The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express asks you to step back into the 1920s. Japan's luxury cruise trains ask you to step forward into something that has no obvious precedent. The Shiki-shima — designed by Ken Okuyama, whose automotive work includes the Ferrari Enzo and the Maserati Birdcage concept — carries 34 passengers through eastern Japan in suites featuring bathtubs carved from 300-year-old hinoki cypress. The Seven Stars in Kyushu was chosen by Condé Nast Traveler readers as the world's best train journey. Both are booked by lottery. Neither is easy to access. Both are worth the effort.
Train Suite Shiki-shima
The Shiki-shima's exterior is finished in champagne gold — a colour that manages to be distinctive without being ostentatious, which is characteristic of the design throughout. Okuyama brought to the train the same philosophy he brought to automotive design: the elimination of everything unnecessary and the elevation of everything that remains. The result is a 10-car formation that looks unlike any other train on earth.
Seventeen suites accommodate 34 passengers. The standard Suite offers 9m² of floor space — larger than many hotel rooms — with wood finishes, washi paper screens, and soft lighting calibrated to the time of day. The Deluxe Suite (14m²) adds more floor area and a separate seating zone. The single Shiki-shima Suite, a two-storey maisonette at 20m², includes a hinoki cypress bathtub and is the most private and extraordinary sleeping space in Japanese luxury rail travel.
The public spaces are equally considered. The two observatory cars — named Kizashi (Omen) and Ibuki (Breath) — have wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows and white sofas that face the landscape rather than each other. Lounge Komorebi, in the central car, is named for the Japanese word describing the effect of sunlight filtering through tree branches — a design challenge that the interior lighting system actually attempts to recreate. The dining cars present kaiseki-style menus by chefs trained in Japan's highest culinary traditions; the menus change by season and by region traversed.
The train departs from Platform 13.5 at JR Ueno Station — a private platform built specifically for the Shiki-shima, accessible only to passengers. The Harry Potter reference is noted and is not accidental; there is a deliberate threshold quality to the boarding experience.
Route options run from two nights (shorter routes into Tohoku and the Izu Peninsula) to four nights (the full northern Honshū circuit including Nikko, the Tohoku coast, and inland mountain terrain). All routes include off-train excursions: visits to Nikko Toshogu Shrine, artisan workshops, local fish markets, onsen. The excursions are not generic tourist visits — they are facilitated meetings with craftspeople, local experts, and places that are not otherwise accessible to visitors arriving by conventional means.
The cypress bathtub detail: The Deluxe Suite and Shiki-shima Suite feature bathtubs made from hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood harvested from 300-year-old trees in Nagano Prefecture. Bathing in a hinoki tub while a train moves through the Japanese countryside is not an experience that has an equivalent anywhere else on earth. It is also why the Shiki-shima Suite commands significantly more than the standard Suite — it is not additional space but a different quality of experience.
Seven Stars in Kyushu
The Seven Stars was Japan's first luxury cruise train, launched by JR Kyushu in 2013, and it established the framework that the Shiki-shima and Twilight Express Mizukaze subsequently followed. Condé Nast Traveler readers chose it as the world's best train journey, which is a high-context statement: this is a publication whose readership has experienced most of what the luxury travel world offers, and they chose a Japanese train over every other option on earth.
Fourteen suites carry a maximum of 30 passengers through Kyushu's volcanic landscape, hot spring towns, coastal cliffs, and the cultural sites of Japan's southernmost main island. The train's design by Eiji Mitooka — who also designed the Aru Ressha and several other JR Kyushu signature trains — draws on Kyushu's traditional craftsmanship: the wood joinery is exceptional, the textiles draw on regional weaving traditions, and the dining cars deliberately showcase local culinary traditions rather than approximating a generic fine-dining experience.
The off-train programme includes visits to pottery kilns in Arita (the birthplace of Japanese porcelain), ryokan stays in Kurokawa Onsen (one of Japan's finest hot spring resort areas), visits to Takachiho Gorge, and cultural encounters that have been curated over the train's decade of operation into something more coherent and less tourist-facing than most comparable experiences.
