Experience the bullet train like few travellers ever have before.
Japanese bullet trains are usually known for speed, but East Japan Railway (JR East) is now highlighting the charms of a stationary Shinkansen by giving travellers the chance to sleep overnight on a working bullet train parked at the station.
After announcing it would be offering a special overnight experience on a Komachi bullet train at Akita Station for three nights this summer, JR East has now revealed it will be offering a similar experience on an E5 Shinkansen at Shin-Aomori Station.
This new overnight stay is a much more limited affair, as it will only be held for one night on 2 August, which is the first night of the Aomori Nebuta Festival, one of Japan’s three major summer festivals, featuring giant lit-up floats and attracts thousands of visitors every year.
JR East is calling the event “Premium Time on the Shinkansen in Shin-Aomori”, and says it will allow visitors to “soak up the afterglow of the Aomori Nebuta Festival“. For many festivalgoers, a stay at the station can be a much more appealing alternative than heading home on crowded public transport at the end of the evening.
The event is scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m., when guests will be able to check in until 11:50 p.m., with boarding set to commence at 11:40 pm. Guests will be able to bring their own food and drink on board, but JR East will also be providing each guest with a set of bread and Aomori apple juice – Aomori is famous for apples – as a special welcome gift.
Participants will have an early start as the event is scheduled to end at 4:50 am the following morning, when guests will need to disembark from the train and exit through the Shinkansen ticket gate. Participants won’t be able to leave until 4:50 am, so anyone signing up should be prepared to stay onboard for the duration of the event.
The limited hours are due to the fact that the Shinkansen and the platform where it’s parked are still operational, so they need to be cleared ahead of the day’s services. This is one of the big draws of the event, as it offers a rare chance to spend the night on board a working Shinkansen, with guests able to enjoy the atmosphere of the train and the station outside of normal operating hours.
JR East is encouraging guests to enjoy the atmosphere on board by keeping the lights on inside the carriages throughout the event, and although bedding won’t be provided, guests can bring sleeping materials like a pillow and blanket. Prices start at 5,000 yen (US$30.57) per person for a seat in the two-row seating aisle, and 6,000 yen for a seat in the three-row seating aisle. This configuration gives each guest two or three seats to themselves respectively, so they won’t have to worry about sitting right next to a stranger for the night. There will also be dedicated carriages for groups and separate women-only carriages for solo travellers.
▼ Seats can be turned to face each other for groups staying together.
Groups can reserve up to eight seats together for 15,000 yen or 10 for 20,000 yen, which works out to 1,875 yen or 2,000 yen per person. This is a very cheap deal for an overnight stay, especially during the Nebuta Festival, when accommodation can be incredibly expensive and hard to find.
▼ “Box Seats” for groups of 8 and 10 passengers.
It might not be for everyone, but for lovers of Japanese bullet trains, and anyone looking for an affordable place to stay right at the station on a busy festival night, this is a rare opportunity to experience the Shinkansen in a way few travellers ever have before.
Tickets are on sale through JR East’s JRE MALL ticket website until midday on 30 July, although sales will end earlier if the event sells out.
Source: JR East
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Insert images: JR East, JRE Mall
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