"Seasons of Eastern Japan" Trip

When the harvest season arrives, the coastline and mountains of the Tohoku region take on a whole new beauty. The plan for this trip was to help guests experience local festivals and arts with a long history, enjoy everything the area's abundant nature has to offer and take in the stunning landscapes from the windows of the train as they made their way through all the wonders of the Tohoku region (also known as the Michinoku region). Unfortunately, this trip was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These three-day seasonal journeys included such attrac- tions as “Yama Buttsuke” (clashing of festival floats) at Kakunodate-matsuri, which is listed as a UNESCO Intan- gible Cultural Heritage; a traditional local Tanabata festival event called “Tenku-no-Fuyajou” that has been passed down through generations; the Echigo “Ushi no Tsunotsuki” (bullfighting) that has been designated an important intan- gible folk cultural asset of Japan and has been carried out since olden times in districts such as Yamakoshi and Ojiya in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture; and visits to Narai-juku, the post town that flourished on the Kisoji section of the Nakasendo, and Murakami with its lovely black-walled townscapes.

In addition to admiring the ume (Japanese apricot) blos- som, a harbinger of early spring, in Yugawara or Kairakuen, the passengers enjoyed experiences that are only possible in early spring, such as flower arranging in Karuizawa with leading flower box creator Nicolai Bergmann. They also vis- ited the MOA Museum of Art where Red and White Plum Blossoms, a designated National Treasure, is on display. In addition to enjoying views of canola fields and sunsets from TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA, they also had spectacular views of the Jomo-Sanzan mountains, particularly Mt. Haruna and Mt. Myogi, from a steam train. The journeys that departed on February 9 and 13 included a sightseeing excursion to Kasama from Tomobe Station, and the one that departed on March 5 included a sightseeing excursion to Mito from Kairakuen Station.

The passengers experienced the regional delights of sum- mer via the quintessential Japanese summer event of a fire- work display, and a festival listed as a UNESCO Intangi- ble Cultural Heritage. They also enjoyed chartered trips on special regional trains to visit Osorezan, one of the three most sacred sites in Japan, and to the artisan workshops that created the furniture and carpeting used in the TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA cars and lounge.

The Doll Festival is a traditional Japanese ritual where fam- ilies pray that girls will be healthy and thrive.
This cultural tradition remains strong in many parts of eastern Japan. In Sakata (Yamagata Prefecture), which has a vibrant Doll Festival culture, the passengers viewed the traditional, carefully preserved dolls that were brought there on Kitamaebune ships. The following day, they had a char- tered trip on the SL Ginga to experience Ihatov, the uto- pian world depicted by Kenji Miyazawa. On the third day of this spring journey into the beauty of Japan, the cultural experiences included art in Nasu (Tochigi Prefecture) and Yuki-tsumugi (silk pongee) in Yuki (Ibaraki Prefecture).

A special New Year experience on TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA. On Day 1 we headed to Atami (Shizuoka Prefecture), an area that has attracted many artists and writers, before seeing in the New Year at the countdown event in Yokosuka (Kanagawa Prefecture). Passengers watched the first sunrise of the year from Wadaura on the Boso Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture) and made their first shrine visit of the year at Kashima Shrine (Ibaraki Prefecture).

A very special trip to experience traditional culture unique to the Japanese summer.
The passengers watched Akita Prefecture’s Nishimonai Bon Odori (Bon festival dance), which has been designated as an important intangible folk cultural asset of Japan, and also visited Hiraizumi, the Iwate Prefecture World Heritage site that is rooted in the thinking of Pure Land Buddhism.
The TOHOKU EMOTION, the restaurant train that runs along the Hachinohe Line, was also chartered for their use.