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JR East journeys

The largest operator collection in the catalogue: eastern Japan's Shinkansen corridors and its unusually deep fleet of sightseeing trains.

JR East runs both ends of the Japanese railway experience, 320 km/h Shinkansen services north from Tokyo, and a fleet of joyful trains built for specific coastlines, valleys and local cultures.

Reading the two together is the point of this page: the Shinkansen decides how far you can reach in a morning, and the sightseeing trains decide what is worth stopping for once you are there. Every journey below records its own route, season and reservation detail as the operator publishes it.

18 published journeys · 4 groupings

Shinkansen corridors5
Sightseeing and design trains10
Scenic and regional lines2
More JR East journeys1

Featured journeys

Start with these

An E6 series Komachi Shinkansen crossing a bridge in autumn colour.

Japan · Scenic

Akita Shinkansen: Tokyo to Akita

A mini-shinkansen over the mountains to the Sea of Japan

3h 37m · JR East

Scenic
Engineering
High-speed

Photo: 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The JR East B.B.BASE bicycle train running on the Sotobo Line in Chiba, Japan.

Japan · Design

B.B.BASE

Bring the bike aboard and start riding straight from the train.

1h 50m · JR East

Design
Themed
Excursion

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

HIGH RAIL 1375 crossing the highland Koumi Line beneath summer clouds.

Japan · Scenic

HIGH RAIL 1375

A highland train built around mountain light and starry skies.

2h 40m · JR East

Scenic
Design
Themed

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

5 journeys

Shinkansen corridors

An E6 series Komachi Shinkansen crossing a bridge in autumn colour.

Japan · Scenic

Akita Shinkansen: Tokyo to Akita

A mini-shinkansen over the mountains to the Sea of Japan

3h 37m · JR East

Scenic
Engineering
High-speed

Photo: 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

An E7 series Hokuriku Shinkansen train crossing a viaduct above a rural valley.

Japan · Scenic

Hokuriku Shinkansen: Tokyo to Tsuruga

Over the mountains to the Sea of Japan coast

3h 06m · JR East

Scenic
High-speed

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

An E7 series Shinkansen working a Tanigawa service on the Joetsu Shinkansen.

Japan · Engineering

Joetsu Shinkansen: Tokyo to Niigata

Across the spine of Honshu to the snow country

1h 29m · JR East

Engineering
High-speed

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

A JR East E5 series Hayabusa service standing at Morioka Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen.

Tohoku Shinkansen: Tokyo to Shin-Aomori

The length of northern Honshu at Shinkansen speed

2h 58m · JR East

Epic
High-speed

Photo: brian25_tw / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

An E3 series Tsubasa train of the Yamagata Shinkansen runs through open countryside.

Japan · Scenic

Yamagata Shinkansen: Tokyo to Shinjo

Japan's first mini-shinkansen, into the Yamagata hills

3h 40m · JR East

Scenic
High-speed

Photo: Original uploader was Jet-0 at ja.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

10 journeys

Sightseeing and design trains

Named joyful trains with interiors built around one route.

The JR East B.B.BASE bicycle train running on the Sotobo Line in Chiba, Japan.

Japan · Design

B.B.BASE

Bring the bike aboard and start riding straight from the train.

1h 50m · JR East

Design
Themed
Excursion

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

HIGH RAIL 1375 crossing the highland Koumi Line beneath summer clouds.

Japan · Scenic

HIGH RAIL 1375

A highland train built around mountain light and starry skies.

2h 40m · JR East

Scenic
Design
Themed

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Hinabi sightseeing train rounding a curve through green countryside.

Japan · Scenic

Hinabi

Big windows and local food through northern Tohoku.

2h 10m · JR East

Scenic
Design

Photo: 舌平目 · CC0

JR East KAIRI HB-E300 sightseeing train on the Uetsu Main Line between Majima and Murakami in Japan.

Japan · Scenic

KAIRI

Sea of Japan views paired with Niigata and Shonai food.

2h 25m · JR East

Scenic
Culinary
Design

Photo: MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

JR East Koshino Shu*Kura sightseeing train stopped at Omigawa Station in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Japan · Scenic

Koshino Shu*Kura

A sake-themed train through Niigata.

1h 45m · JR East

Scenic
Culinary
Design

Photo: 羽吹舞 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

JR East Oykot KiHa 110 sightseeing train on the Iiyama Line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Japan · Scenic

Oykot

A deliberately nostalgic local-line journey through rural Japan.

2h 20m · JR East

Scenic
Heritage
Design

Photo: さちどん / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5

The yellow and red Pokémon with YOU Train running through rural Iwate.

Japan · Design

Pokémon with YOU Train

A Pikachu-filled Tohoku train made for families.

1h 40m · JR East

Design
Themed
Excursion

Photo: 中央特快201 · CC BY-SA 4.0

JR East Resort Shirakami Aoike train arriving at Akita-Shirakami Station in Happo, Akita, Japan.

Japan · Scenic

Resort Shirakami

Shirakami Mountains on one side, the Sea of Japan on the other.

5h 15m · JR East

Scenic
Design
Epic

Photo: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Resort View Furusato running on the Oito Line beneath the snow-covered Hida Mountains.

Japan · Scenic

Resort View Furusato

Northern Alps scenery from an observation-room train.

3h 36m · JR East

Scenic
Design

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

Editorial illustration of an unbranded sightseeing train crossing orchard country in northeastern Japan.

Japan · Scenic

SATONO

A warm, food-led Joyful Train across southern Tohoku.

1h 56m · JR East

Scenic
Design

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

2 journeys

Scenic and regional lines

An E353 series Limited Express Azusa running on the Chuo Main Line between Torisawa and Saruhashi.

Japan · Scenic

Limited Express Azusa: Shinjuku to Matsumoto

Out of Tokyo and into the Japanese Alps

2h 30m · JR East

Scenic
Excursion

Photo: MaedaAkihiko · CC BY-SA 4.0

JR East SL Banetsu Monogatari hauled by steam locomotive C57 180 near Echigo-Ishiyama in Japan.

Japan · Scenic

SL Banetsu Monogatari

Steam through forests and river country on the Banetsu West Line.

3h 33m · JR East

Scenic
Heritage
Steam

Photo: Olegushka / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

1 journey

More JR East journeys

JR East steam locomotive D51 498, one of the locomotives used on SL Gunma services.

Japan · Heritage

SL Gunma

Historic steam day trips from Takasaki.

55m · JR East

Heritage
Steam
Excursion

Photo: Nanashinodensyaku / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Countries represented

Japan

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