!

I really must aim to get to Japan. Even more so after watching James May's series there. And I want to travel on a bullet train.

I absolutely loved Tokyo when I visited there a few years ago. Beautiful city and super friendly people, would go again in a heartbeat. LOVE your videos.

A lovely train imo, I'd love to try it one day. Those jingles at the station would drive me mad after a bit though! Agree the colour scheme gives it a sophisticated look and goes well with the name and the exterior surroundings. Nice one!

I find that sleeper trains with beds along the direction of travel give much, much better sleep than with beds across the width of the carriage. Although once you get as far as your third consecutive night on a train you can sleep whatever... Let us hope that like Europe, Japan sees the advantage of revamped sleeper services and that Hokutosei and Cassiopeia will run again!

This is such a lovely video. The sunrise crossing of the Inland Sea is spectacular. Love the cozy sleeper compartment! Great journey and the music at the end is fabulous. Wonderful job!

That looks a cool trip, and excellent rolling stock - looked very much like the Dutch trains, with the high-mounted driver's cab. Love them.

I agree with your comment about it being a shame there not being more night trains in Japan. Everytime in recent years JR East and JR Hokkaido latterly, extended shinkansen services, into Kanazawa for the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and then the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin Hakodate=Hokuto Station, they immediately axed the night trains, not understanding they play a different, but still useful role from the shinkansens. Even going on the earliest departing shinkansens, you cannot now get into Tokyo from further away places of origin in time for say an 8.30am meeting. Therefore many business people who took night trains before are now forced to go the night before or get up early and get out to an airport for an early departure flight (yuck!). So disappointing to see JR East in particular throw night trains and the customership of those they had away, It's siad by Japanese rail experts that one problem is high track fees going between different JR company areas but a Tokyo-Niigata/Akita/Aomori and Tokyo-Kanazawa night trains are all within the JR east area anyway (except Kanazawa). The night trains were always popular but the carraiges for most got old and JR East in particular just couldn't be faffed making an investment in new carriages. There is actually one other night train from pre shinkansen times still going - The Cassiopeia, but rather than use it for say regular Tokyo-Aomori night train services, JR easy uses it as a multi-day charter tour train at exhorbitant prices instead. Shame on them!

I’ve a Japanese friend who’s parents still live in Japan, she says she’s so glad she has somewhere to stay because Japan is so expensive, my son visited a few years ago and said the same, they travelled on the slow trains to save on the cost of travel, beautiful place to visit though and he loved Japan , saw a 14 day holiday from the UK a couple of days ago nearly £6,000 for it, do your own itinerary I think, forgot to mention great post

Good video. I'd seen previous posts on this train, but they were by Japanese people that had used the Sunrise Seto before and were familiar with it. Your observations matched what i thought about it - those hard floor bunks aren't what I'd want to sleep on, but the single room accommodations look fine. Sonething to ride on for the experience of an overnight train. Thanks.

Honestly some of the accomodation concepts on this train are simply so unique, I wonder if they'd work at all in Europe. It would certainly be interesting to see if they could, because they look like they could attract a brand new audience to night trains here. Especially the small single cabins, and something akin to the Nobi Nobi, but maybe with a slightly softer thing to lay on. I mean the Nobi Nobi alone already has an edge on privacy over couchettes since the ends have barriers separating each bunk, despite how close they all are. You simply dont have anything like that at all on European couchettes, and with people valuing privacy a ton nowadays, taking some notes from Japan could probably help

for sleeper train Livery... Got to say, I loved the blue and silver of the old style Cassiopeia sleeper to Hokkaido (sadly now discontinued)... The Penzance sleeper also has a fairly deep place in my heart. I also rather enjoy the aesthetic of the Nainital Express or such meter gauge trains in India... though I rode many Soviet-style trains, and some of them have a nice aesthetics inside, I never found any of those liveries to be particularly appealing... I would say, either the Chinese dark-standard, or the classic Ukrazheliznitsa livery (when fresh) does look a little better than the rest, but only marginally so.

My experience with Japan Train was only with Shinkansen and some local trains. I did not take sleeper trains, as I mostly chasing time to get as many places as possible (which I did). Japan trains travel are amazing, so sophisticated systems and services.

This is the exact route I am planning to take few months from now. Being born in Japan with a Japanese mom, I am privileged enough to be able to come back countless times. However, I've never been outside Honshu mainland yet. Thus the excitement to take this train. I don't know if you took a similar route as the one I plan, but after Takamatsu (to eat loads of udon and to make it as base to see Marugame Castle) I'll proceed to Matsuyama, another interesting city in Shikoku. Then after a couple days, take the ferry to Hiroshima which would bring me back to Honshu island. Among the most interesting train rides I had in Japan was the Tobu limited express from Asakusa to Nikko (and vice-versa). It has a spacious interior with comfort levels that could rival the Shinkansen but for a fraction of the price. It unfortunately does not accept JR pass as it is operated by a different company.

I would love to watch more night trains all over europe.

