“Twilight Express MIZUKAZE” – Dreams and Adoration Felt in the Smallest Railway Compartment

Kaoru Ihara | Writer specializing in railways

The original Japanese article was published on 11:00, March 13, 2017

A proud emblem on the side of “Twilight Express MIZUKAZE”, disclosed to the press

Unwrapped “MIZUKAZE” reveals the five gold railings shining on the observation deck

“This room is superb! I want to have a ride!”

“Twilight Express MIZUKAZE”, a luxury cruising train that will be operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) from June this year was recently disclosed to the press. For the first time, the dark green exterior that revealed itself from the black wrapping film, as well as its interior were unveiled. I’m sure it was not just me who couldn’t help sighing more than once at the luxurious spaces such as: “The Suite”, a suite encompassing the entire car, a first in the world; a lounge car equipped with a bar counter and a table for tea ceremony; observation deck to which passengers can step out, and so on.

A lounge car equipped with even a bar counter and a table for tea ceremony

On this day, we were allowed to see and shoot almost all of the facilities inside the train (no photo shoots allowed inside “The Suite”). Of course, what I was hoping to see the most was “The Suite” – a cast iron handrail that reminds me of a gate in a villa, and floor-to-almost-ceiling windows placed right in front of me when I sit on the couch in the living room. A view of the night sky can be taken in from the bed with a width unbelievable for a sleeping berth. And to top it off, a cabriole leg bathtub in a skylit bathroom…I could feel the luxury that matches the concept of “a hotel running through beautiful Japan” in my visit that lasted only a few minutes, probably the first and last chance to be inside “The Suite”.

In some sections of the route, the observation deck at the rear of the train is opened for the passengers to feel the natural wind

For the two types of compartments other than “The Suite”, we were able to see the rooms both in the normal state and in the state when the beds are made. In groups, we took turns going through the rooms. It was actually not in “The Suite” where the words I introduced at the beginning were uttered by most people in my group.

A hotel-like atmosphere can be enjoyed in “Royal Twin”, the twin room, just as envisioned in its concept

The words were uttered in “Royal Single”, the two rooms in Car No. 4. The rooms are named “Single”, thus are slightly smaller than most rooms called “Royal Twin”, but are equipped with an extra bed and can be used by two. When the extra bed is used, the beds are positioned like a bunk bed. Clearly, the other rooms excel in facilities, but why did most people utter those words?

It was because, when the bunk beds appeared, the atmosphere was exactly like the one of an “overnight sleeper train”.

Bunk beds in “Royal Single” with a sleeper train atmosphere

A small but serene atmosphere that reminds me of the Royal room of the former “Twilight Express” that regrettably retired, and the Orient Express that I saw in magazines as a child – looking at the bunk beds with white bed linen reminded me that the train was not a hotel but was in fact a sleeper train. What I felt was something different from its space or its luxury, but an atmosphere specific to sleeper trains.

JR East’s “TRAIN SUITE Shiki-shima” that makes its debut in May this year before “MIZUKAZE”, and JR Kyushu’s “Nanatsuboshi (Seven Stars) in Kyushu” that has been operating for three and a half years, have both been designed with a focus on a new rail travel never experienced before. Of course, such focus is wonderful and I would love to have a try. Meanwhile, it may be the “Royal Single” of “MIZUKAZE” that inherits the conventional joys of train travel and that fulfills the childhood dream of “I want to ride on it one day,”.

“Royal” room in the former Twilight Express

Actually, this was not the first time that I felt such way on the topic of “MIZUKAZE”. Last November, when the fare and the schedule for the start of operations were announced, JR West President Tatsuo Kijima revealed a concept of a “new long-distance railway”. The reporters were deeply interested in his words, “I want to make a train that can be enjoyed more casually than MIZUKAZE.” Waves of questions, such as, “Where and for how much?”, “What kind of in-train facilities do you have in mind?” were raised in the Q&A session. He explained that it was still in the initial stage of discussions and no decisions were made on what kind of train it will be; however, what crossed my mind was the hope that “a slightly luxurious sleeper train can be enjoyed again by many more people and not just by a handful of wealthy people.” I’m sure that there were many others who shared my hope.

I regard that travelling by sleeper train that used to be casually enjoyed all over Japan, was beyond a simple train travel but was, without exaggeration, a culture on its own. I truly look forward to the day when we will be able to enjoy that experience once again.

Members of crew also made their appearance in the roll out ceremony of “MIZUKAZE”