The once tourism icon of Japan is gradually sinking into the past, the reason behind makes everyone regret it

Once a tourist icon of JapanNow, the era of sleeper trains is gradually coming to an end, giving way to more convenient and faster means. However, a few companies still maintain this type of service for passengers in need.

Objectively, there are many reasons for some passengers to still choose to take this type of train. First, not all locations in Japan have direct bullet train lines, and buses are definitely out of the way for those in need of comfort. Moreover, in exchange for a rather long travel time, sleeper trains have relatively “soft” fares compared to planes or shinkansen even with first class.

During a trip to Tottori Sand Dunes – the only sand dune system in Japan, YouTuber Abroad In Japan reviewed this special service. The 11-hour journey over more than 600km on the Sunrise Express train.

Compared to the conventional image of a sleeper car, Sunrise Express’s first class is somewhat more comfortable, but not outstanding. Of course, the indispensable part is a bed that fits one person, with a rather large viewing window. The first-class room has an additional sink, a work desk and a clothes hanger.

First class and double rooms are quite spacious and comfortable but not outstanding

A special feature is that passengers can use the bathroom. The experience of bathing on the train is perhaps quite unique, but the bathroom is not really impressive in terms of area and comfort. The YouTuber also commented that the cabin is quite hot, despite the fact that it is for high-end customers. In addition, the fact that the train constantly stops at stations and broadcasts loud announcements is also somewhat annoying. Finally, the train does not serve food/drink that passengers must bring their own.

In the lower segments, passengers can choose a solo bed with a relatively small area, or a dorm room and face a lack of privacy.

The number of seats on the train is also very large, partly reflecting the business situation of this type of service, especially during the pandemic (video was taken in July 2021, when the epidemic situation was complicated). in Japan.

Originally born in the middle of the 20th century, sleeper trains (also known as “blue trains” thanks to their distinctive colors) were once a “tourist symbol” of the country of the rising sun, with many advantages. At that time, it was like shortening the travel distance, having certain convenience and comfort.

Image of sleeper train in Japan in its heyday

However, the explosion of public transport and the shift in the country’s socio-economic situation have led to the inevitable decline of green trains. As mentioned, their advantage lies in connecting areas where there are no airports or bullet trains. As the civil aviation industry and the shinkansen system developed more, this advantage was eliminated.

Therefore, the golden age of the original “blue train” system ended in the late 70’s and early 80’s of the last century. Understanding the situation, after this period, the operating companies changed their direction to “land yacht” service, for passengers who have a lot of time and prefer to “live slowly”, and value the journey more than the destination.

However, the collapse of Japan’s economic bubble at the end of the last century dealt the final blow to this once “tourist icon”. People now have the habit of saving more, both financially and in time. It is even more surprising that the middle-aged and elderly people under heavy economic pressure gradually do not want to spend too much time on commuting anymore.

Not to mention, the trend of people moving from industrial parks far from the center to big cities also leads to a decrease in demand for this service. Combined with the convenience and speed of airplanes as well as high-speed trains, it is not difficult to understand that sleeper trains have now been “left out”. Now, only 2 sleeper trains are still operating throughout Japan.