FIRST CLASS TRAIN Across Japan 🇯🇵 (Overnight on “SHIKI-SHIMA”)

Welcome onboard one of the World’s Greatest Rail Journeys! This First Class Train across Japan has it all!

Watch this video to see what it’s like onboard the Train Suite Shiki-Shima across Japan! On our journey through massive urban centers, passed breathtaking mountains, and over peaceful rivers. We’ll cover nearly 550 miles over almost 31 hours!

The Shiki-Shima Train should be at the top of your travel bucket list. In this video, we’ll leave Tokyo at 9:15 and travel across Japan to return, the next evening, to our starting point: Ueno Station in Tokyo. Along the way, we’ll travel in a First Class train car with every amenity you can imagine (and some First Class Luxuries to surprise you!).

Onboard the Shiki-Shima First Class Train experience, we’ll have our own dedicated Team to take care of our every need, two INSANELY comfortable beds and Michelin Star Quality food.

Our room is in the “entry level” type, but you’d never know it! It’s got every amenity you can imagine!

The incredible Lounge includes a first class bar complete with snacks and other treats to enjoy along our journey.

We even had the opportunity to get out and explore Japanese culture twice during our journey. These explorations gave us a sense of just how special this magical country really is!!

You’ll see the sights, the food, and gain insight into what it’s like to travel on this incredible First Class Train: The Train Suite Shiki-Shima.

0:00 Introduction
2:39 Boarding Shiki-Shima
5:11 Shiki Shima Tour
10:47 Room Tour
15:49 Day Two
19:21 How to Book Shiki-Shima and Price
22:20 Bloopers

To register for Train Suite Shiki Shima ticket lottery: https://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/en/application.html

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Here’s a video about the MOST INCREDIBLE First Class Train!

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Just one more…a video I made comparing Amtrak’s Acela to a plane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVLnQFTazz8&t=0s

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Music:
Last Breath of Freedom – Bonnie Grace
Breaking the Fourth Wall – Edward Karl Hansom
Sights of the Tokyo Tower – Sight of Wonders
A True Master – Yi Nantiro
Specialty Qualities – Sarah, the Illstrumentalist
Rehearsal Decay – By Lotus
Black Water (Instrumental Version) – Loving Caliber
Skymning – Strom
Two of Many – Deskant
A Travelers’ Gloom – Dew of Light
Breathing Again – Clarence Reed
Japanese Garden – Sight of Wonders
You Are Special – Sarah the Illstrumentalist
Dust Turns to Gold – Hampus Naeselius

Welcome on board this first class train across Japan the Shiki Shima is Mega exclusive with only 17 Suites awarded by Lottery you’ve never seen a train quite like this until now join us for the next 2 days as we indulge in over-the-top dining and drinks sleep in our Lux sweet

And experience Japanese culture From a Train which might just be the best in the world hello jet Setters I’m Jeb Brooks from Greener grass.com this is Japan’s Shiki Shima train and you’re coming along here’s the plan we’ll leave too’s weno station at 9:15 in the morning and travel across Japan to nitsu

Station where we’ll get off the train to explore a bit we’ll then head south overnight to enzon station where we’ll get out again to sample Japanese wine before returning the next evening to weno station that’s more than 31 hours in about 550 Mi our journey began on a picture

Perfect day in Tokyo the weather was ideal for such a momentous rail journey we made our way over to weno station where members of the Shiki Shima onboard team were waiting for us eager to show us inside but they whisked us and our luggage through a special gate

In the station and into their own private Lounge we were given some specially brewed tea to Mark the start of the trip it was delicious we were then invited to order something else if we chose I was ready for my first cup of the coffee of the

Day this is unbelievable and we haven’t even left yet we received a massive amount of materials explaining exactly what to expect along the way along with a beautiful pin that would Mark us as passengers better than a boarding pass huh in the itinerary we discovered a correction an apology that would be

Unthinkable on a train trip back in the US our schedule had been shifted by 1 minute we were then shown a short video with an overview of our room why waste time doing that on board after all we step back out onto the platform to watch this futuristic train arrived

Which as you’d expect it did right on time from the outside its most distinctive feature has to be these engines that double as observation cars the whole train is made up of 10 cars that includes a lounge car a dining car two observation cars like this one and

Six sleeping cars with only 17 rooms all told there are only only 34 passengers on board and Suzanne and I are about to be two of them so what do you say we get this trip started this platform number 13 and2 is only open for this train this is unreal it’s totally unlike