Although it's just a regular local train, I really like the Hankyu Arashiyama line. It had such a quiet and cozy feel to it and the stations compared to all the busier lines around Kyoto. I also took the Hankyu super limited express train with tatami seats thinking it'd be faster than the normal limited express between Kyoto and Osaka but it wasn't really and had too many tourist announcements rip.

Great trip, finally you make this trip report. Correct me if I wrong, there's also accomodation called Solo which is considered as cheapest private room on this train. Sadly you're run out of shower card. I have many favourite train livery, one of them is Sunrise Express.

Excellent as always. Thanks for all your work

Most impressive, indeed!

One thing also worth mentioning is how they managed to put this level of comfort into a narrow gauge train. The japanese are masters of making every inch of space count.

Ive rode on the nobi-nobi seat going from takamatsu and izumo station (both sunrise seto & sunrise izumo). The downside was that theres only some floor paddings and a paper cup. No pillows or blanket whatsoever, theres even no electric outlets too. But indeed as the "good design" award that it received back in 2014, it was one of the most smoothest overnight train i've ever slept on. and reservation was included on my japan rail pass

The train look like Iron Man 3 the mark 42 LOL! By the way Long Live #TrainWindowViews!

Japanese trains are the envy of the world

Really good video enhanced by your commentary.

You do travel to a lot of countries

I think that it's cheaper to run sleeper buses than trains overnight but the amount of these buses in Japan 🗾 would suggest a greater market for sleeping trains .

Kyushu had some of the most beautiful trains in the country. I had the pleasure of riding on the Kamome(Nagasaki) and Yufuin no Mori(Beppu) trains. Both are covered by the JR Pass!

haven't been to Japan yet but it is on my to do list

I love how you pronunce "now"

Great video. Those EMUs are mad!

Great video! That sleeper compartment looks great! For some reason I find the term “Nobi Nobi” really amusing. Must be 14yo me lol.

Those Nobi Nobi beds seem like an awesome alternatives to couchettes while not using more space. It would need a softer surface for us westerners though.

Wow! Another beautiful video. It just makes me sad when I see how clean and efficient Japanese trains are in comparison to ours, which are usually late and overcrowded. Japanese people seem to take a pride in their work.

I wouldn’t want to be on those hard floor beds, but the fancier room doesn’t look much better than what you had. Class B was the way to go.

Wao this absolutely amazing

Bom dia lindo trem Japão último trem noturno

ノビノビ座席は端の場所を取ると意外に快適に過ごせます。けど私は貴重等がとても心配です。

You can ride to Polish city Zamość this city have got the most amazing old town in Poland

Super awesome video, this journey made me dream about travelling with night trains. Have you tried Northern Europe trains?

Nice Presentation

Great train!

I can see this being made for the UK and Europe. Continental Europe version must be equipped with three pantographs one 1.45m Copper Strip AC/DC France 25kv Switzerland 15kv 16.7hz AC Italy 25kv 50hz AC 3kv DC. The Wider Pantagraph Metalized carbon 1.95m AC/DC former Czechoslovakia and Germany and Austria-Hungary 15kv 16.7hz AC 25kv 50hz AC and 3kv DC 1.8m Carbon strip 15kv 16 2/3hz Norway Sweden 25kv 50hz Denmark. Excellent video overall and a traveller can use this overnight train from the Kansai Region to Tokyo via Nagoya

Gracias por el dormilón viaje ... la unica critica es que no tenga wi-fi, y tal vez alguna maquina expendedora. Por lo demas perfecto. Saludos 🇺🇾

Commenting to a two month video because I am in Takamatsu (took the same train as in the video coming here) right now. If you have taken the local private train named Kotoden, I hope you can make a video of it as well. It's an underrated line which imo is way cooler than the similar and more famous Enoden. It's my first time in Shikoku, and minus the hot and humid weather, I'm intensely enjoying my time here

I recently travelled on this train back in February with my mom towards takamatsu. Tickets were super hard to get, we had to camp at the website 😅 So cool to relieve those memories with this video!!

Love and respect from Pakistan railway 🌹

I am slightly "off" sleeper trains at the moment - the one we took at the start of our recent Inter-rail adventure arrived in Stockholm a mere 6 1/2 hours late!

You describe this train as the only double decker multiple unit sleeper train in the world. Wouldn’t that describe all the trains on Amtrak western routes?

Train trip review suggestion: Wroclaw to Zgorzelec, Polska (regional train), then transfer to Görlitz, Deutschland might be interesting ...

08:10 Mr bean Moment 🤣

No trains near me.

Hello ! Thank you very much for vidéo. La wifi était présente à bord du train ? Encore merci. J'aimerais regarder le voyage à bord du Transiberien ! Par avance merci

Who is the "new" narrator of this vlog? What happened to the French fellow?

I will suggest double decker experience in india too

SPANISH: Muchas gracias por el video, de casualidad sabes si el costo por la habitación tipo litera se cobra por persona o por habitación? es que quiero usar esa habitación y viajo con mi esposa, y puedes hacer un video de como reservar para ese tren, te lo agradecería mucho y como pedir el descuento con JR. ENGLISH: Thank you very much for the video. Do you happen to know if the cost for the bunk-bed room is charged per person or per room? I want to use that room and I'm traveling with my wife, and you can make a video on how to reserve for that train, I would really appreciate it and how to ask for the discount with JR.

