Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Finding affordable accommodation in Japan can be tough at any time of year, but when one or even two of Japan’s biggest summer festivals is being held, securing a place to stay can become even more challenging.
Now, East Japan Railways (JR East) has come up with a creative solution to the problem by opening up one of its bullet trains as a place to stay overnight.
The unique experience will take place from 3-5 August, on an E6 Series Komachi bullet train that will be parked at Akita Station, where passengers can stay onboard from around 9:30 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning. The event coincides with the region’s biggest festival season, as the local Akita Kanto Festival and the slightly further afield Aomori Nebuta Festival are being held during the same week.
Bedding isn’t provided, but every guest will receive complimentary mineral water, a 500-yen voucher to spend at NewDays convenience stores, railway merchandise from JR East’s Akita branch, and an exclusive clear file after completing a post-event questionnaire.
NewDays convenience stores are run by the JR East group and conveniently located inside the station so you can easily use the voucher to grab some food before or after your stay. Passengers will be able to eat and drink on board, but they will need to remain in their allocated seat for the entire night, and passengers won’t be allowed to leave the train between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.
Oona McGee