Anything I’ve ever experienced everybody’s watching us we’re boarding now this train is out of this world probably we haven’t even gotten on this is the coolest train we’ve ever traveled on we entered through the lounge which is this double level space with mindbending floor to ceiling Windows

This is really setting the stage for the rest of the train and we know we’ll be spending a lot of time in here during our journey walking down the hallway we found our room and here we are room 903 oh my gosh I can’t believe this is a train I

Mean this is unreal I’ve never seen anything like this wow I’m speechless we’ll have plenty of time to explore our room but for now let’s head up to the observation C watch our departure and we were off everyone waving goodbye as we pulled Away making our way out of Tokyo took time it is one of the world’s biggest cities after all this trip is operated by the Jr East company who consider this train a cruise that means we’ll be getting off and exploring a couple of times on this two-day

Experience I think we’re going to head back to our room for now check that Out all right we are on board the train Suite shikishima we are well and truly on our way out of Tokyo Suzanne what are your first impressions this train is incredible like the finishes and the decor it’s gonna be an amazing trip I agree I mean it’s so futuristic but at

The same time kind of a blend of traditional Japanese Aesthetics I mean this is Japan to me it’s it’s a combination of the ancient and the modern we are the only non Japanese passengers on this train and the staff have been so kind to us already we’ve

Kind of got our own dedicated translator which has been really helpful to understand what what’s going on but I I only disappointed that we’ve only got one night on this train but we’re going to take full advantage of everything we can share it all with you so let’s get into

It let’s have a look around this one-of a kind train Shiki Shima means the island of Four Seasons which is embraced in every part of this train from the onboard Aroma which changes every season to the route which varies throughout the year to the everchanging menus featuring local ingredients train suet shikishima

Made its debut back in 20177 as the luxury Cruise train of Japan Rail East it was designed by Ken okiyama who was known for his work on Porsche and Ferrari which you can see reflected in the futuristic exterior of this train at the front and back of the

Train are the engines which double as identical observation cars they offer futuristic Windows ideal for watching the constantly changing scenery as well as unmatched views into the Train’s operation handwoven carpets made to resemble Moss add warmth and seem to almost bring the outdoors in five cars like these contain the 17

Suets on board and we’ll take an in-depth look at ours in just a bit car number five though is this stunning two-story Lounge car now this is a place you can enjoy a coffee or cocktail at any hour of the day it even has a fireplace and a piano for evening

Entertainment this Lounge is named korabi which translates to rays of sunshine filtering through tree branches you can definitely see where that comes from the next car of course is the elegant dining room and just wait until you see the amazing meals we’re going to have in

Here well it’s time for our first meal it’s lunch it’s about uh 11:00 or so so we’re going to head back to the dining car and uh check out what’s on the menu everything is included in the price of your ticket that includes the drinks in

This menu and of course the iconic views out the giant picture windows now you won’t sit with other passengers in this train and we had a different table for each meal the train has its own executive chef but for two of the meals and this is one of them guest

Chefs have been invited to prepare the meals for us now what you’re about to see will Amaze you the plating and flavors are what you’d expect from a Michelin star restaurant not a kitchen on a train this extravagant seven course meal is about to really stretch our

Pallets it was here during lunch where the views became even more more impressive the plum juice was an excellent way to start it really opened up our pallets and when it came to this candy apple our waitress invited us to guess the flavor she said it was not an

Apple but instead inspired by a traditional candy apple the flavor was rich and savory but neither of us could guess turned out it was fagra this is some very cuttingedge dining the appetizers were each delicious and complex in their own right but the game foul which turned out to be

Chicken was by far my favorite it had a bit of a kick to it but not too much the soup was new to me I’d never tried berck root and it provided an interesting fibrous texture meals on board the shikishima are lingering Affairs which gives you plenty of time to enjoy the passing

Scenery we decided to sample the Japanese wine which had a very delicate flavor to It Suzanne enjoyed her Lobster well unfortunately my shellfish allergy meant it was deep fried vegetables for me but they were very Good and it was the Luhan that was The Runaway favorite for me this Taiwanese specialty was flavorful and simple this final cold soup for dessert that’s mango was the perfect end into this truly extravagant Meal how about that lunch fine dieing at its best wow definitely adventurous eating for a couple of people from the US am I right I’ll say I’m usually kind of a simple eater I’m more like Eat to Live not live to eat so this is going to

Stretch my uh boundaries a little bit but it’s fun to try a lot of new things everything was so good uh from from the beginning to the end that was a seven course lunch what’s in store for us for dinner I think it’s French cuisine so I

