A very popular train is The Sunrise Express Night Sleeper Train (寝台特急) that links Shikoku and San’in regions with Tokyo
It is actually 2 trains
The Sunrise Express is really 2 trains. The Sunrise Express Seto which runs between Tokyo and Takamatsu (Kagawa Pref Shikoku) and The Sunrise Express Izumo which operates between Tokyo and Matsue & Izumo (Shimane Pref). Between Tokyo and Okayama the trains operate as a single train, being split and joined at Okayama.
The Sunrise Express Gallery
In the past Night Trains crisscrossed the country…
Before the shinkansen night trains were a popular way to travel around the country, in fact for some distant destinations the only through trains from places like Tokyo and Osaka were the night sleeper trains. During their heyday there were more than 40 named sleeper express trains that operated in the country. They were more commonly known as Blue Trains as most of them were made up of Blue carriages.
With the Shinkansen, the need for sleeper trains dwindled…
With journey times in many cases more than halved the night time sleeper trains quickly dropped in popularity and also became harder to staff. The JR companies started withdrawing the sleeper trains in the 1980s and the last “Blue Trains” stopped operating in 2015.
JR West with JR Tokai introduced the Sunrise express in 1988. Their idea was to attract customers back to overnight rail travel by offering faster and more comfortable trains than the traditional Blue Trains. In fact the Sunrise Express replaced two Blue Trains, The Seto and the Izumo services.
Although the Sunrise Express has remained popular, (it can be hard to get tickets for it) all the other regular sleeper trains are now history.
Traveling on the Sunrise Express
The Sunrise Express schedule is as follows:
There is also a choice of accommodation with different type of sleeping births for 1 or 2 persons and also sleeping seats (“Nobinobi” Seats) As well as basic and Limited Express tickets you also have to pay sleeping berth or Nobinobi Seat charge. JR Rail Pass holders (All Japan Passes) only have to pay for sleeping berth.
There is one shower in each portion of the train. To use it you need to buy a shower card「シャワー・カードー 」(Y330) from the vending machine. There are also lounges in each portion of the train and drinks vending machines throughout. There is no meal service.
And Shikoku and Shimane Pref are great places to visit…
Yes! although travelling on the Sunrise Express will add to your travel experience, we would be amiss in not saying that Shikoku and the Matsue & Izumo areas of Shimane Prefecture (part of Chugoku) are also very interesting areas to explore and deserve to be on your travel itinerary!
For Rail Enthusiasts
The Sunrise Express uses 5 dedicated 285 series series electric multiple units (1500V DC). These are each 7 cars. JR West owns three units which are allocated to its Izumo Depot. JR Tokai owns 2 units that are allocated to its Ogaki Depot. During the day time, 2 units are stabled at JR East’s Tamachi Depot, 1 unit at JR Shikoku’s Takamatsu Depot and at least 1 unit at JR West’s Izumo Depot.
Whether you want to See Japan by Rail or Explore Japan’s Railways, TS Japan Rail can help you plan your trip with ideas, designing travel itineraries, assisting with bookings and more.
We take the stress out of planning your trip and help ensure it is successful!
For more information on our services
see our homepage!