Many thanks for an extremely interesting and informative video! One point you did not make is that these trains run on the narrow 3ft 6inches, 1067 mms track guage used by most Japanese non-shin kansen railway lines. I was wondering, is this the only sleeper train on narrow guage? I then remembered that South Africa uses 1067 mms guage ('Kapspur') and i think it still runs 'Sleepers'. Are there any other narrow gauge sleeper services?

I want video about high speed trains of china

Very cool trip but the equipment is looking rather worn compared to how it looked back in 2015. The exterior paint has faded and the polycarbonate windows are 1970's Amtrak fogged and scratched. But its Japan so everything is clean and everything works.

Ummm, what do you mean "while you can"? This train set should still have plenty of life left in it and there are no concrete plans whatsoever to extend the shinkansen service to Izumo-shi or Takamatsu. Bit of a misleading title really. Other than that a pretty good video. I did the same trip Tokyo to Takamatsu in February. I've done the Sunrise trains a few times now and they're top class. I don't recommend the Nobinobi hard class seats unless you are on a budget. despite the carpet they are hard. There's no pillow, and no curtain so no privacy, but I guess that's no different to Couchettes on European night trains, except on the nobinobi, if you're unlucky someone might step on you in the night when they forgot to step out onto the corridor part. Yes, it happened to me! I have always gone for the upper level single compartments. I think that actually gives better views than the lower level compartments, and even on this video it felt wierd going into stations where you are below the platform level! LOL you were so busy filming you missed out on the shower card! A couple of things not in the video - you can pause the 6min timer during the shower so you can actually have longer - the 6mins is just the water coming out. So you can rinse, stop shower, soap the body, then rinse with water again etc, Also quite cool - the shower room has an auto cleaning function that you can press after you've got out of the shower 😃 Also although only provided on the train in the deluxe rooms, you can buy the amenity kits at convenience stores in or next to some of the stations at the southern end of the routes (eg I did at Yonago and at the 7 Eleven inside Takamatsu Stn). They are not 5 star kits but they have a cool little towel with an image of the Sunrise Express, amenity kit bag (also with Sunrise train image on it), and toothpaste and brush. They're a cool little souvenir. For railfans, the convenience store next to Yonago Stn also had Sunrise Train souvenirs like fridge magnets, pens etc. Even though the train goes to and from Tokyo it is not a JR East train (it's owned by JR West and JR Central), therefore I have never see the amenity kits, souvenirs for this train at Tokyo Stn. Lastly great to see the fantastic Sunrise in the video. I have the same fabulous memory from my own trip. Another cool thing to do if you are departing from Tokyo is have a bunch of food and drink goodies (note Tokyo Stn has some great Ekiben and delicatessen stores, plus New Days Convenience stores everywhere - but by 6pm usually most of the most popular Ekibens will be gone - anyway you'll find some things!)) and enjoy them as you leave Tokyo sitting at your window and watching Tokyo go by for the first 20mins or so. Often you will be "racing" with a local service and you can see clearly all the locals on their way home etc. It's a magic feeling!

Great video. Looks like a wonderful way to travel Japan. 😍 Out of interest, do you plan / coordinate or ever travel with @SuperalbsTravels? As you often seem to visit the same countries at similar times. 🤔

Ich liebe japanische Züge

What about the West Express Ginga, doesn't that count as a sleeper train?

how do you go about booking tickets for this train? some articles online say you can only book from within japan, but it does seem like you can buy a ticket through the JR West website. I wanted to go to Takamatsu on the third night of my upcoming trip but I'm quite worried I won't get a ticket...

If I have a JR Rail Pass, do I still need to reserve a seat at the ticket machine? And is it the green one?

u'll like indian trains too. visit india once please

Hi, did you ever travel on norwegian 🇳🇴 trains? If no, i highly recommend it.

Classic olive-green european, then classic soviet green, then blue like in Ukraine, Belarus, or Kazakhstan.

I would like to know more about the noise on trains this one sounded rather noisy

How comes it’s the last ever sleeper train in Japan. Must be getting very old and needs replacing with new sleeper trains and carriages. If so then perhaps preserve one of those sleeper trains for excursion.

What was the room temperature? Are Japanese trains overheated?

complete opposite form the malaysian sleeper i presume?

Five sta coverage

Can compartments be reserved outside Japan? If you buy the rail pass (now substantially more expensive) can you book sleepers before arriving in Japan?

Blah blah blah blah *I went back in time to Yesterday at 1:50 PM CEST* blah blah 1:41 Btw 1, Have you ever been to Shinjuku Station? It's crazier, but, like you said, "it all just works and That's Amazing!" 7:57 Btw 2, my bed is 105 cm × 190 cm, so I don't know if the width is long enough to try to have a peaceful rest. Yes, I'm rolling around my bed trying to have a peaceful rest 10:28 Btw 3, the wrong form of the rule number 1 of How to use a toilet is like "Bro, What the f...?"

Damn why soooo many shitty masks :( I like to see people’s faces