I don’t know if I’m going to be hungry but I’ll find a way their observation cars and then their observation cars this is something special we are actually in the Train’s engine there two of these one at each end and believe it or not you can see them driving the

Train right through that window this is unlike anything I’ve ever seen on any train anywhere in the world of course traveling by train and beautiful weather is wonderful but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I think traveling by train through a rainstorm is one of the most relaxing

And frankly wonderful things you can experience this is this is a perfect day for a train ride in my book unlike rail in the United States here in Japan it’s primarily used as a means of travel less than 1% of rail traffic is for Freight also unlike the

United States passenger rail in Japan is privatized they’re almost 20,000 miles of rails in this country and as many as 18 billion people use the network each year the scale and pervasive use of the rail system in this country means that it’s home to about 46 of the world’s 50 busiest train

Stations but this feels like a good time to take a closer look around our room number 903 hey come on in don’t you love how so many doors in Japan are sliding doors takes up less space let me show you around our sweet this thing is

Amazing so right here we have two chairs that at night will turn into beds I’m sure it’s going to be really comfortable sleep too because these rails are so smooth another thing I love about this Suite is we have a thermostat so we can make the temperature exactly what we

Wanted here there are also various lighting moods that we can set in addition there’s an iPhone in between the two beds if we need anything we can call the STA here we’ve got a table and a foot stool and then come around here let me show you this in here we have a

Clos it to hang our clothes this is a little bit more of a formal train than we’ve traditionally been on so we’ve got to elevate our dress tonight for dinner in here there’s a uh there’s a refrigerator and a safe and then down here is luggage storage now let’s check

Out this luxurious onsweet bathroom it has got everything and more than you’d expect on a train come on in there’s this sink which is really big I’m used to really small sink Sun trains not here this shower is also big I think it safe to say this is the biggest shower we’ve

Ever seen on any train now the uh the toilet itself is exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese toilet it’s a full-on bedet this really does have it all including a number of amenities that we can use while on board this by the way is the lowest level of sweet on the

Entire train you wouldn’t know it though this thing is super luxurious but for even more luxury you’ll want to check out the Shiki Shima suet room it’s a full twostory Suite that’s right two stories complete with a bathtub I really wish YouTube had some way to transmit smells the smell on this

Train is incredible apparently they choose a different Aroma based on season so now we’re in the Autumn Aroma it’s amazing I wish you were here well it’s been about 6 hours since we boarded the train and we’re nearing the town of nigata we’re going to get off the train

Here and enjoy the Arts of a traditional gisha in the past I’ve only ever been to Tokyo so I’m excited to see more of the country on this journey we made our way to the Lounge karabi to wait to leave the train you see this is the only place

To get onto and off of the shikishima it’s not a bad place to wait Though we stepped off of the train pass the station master and onto a waiting Coach this journey took us to a beautiful partially rebuilt Villa from the 1800s where we watched a Gaya performance which unfortunately we were not permitted to film but our visit to this beautiful place wasn’t long we had a train to catch after all while we were away our room had been

Transformed into its nighttime configuration and that also meant it was time for us to transform too you see during the day the dress code is business casual but things Step Up A Notch at night well I think we uh we clean up okay yeah the dress code at

Night is semi-formal and you look great and I’m just along for the ride you put on a tie okay let’s get going dinner was prepared by the Train’s executive chef and was a Japanese French Fusion this marinated seab bream was prepared flower pot style was a light

Way to start and the care with which it was prepared was obvious the Pate was just as beautifully presented and equally delicious this tile fish was my favorite course so far well that was the case until this mindblowing beef arrived nobody does beef as well as the Japanese

And this solidified my opinion on that matter dessert was a multifaceted Affair too beginning with his small Blanc which was followed of course by Petty force from there we made our our way back to our room where we changed into our yukatas and Suzanne wanted to share

A bit of personal update with you I’m telling everyone I had a root canal in Tokyo yesterday but here I am can’t miss out on this several days ago Suzanne’s tooth started hurting but it wasn’t too bad and then on our 14-hour flight with Ana across the Pacific Ocean it really

Started hurting we found a great English-speaking dentist in Tokyo Link in the description below not a d i mean if they’re sponsorship so we’d be into it it’s a product we can get behind he was great now back to the regularly scheduled programming it’s time for bed see you in the morning good

Night overnight there was entertainment in the lounge car and even another stop but we opted for a solid night of sleep instead good morning it’s about 6:30 in the morning or so and uh our day starts in about an hour for another Excursion uh we’re heading up to a WI I think a

