Rural areas rely on luxury rail traffic to keep traditions alive

There’s more than lavish meals and service at stake when traveling by luxury sightseeing trains. For rural communities along the routes, the passengers are their lifeblood.

For without them, residents would be even more hard-pressed to promote their specialties and keep traditional performing arts alive. Keeping local money-losing routes open is another factor.

Sightseeing trains offer the same benefits on land that cruise ships do at sea with port calls so passengers can go exploring.

Take Yamae, a village in Kumamoto Prefecture with a population of about 3,200.

Located in a basin, the village is famous for its chestnuts, which are reared by making use of temperature differences.

The village used to produce around 410 tons of chestnuts a year. But production nosedived by around 75 percent in recent years due to a lack of successors in chestnut farming families and other factors.

But Yamae chestnuts rebounded in popularity following Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu)'s decision in 2013 to adopt “shibukawa-ni” (chestnuts cooked with the inner skin) as a dessert on its Seven Stars in Kyushu deluxe sleeper train. Suddenly, there were eager buyers nationwide.

The municipality adopted an ordinance in 2019 to develop a branding strategy for its chestnuts. Production is on a recovery curve, according to village officials.

“It is also popular as a reward for those who make cash donations under the ‘furusato nozei’ hometown tax payment system,” said an official at the planning and coordination division. “The chestnut is our treasure.”

When West Japan Railway Co. (JR West)’s Twilight Express Mizukaze luxury sleeper train makes a stop at Higashihama Station along the Sea of Japan in Iwami, Tottori Prefecture, it is greeted by a performance of “Higashihama Ondo” dance.

The traditional performing art was discontinued more than 20 years ago but revived by a local volunteer group.

“Community bonds are deepening as we are now invited to perform at other events more frequently,” said Masuo Hamaguchi, 73, head of the group.

In Tono, Iwate Prefecture, local Tonogo “kagura” (sacred Shinto music and dancing) is performed when East Japan Railway Co. (JR East)’s Train Suite Shiki-shima comes to the city.

“We become more enthusiastic in practicing and improve our skills quickly when we get the opportunity to perform more often,” said Koji Kikuchi, 73.

With growing pride in the artform, the members are keen to pass down the tradition to future generations, he added.

“In addition to exquisite meals and the beautiful passing scenery, the fact that passengers can learn about traditions and cultures of areas along the route has won their support,” said a JR representative in charge of cruise train operations.

Residents of some rural areas have high expectations that the sightseeing trains will help to maintain money-losing local rail lines.

The Sekihoku Line, which connects Shin-Asahikawa and Abashiri stations in Hokkaido, operated at a loss of more than 4.4 billion yen ($29.5 million) in the pre-pandemic business year ending in March 2020.

Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) acknowledged it will be difficult to maintain the line without assistance.

Fare subsidies and other programs have yet to prove effective, but there is hope in the form of tours in the nation’s northernmost main land on the Royal Express offered by Tokyu Corp. since 2020.

On the third day of the four-day tour, the luxury sightseeing train runs from Engaru Station to Asahikawa Station on the Sekihoku Line to offer passengers stunning views.

With this serving as a springboard to attract visitors, a sightseeing tour on a chartered express train has been up and running since 2021.

“Sightseeing tours, which vitalize the entire region (of Hokkaido), are feasible because all rail lines are connected,” said Shinichi Chonan, 69, head of a civic group set up to ensure rail lines are well maintained.

“Keeping local lines is an issue that needs to be tackled not only by municipal governments along the lines but also by the prefectural and central governments,” Chonan said.

Eiji Mitooka, who designed the Seven Stars and Royal Express trains, said: “It will be the best travel experience not only for inbound tourists but also for Japanese people because the local lines allow them to see unspoiled, traditional landscapes. I want people to understand that local lines and unmanned stations, which will never be recovered once they are lost, are actually valuable.”

LOTTERY FOR EXPENSIVE TICKETS

Luxury sightseeing trains became popular in Japan after the success of the Seven Stars introduced in 2013.

The Train Suite Shiki-shima and the Twilight Express Mizukaze followed suit in 2017.

The most expensive tickets for compartments accommodating two passengers on a two-day, one-night trip range between around 600,000 yen and 900,000 yen per person.

The most expensive ticket for a three night trip on the Seven Stars was raised from 1.07 million yen to 1.7 million yen per person following a major renovation last year.

It remains so popular that a lottery is used to select passengers.

A JR Kyushu executive said it would never be a lucrative business on its own because it costs more to build the Seven Stars train than a Shinkansen bullet train.

“Its function is to serve as a flagship representing the company and convey the wonders of railway travel,” the executive added.

Although the Royal Express, which was introduced by Tokyu in 2017 to play the central role in sightseeing tours in the Izu region, is not a sleeper train, the company offers tours for passengers to stay overnight at luxury ryokan inns and hotels along the route.

The deluxe sightseeing train will take passengers on a four-day scenic journey through the Shikoku and Setouchi regions between January and March 2024.

A total of six trips are planned, with each tour accommodating up to 30 people.

The fares start at 960,000 yen per person.

“Our aim is to promote the charms of each community, revitalize tourism and promote local development in these regions,” said Takahiro Matsuda, general manager in charge of cruise train operations at Tokyu.