Cypress bath

Nagiso, Nagano Prefecture

The joy of soaking in a hot bath while watching the scenery roll by outside the train windows.
A faint aroma of new wood drifts from the cypress bathtub

A Kiso cypress bath onboard the train. The only train in the world where you can enjoy this blissful experience

One of the pleasures of traveling in the SHIKI-SHIMA Suite Room and Deluxe Suite Room is relaxing in the en suite cypress bath. These baths are made to our special specifications from natural wood obtained from cypresses that are at least 300 years old, grown in the Kiso Valley straddling Nagano and Gifu prefectures. The baths are big enough to comfortably hold one adult. The faint aroma of wood and the soft white-grained cypress gently soothe the body and mind. The tubs have been made with great precision, right down to the millimeter level, to ensure that the water doesn’t spill out with the movement of the train. There can be no greater joy than soaking in hot water, right up to your shoulders, and watching the scenery around you pass by. Special moments like these can only be experienced on TRAIN SUITE SHIKI-SHIMA.

The joy of soaking in a hot bath while gazing at the scenery outside the train. An expansive, relaxing space with the faint aroma of precious natural cypress wafting through the air

Made to special specifications, such as the attachment of thin strips of cypress to the inside of the tub, so that the train’s movement does not create strong waves.

Meticulous manufacturing that showcases the Kiso cypress, a scarce natural material

Kiso cypress that has slowly grown over the course of more than 150 years in the harsh natural environment of Nagano Prefecture’s Kiso Valley. Since the trees are grown three times longer than the cypresses in other producing areas, their wood has beautifully delicate tree rings. In addition, its grain has excellent durability, and does not shrink or warp very much. This very special timber was formerly used in castle construction, but nowadays it is also used to construct shrines, such as Ise Jingu.
Shimizu Mokuzai was founded in 1944, and is engaged in the manufacture of natural wood products in the Shinshu Nagiso region. The company initially used a waterwheel to lumber logs, and manufactured building materials and beekeeping materials. Today it mainly makes cypress bathtubs, pails and barrels, and strives bring out the natural gentleness of the wood in its painstaking manufacturing processes.

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