The dining is structured around kaiseki principles — seasonal ingredients, regional provenance, presentation as an art form in itself — with Kyushu wagyu, fresh seafood from the surrounding seas, and sake and shochu pairings sourced locally. Unlike the VSOE, where the dining is French-inflected and internationally familiar, the Seven Stars dining is specifically Japanese and specifically Kyushu: the menu will have dishes and ingredients that most international visitors will be encountering for the first time.
The comparison you need to make
| Factor | Shiki-shima | Seven Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Japan, Tohoku | Kyushu (south-western Japan) |
| Design philosophy | Futuristic, design-forward, Ken Okuyama automotive influence | Traditional Japanese craft, Eiji Mitooka regionalism |
| Entry point price | ¥440,000 (~£2,300) pp | ¥402,000 (~£2,100) pp |
| Maximum guests | 34 | 30 |
| Signature feature | Hinoki cypress bathtub in Deluxe/top suites; Observatory cars | Kurokawa Onsen ryokan stay; Kyushu culinary depth |
| Best for | Design-focused travellers; Eastern Japan cultural immersion | Kyushu specifically; ryokan culture; traditional craft appreciation |
| Booking complexity | Japanese-language lottery; specialist operator advised | Japanese-language lottery; specialist operator advised |
The lottery — and how to actually get on one of these trains
Both trains operate through a lottery system that is oversubscribed by a factor of 10–20. Applications open approximately six to nine months before departure, require Japanese-language documentation, and the process is not designed for international visitors navigating it independently.
The practical route to a confirmed booking for non-Japanese speakers is through a specialist Japan luxury tour operator. Several have established relationships with JR East and JR Kyushu that provide either priority access to the lottery or direct booking capability that bypasses it. This access comes at a premium — operators typically charge significantly above the base train fare — but converts an uncertain probabilistic exercise into a reliable booking. For a trip of this significance, the premium is appropriate.
When approaching a specialist operator, the practical question is direct: "Can you guarantee me a booking on this train for my preferred dates?" If the answer is yes, confirm the terms. If the answer is "we will try the lottery," evaluate whether that level of uncertainty is acceptable for the planning complexity of a Japan luxury train trip.
Flying to Japan for the Shiki-shima or Seven Stars
The Shiki-shima departs from Ueno in Tokyo. Seven Stars from Hakata in Fukuoka. Private jet to Narita, Haneda, or Fukuoka — with Japan's meticulous arrival customs process planned accordingly — makes the international leg as seamless as the domestic one.
Charter via VilliersFrequently asked questions
Is the Shiki-shima or Seven Stars better for a first-time Japan visitor?
For a first-time Japan visitor, the Seven Stars in Kyushu has an advantage: the off-train programme includes a ryokan stay in Kurokawa Onsen, which provides a complete immersion into traditional Japanese onsen culture that many visitors identify as a formative Japan experience. The Shiki-shima's eastern Japan itineraries are extraordinary but assume some familiarity with Japanese culture to appreciate fully. That said, both trains are designed to be accessible to international visitors — the distinction is degree, not kind.
What language is used on board?
Both trains have bilingual (Japanese and English) staff. Announcements and programme materials are provided in English as well as Japanese. The dining experience involves some translation assistance from staff. Neither train requires Japanese language ability from guests, though some appreciation of the cultural context deepens the experience.
Can I combine a Japanese luxury train with other Japan travel?
Yes, and this is the most common approach. A typical itinerary might include a week in Tokyo (before the Shiki-shima) or Kyoto/Osaka (before the Seven Stars), then the train journey, followed by additional Japan exploration. The Japan Rail Pass does not cover these trains — they require separate ticketing — but conventional JR services with a pass work perfectly for the surrounding days. Our Japan JR Pass guide covers the conventional rail network.
When should I book to maximise chances of availability?
Lottery applications for both trains open approximately six to nine months before departure. If using a specialist operator with direct access, the lead time depends on the operator's arrangements. The general principle: start enquiring with specialist operators twelve months before your intended travel dates. This provides time to identify the right operator, confirm their access arrangements, and build the surrounding Japan itinerary around the confirmed train dates.
Prices quoted are approximate and based on available published information current as of early 2026. Pricing for Japanese luxury trains is subject to change and varies by route length, suite type, and season. All booking information reflects current knowledge — always verify with a specialist operator or directly with JR East/JR Kyushu. This article contains affiliate links — if you book a private jet through our Villiers link, we may earn a commission.