Seven Stars in Kyushu
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The Ultimate Luxury Japan Train Experience
Your Introduction to Seven Stars in Kyushu, the Ultimate Luxury Train in Japan. Order Your Japan Rail Pass Online Today - 7, 14, & 21 Day Passes Available.
The ultimate luxury train experience in Japan
The Seven Stars in Kyushu is the first of these new luxury trains, introduced in 2011 for the sheer pleasure of traveling in the utmost comfort and enjoying prestigious tours. It criss-crosses the island of Kyushu on several seasonal routes.
The Seven Stars luxury train in Kyushu
Since the disappearance of all the night trains (except the Sunrise Express) that had criss-crossed Japan for decades, the various JR companies decided to offer a new service: the Cruise Train, i.e. a luxury train that travels over several days across a territory. JR Kyushu was the first to introduce its own, the Seven Stars in Kyushu, in autumn 2013. A real event, it triggered a fabulous craze among the Japanese, who were happy to rediscover such exceptional service and travel quality.
7-Star Train
This luxury train, the Seven Stars in Kyushu or Nanatsuboshi in Kyushu in Japanese, takes its name from several different aspects of the large southern island. Kyushu is made up of seven prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, which the train will visit on its various journeys.
The seven stars represent the 7 most important aspects of a visit to Kyushu: nature, food, hot springs, history and culture, places to rejuvenate body, mind and soul, hospitality and the railway system.
A top tier commute
The Seven Stars in Kyushu is designed to be the ultimate in train travel, like a fabulous Japanese Orient Express. Its suites have a retro feel, with the finest materials, wood, chrome, fabrics and fixtures, and large windows offering breathtaking views of the landscapes we pass through.
Needless to say, a certain dress code is required: suits for the gentlemen and evening gowns for the ladies, so that everything is in keeping on board.
Seven Stars Kyushu
©Par Rsa — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29451343
7 cars make up the train, with the 'Lounge Car Blue Moon' at the rear, featuring an immense panoramic view, tables with facing armchairs and a piano for concerts with chamber orchestra. The 'Salon Car Jupiter' with its comfortable sofas and armchairs for relaxing and chatting over a glass of sake or whisky. Then there's the Bar car, with its counter and Tea Room for intimate and precious tea ceremonies, and even a Gallery Shop selling products linked to the train's brand, made by craftsmen: jewelry, bags, glasses, mugs, pocket watches...
Then there are the 4 carriages with 10 suites for 2 people, with different levels of comfort, from two single beds to the DX Suite A with two large beds and a sitting area opening onto a large bay window, for a comfortable journey through Kyushu's most beautiful landscapes.
What travel options are available?
Seven Stars in Kyushu is currently offering 3 different trip options:
- A 4-day, 3-night trip to Kirishima in southeastern Kyushu. Focused on the culture of this area, with visits to a village that has been potting for over 400 years, marquetry artisans, a rich rural cuisine and a UNESCO-listed park.
- A 4-day, 3-night trip to Unzen and Yufuin in northern Kyushu. Focused on the beauty of the wilderness with the Aso and Unzen volcanoes, the pleasures of onsens, a visit to cosmopolitan Nagasaki and famous craftsmen.
- A tour of Kyushu in 2 days and one night. All the diversity of landscapes from morning in the mountains to sunset on the Sea of Japan, from Fukuoka to Kagoshima.
A memorable experience for anyone who can afford it. And this last point is not the easiest, as reservations are often taken by storm as soon as they open 6 to 8 months before departure. So many people want to experience the exception that the waiting lists are full and the lottery is run by JR Kyushu to select the lucky candidates.
And since we have to talk about it, prices range from €1,800 for the simplest 2-day trip in a first-price suite to more than double that for the top-of-the-range 4-day trip.
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