Little early for that so I I hope maybe there’s breakfast before I don’t know anyway it was a pretty good night’s sleep the track here is so much smoother than what we’re used to back uh back in North America let’s get started and we immediately realized we’ arrived in

Japan’s wine growing region this is the yamanashi prefecture yamanashi is one of Japan’s most significant fruit producing regions in addition to grapes there are also peaches and plums grown Here again we made our way to the lounge before stepping off the train and onto another waiting coach breakfast in koshou was at a French restaurant this peaceful setting was perfect for the French infused Japanese breakfast we enjoyed Everyone had a great View and we kicked things off with this salad with roast pork it was light and delicious next was this sweet potato and ginger soup which may just have been the best soup I’ve ever had in my life I’m going to be craving this for years to

Come the main course was this absolutely perfectly prepared fish and it’s not often you get dessert with breakfast but this moose was right on point we left the restaurant behind and made our way to a nearby winery where we saw the very heart of Japan’s wine industry The Grapes grown here are used

To produce some of Japan’s most celebrated wines now I didn’t know anything about the Japanese wine industry before today and walking around the winery here provided us with an opportunity to appreciate it’s Beauty I find wine to be a fascinating way to connect with a place and the

Wines we tried here demonstrated the uniquely Japanese focus on delicate and Light Flavors something we’d experienced in all the meals on board Too many of the trains we feature on this channel are inner city trains true Transportation but this the shikishima is a tourist train and one of the benefits of that is it allows us to get out and explore a little bit of Japan to see some parts of it that we wouldn’t

Otherwise I think that’s a real benefit a real special feature of of a trip like this it’s been a lot of fun anyway but the Journey’s not over yet we’ve got to get back on the train to continue on the way so let’s get that done soon though

We returned to the Shiki Shima where we discovered a pretty incredible welcome party the enthusiasm we encountered all along the way of this journey was unlike anything we’ve experienced anywhere Back on the train um we’re in the second seating for lunch the dining car only has room for half the guests at in any one time so we got a little bit of time to kill we’ve stopped here while they turn the train change the Train’s Direction but I thought first maybe

Suzanne could explain how in the world we ended up on this train cuz it’s kind of an interesting story so you might be wondering how can you get yourself on board this amazing train the shikishima well the thing is they don’t sell tickets for it they assign Space by

Lottery so each quarter they open up applications we had to apply three times before we got selected Super Lucky third time’s a charm so we’re really psyched to be on board and if you want to find out more we’ll put a link in the description below to how to apply we paid

$2,500 each to have this experience expensive you bet worth it well that’s up to you but to us absolutely it was the most Exquisite train we’ve ever seen as our lunchtime approached we enjoyed a cocktail in a lounge and took in the stunning views of Japan it’s time for lunch this lunch was for me the culinary highlight of the trip it’s the most traditional Japanese meal I’ve ever had and like yesterday’s lunch this one was also by a guest Chef the seaweed broth soup was rich and the hoto style egg custard was new

To me both rich and delicious but it was here where the excitement for my Western palet really started we were presented with everything from a radish shape like Mount Fuji to Raw horse meat now I’m always eager to understand local flavors and this was one of my most memorable

Meals I have to say the menu was intimidating but also richly rewarding by far the cherry blossom meater basashi also known as raw horse meat was what I was most concerned about trying but I’ll try anything quite scared it’s like a small piece it’s chewy and uncooked but delicious really

It tasted just like beef kpao the Mochi wrapped in red bean paste was a nice way to finish this special Meal So now that we’re nearing Tokyo this two-day experience is almost over but I reflect back on it and think about what was my favorite part there’s so many things to choose from it could be that amazing food it could be our beautiful sweet or how could you go wrong with

This magnificent stunning unique train well I think my favorite part is actually just getting to be a part of that that Japanese train culture for 2 days everywhere we’ve been on this train folks have been excited to see this train to greet this train to wave at us

Uh it’s been amazing to see and just feel like a small part of that this this happens here every day all day there’s no place like Japan for trains between now and the next time see you on the rails we didn’t have breakfast this morning so they’ve left this sweet out

I’m going to have a quick bite and uh I’m not going to call that my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten well how about that lunch wowzers I shouldn’t say start over again this is to beautiful don’t you love how every door in Japan practically every door is a

Sliding door I know I do but I got to say you know being the only non-japanese speakers on the train can leave us feeling a little Lost in Translation however was my first root canal but it definitely won’t be my last there may only be one pillow in

This bed but dang it’s comfortable this is all great and stuff like really fun really scenic but get me back to the train let’s go