3-Day/2-Night Trip

Winter

Day.1

TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA departed from Ueno Station.

Station staff saw the passengers off on their journey.
  • [Lunch] onboard the train

Lunch prepared by TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA executive chef Shigeru Sato

  • The TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA lunch menu was arranged by executive chef Shigeru Sato.
  • Building on the culinary legacy of TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA supervisors, Nakamura and Iwasaki, I created meals of imaginative narrativity, with great attention to the ingredients and culture unique to each area.
    I am from Akita in northeastern Japan, which means I have a strong commitment to always do my very best to highlight the most attractive points of each area through my cuisine.
  • Shigeru SatoExecutive chef of TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA

Arrived at Shiroishi Station.

Arrived at Shiroishi Station.
Boarded charter bus for Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Miyagi.
  • Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Miyagi
    [Stopover for sightseeing]

Shiroishi prospered as a castle town of the Sendai clan. Various skills and dishes developed here that have been handed down through the generations. The passengers enjoyed learning more about its stirring history and the local specialties produced by this fertile region.

Traditional Japanese Performing Arts Hall, Hekisuien

  • Vanilla Yamazaki, a voice actor for silent movies, provided a guide to the history of Shiroishi (in Japanese), and also recited "Raiden", a Japanese masterpiece, to the accompaniment of a Taishogoto (Nagoya harp).

Samurai Residence, Shiroishi noodle tasting

  • Shiroishi has a castle and waterway that passes through the town. The passengers visited a samurai residence which was constructed in 1730, and enjoyed looking at a variety of charming local products and specialties.

Junsen Japanese cuisine (Sendai)

  • The meal was prepared using an abundance of fresh and seasonal ingredients, carefully selected by a master chef. The passengers enjoyed delicacies with a tea ceremony aesthetic in a setting of refined elegance.
  • Sendai's traditional cuisine that brings out the delicious tastes of high-quality ingredients

    Sendai has an abundance of both seafood and mountain vegetables, and has inherited the legendary spirit of hospitality that was embodied by 17th-century lord Date Masamune.
    Situated at the confluence of cold and warm currents, Sendai Bay offers a wide range of seafood including halibut and tuna.
    There are also bountiful harvests of vegetables such as chamame beans in summer, taro in autumns and snow greens in winter.
    The restaurant where TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA passengers ate is owned by Katsuyama Brewery, which was the brewery for the Date family.
    The rice is boiled in the water used to brew the sake, with the cooking process constantly customized to draw out the delicious natural flavors of the ingredients.
    The passengers enjoyed seafood fresh from the sea, seasonal vegetables and Japanese sake with an elegant aroma.
  • Yasunori Abe Japanese Restaurant Junsen
    Sendai, Miyagi

Matsushima Bay Night Cruise

  • Over 200 islands make up the unique ria coast that is Matsushima Bay. The passengers enjoyed the magical spectacle of the islands lit up at night.

Departed from Matsushima Station.

  • [Overnight] on TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA

Cocktail Hour

The passengers enjoyed a drink at Lounge Komorebi in Car 5, and relaxed with a drink while watching the evening scenery from the train window.

Day.2

  • [Breakfast] onboard the train

Breakfast prepared by chef Hirotatsu Shinohara of Ryotei Komaryu (Morioka)

  • All the ingredients were from Iwate Prefecture and presented in a traditional Japanese style. The passengers thoroughly enjoyed the typical Morioka cuisine.
  • Breakfast featuring seasonal foods and local ceramics from Iwate Prefecture

    Passengers were served a traditional breakfast from a restaurant with a history of over 60 years, dating back to its opening by Komaryu, one of the first Morioka geigi performers.
    Both the ingredients and the ceramic dishes were from Iwate Prefecture so that the passengers could enjoy the unique hospitality of Morioka, Iwate. The ozen dishes, rice bowl and soup bowl were made with Johoji lacquer, and the ceramic dishes were made from Kokuji-yaki ceramics.
    Breakfast also included seasonal seafood from the Sanriku coast and Kiniro no Kaze (Golden Breeze) rice, an Iwate luxury rice that made its debut in 2017.
    The meal packed a variety of features of Iwate dining culture into a short time.
  • Hirotatsu Shinohara Ryotei Komaryu
    Morioka, Iwate
  • Hirosaki Trip

    Arrived at Aomori Station.

    Arrived at Aomori Station.
    Boarded charter bus for Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Hirosaki.
    • Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Hirosaki
      [Stopover for sightseeing]

    Enjoy all the sights, from the scenic Hirosaki Park to craftsmanship at BUNACO.

    Hirosaki Park

    • Passengers enjoyed a guided tour by an expert who lovingly looks after the cherry blossoms in Hirosaki Park.

    BUNACO Factory

    • BUNACO is woodware created from Aomori beechwood. Passengers toured the atelier for close-up look of the artisans at work, and then tried their hand at making some woodware themself.

  • Goshogawara Trip

    Arrived at Aomori Station.

    Arrived at Aomori Station.
    Boarded charter bus for Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Goshogawara.
    • Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Goshogawara
      [Stopover for sightseeing]

    After touring Shayokan, the passengers transferred to the Tsugaru Railway at Kanagi Station to enjoy a ride on the Potbelly Stove Train, and then paid a visit to Tachineputa no Yakata.

    Shayokan - Osamu Dazai Memorial Hall

    • The passengers visited the location where the novelist Osamu Dazai spent his childhood years, and saw some of the places that feature in his works.

    Board Tsugaru Railway Potbelly Stove Train

    • The passengers gathered around a real coal stove, while enjoying an amazing journey in winter surroundings.

    Tachineputa no Yakata

    • The 20 meter-tall (65 feet) Tachineputa festival floats are unique to Goshogawara.
      The TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA passengers enjoyed this extraordinary and dynamic sight up close.

  • [Lunch] outside the train

Lunch prepared by chef Michiaki Sasamori of OSTERIA ENOTECA DA SASINO

  • The passengers enjoyed the flavors of winter through a menu that included vegetables and wine produced by chef Michiaki Sasamori.
  • Italian cuisine with a focus on home-made ingredients

    When I was studying in Italy, I came to appreciate the rich variety of regional cuisine as I sampled restaurants in each region, visited wineries, and shared meals in the homes of friends.
    In trying to recreate these regional flavors, I raise vegetables in my garden and make wine, ham, sausage, cheese, etc. myself.
    My winemaking begins with growing the grapes - I grow two species of white wine grapes and three species of red wine grapes, along with Hirosaki apples for cider.
    The passengers on this trip enjoyed Hirosaki cider and wine along with a full course meal made from Aomori winter ingredients while taking in the snowy scenery at the elegant Fujita Memorial Japanese Garden.
  • Michiaki Sasamori OSTERIA ENOTECA DA SASINO
    Hirosaki, Aomori

Departed from Hirosaki Station.

  • [Dinner] onboard the train

Dinner prepared by TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA executive chef Shigeru Sato

  • The passengers savored cuisine prepared with flavorful ingredients harvested from regions they had passed through while on board the TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA.

Arrived at Ichinoseki Station.

Arrived at Ichinoseki Station.
Boarded charter bus for Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Ichinoseki.
  • Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Ichinoseki
    [Stopover for sightseeing]

  • The passengers took a tour of Sekinoichi Sake Brewery and enjoyed a sake tasting.
    They experienced a unique warehouse tour that showed them the sake-making process and gave them cultural insights.

Departed from Ichinoseki Station.

  • [Overnight] on TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA

Cocktail Hour

The passengers enjoyed a drink at Lounge Komorebi in Car 5, and relaxed with a drink while watching the evening scenery from the train window.

Day.3

Arrived at Naruko-Onsen Station.

Arrived at Naruko-Onsen Station.
Boarded the taxi for Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Naruko Onsen.
  • Shin-Yu Tan-Bo at Naruko Onsen
    [Stopover for sightseeing]

The Naruko Onsen is a famous hot spring area in Tohoku.
The passengers took a dip in these incredible mineral waters, which have long been popular for their therapeutic qualities.

  • [Breakfast] onboard the train

Breakfast prepared by TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA executive chef Shigeru Sato

  • The final morning of the trip featured a breakfast prepared with local ingredients from the Naruko area.

Departed from Naruko-Onsen Station.

  • [Lunch] onboard the train

Lunch of Sushi prepared by Miyagi Sushi Masters

  • The passengers feasted on a menu designed by Kunitomo Shirahata from Sushi Shirahata, Masahiro Hoshi from Kameki-Sushi and Taizo Shirahata from Sushitetsu in Shiogama Sushi Kaido.
  • Delectable seasonal fish by Shiogama Port

    Shiogama in Miyagi Prefecture is a port town where fresh seafood such as inshore tuna comes ashore through Shiogama Port.
    It is also famous for its large number of sushi restaurants.
    The owners of three sushi restaurants worked in turn on TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA, serving expertly-made sushi with a traditional style and flavorful ingredients.

    Sushi Shirahata (pictured left):
    Also renowned for its seasonal sides.
    Taste the four seasons of Shiogama.

    Kamekizushi (pictured center):
    A long-standing 90-year-old restaurant.
    With generations of experience, their skills are undeniable.

    Sushi Tetsu (pictured right):
    With colorful sushi and sides artfully arranged on your plate, your meal will please your taste buds and your eyes alike.

  • [Left]
    Sushi Shirahata
    Kunitomo Shirahata

    [Center]
    Kameki Sushi
    Masahiro Hoshi

    [Right]
    Sushitetsu
    Taizo Shirahata Shiogama Sushi Kaido
    Shiogama, Miyagi

Arrive at Ueno Station.

A farewell party was held in “Prologue SHIKI-SHIMA” after arrival at Ueno Station.
Passengers enjoyed the company of the train crew and their fellow travelers one final time, while reflecting on their wonderful journey aboard TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA.
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