in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 are long-distance sleeper trains, nicknamed as such for the color of the train cars. They consist of 20-, 14- or 24-series sleeper cars, and currently run on six routes connecting major destinations within Japan across long distances, other routes being served by a fleet of newer limited-express sleeper trains which are not blue.

Five Blue Train services were eliminated in 2008 and 2009. The Japan Railways Group (JR) is expected, according to the Asahi Shinbun, to begin phasing out most of the other sleeper services as well.

History

The first Blue Train was known as the Asakaze. It ran between Hakata

Hakata Station

Hakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...

 and Tokyo

Tokyo Station

is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....

 beginning in 1956; air-conditioned cars were added two years later. As was the case with sleeper train services in other parts of the world, the Blue Trains acquired a romantic aspect and, at the peak of their popularity in the late 1970s, appeared in many novels. They were often described as "hotels on the move."

More recently, however, as the Shinkansen

Shinkansen

The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...

 (bullet train), buses, and airplanes have become faster, more popular, and sometimes cheaper, the Blue Trains have seen a severe decline in ridership and therefore revenues. The 2005 ridership on sleeper trains traveling west from Tokyo was calculated as one-fifth of that in 1987. For this and other reasons, such as aging equipment and a shortage of overnight staff, JR made plans to eliminate the majority of the overnight services.

The Asakaze service connecting Hakata and Tokyo was eliminated in 2005, its average occupancy below 30 percent. The Hayabusa and Fuji were eliminated in 2009. The daily Hokuriku

Hokuriku (train)

The was a limited express sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company which ran between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kanazawa via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey took more than seven hours...

train from Tokyo to Kanazawa was discontinued on 13 March 2010 along with its former Blue Train counterpart, the Noto.

Services like the Twilight Express and Cassiopeia, however, retain their popularity in the tourist market, due to their more luxurious status and the absence of a Shinkansen line to Hokkaido.

Current services

• Akebono
  Akebono (train)
  The is a limited express sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company , which runs from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Aomori, via the Jōetsu Line and Uetsu Main Line...
  
  - connects Ueno
  Ueno Station
  is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...
  
   (Tokyo) and Aomori
  Aomori Station
  is a railway station located in Aomori, Aomori, Japan. The station opened on 1 September 1891.-Lines:Aomori Station is served by the following lines.*Ōu Main Line *Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line *Aoimori Railway Line...
  
   once daily
• Cassiopeia
  Cassiopeia (train)
  The is a luxury overnight limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and the city of Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido. The one-way journey lasts approximately 16½ hours.Going from Ueno to Sapporo, trains call...
  
  - connects Ueno (Tokyo) and Sapporo
  Sapporo Station
  is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
  
   three times a week; uses deluxe carsAlthough not technically a blue train, the Cassiopeia is included here as it is a luxury overnight service similar to the Twilight Express.
• Hokutosei
  Hokutosei
  The is a limited express sleeping car train service in Japan which connects Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo Station in the northern island of Hokkaido, taking approximately 16½ hours...
  
  - connects Ueno (Tokyo) and Sapporo once daily
• Nihonkai
  Nihonkai (train)
  The is an overnight train which is operated by the East Japan Railway Company . The train runs overnight between Osaka Station and Aomori Station using the Tōkaidō Main Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Main Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, Uetsu Main Line, and Ōu Main Line.-Area of operations:The Nihonkai...
  
  - connects Osaka and Aomori once daily
• Twilight Express
  Twilight Express
  The is the longest overnight train service operating in Japan. Operated by West Japan Railway Company , it runs between the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Osaka on south-western Honshu...
  
  - connects Osaka and Sapporo four times a week; uses deluxe cars

Limited express sleeper trains

• Akatsuki
  Akatsuki (train)
  The was an overnight sleeper train service in Japan operated by JR West from Kyoto Station to Nagasaki Station and return. It ran on the Tōkaido, Sanyō, Kagoshima, and Nagasaki main lines....
  
  - connected Kyoto
  Kyoto Station
  is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof...
  
   and Nagasaki
  Nagasaki Station (Nagasaki)
  is a railway station in Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company . It forms the terminus of the Nagasaki Main Line....
  
  ; discontinued in March 2008
• Aki - connected Shin-Osaka
  Shin-Osaka Station
  is a train station in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is the western terminus of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and the eastern terminus of the Sanyō Shinkansen. The lines are physically joined, and many trains offer through service....
  
   and Shimonoseki
  Shimonoseki Station
  is a railway station on the San'yō Main Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. Kyushu Railway Company and Japan Freight Railway Company also use this station....
  
  ; discontinued in October 1978
• Asakaze - connected Tokyo
  Tokyo Station
  is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
  
   and Shimonoseki
  Shimonoseki Station
  is a railway station on the San'yō Main Line, operated by West Japan Railway Company in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan. Kyushu Railway Company and Japan Freight Railway Company also use this station....
  
  ; discontinued in 2005
• Chōkai - connected Ueno and Aomori; merged with Akebono in March 1997
• Dewa - connected Ueno and Akita
  Akita Station
  is a railway station in Akita, Akita, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-Platforms:- Limited express trains :* Komachi * Tsugaru * Inaho * Akebono * Nihonkai -Surrounding area:...
  
  ; merged with Chōkai in December 1993
• Fuji
  Fuji (train)
  The was a sleeper train operating between Tokyo and Ōita in Japan. Operated by the Kyushu Railway Company and classified as a limited express service, it was discontinued from the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2009.-Route:...
  
  - connected Tokyo and Ōita
  Oita Station
  is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Ōita, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on November 1, 1911.-Limited Express Trains:* Sonic * Nichirin * Yufuin-no-mori, Yufu...
  
  ; discontinued in March 2009
• Hakutsuru - connected Ueno and Aomori; discontinued in November 2002
• Hayabusa
  Hayabusa (train)
  The is a new high-speed Shinkansen service operated by East Japan Railway Company between Tokyo and in Japan since 5 March 2011. The name was formerly used for a limited express sleeping car service operated by JR Kyushu, which ran from Tokyo to , and was discontinued in March 2009.-Service...
  
  - connected Tokyo and Kumamoto
  Kumamoto Station
  is the central railway station in the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Kyushu Railway Company .In front of the station is a tram stop of the tram operated by Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau named Kumamoto-Ekimae Station.- Lines :Kumamoto is an intermediate station...
  
  ; discontinued in March 2009
• Hokuriku
  Hokuriku (train)
  The was a limited express sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company which ran between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kanazawa via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey took more than seven hours...
  
  - connected Ueno (Tokyo) and Kanazawa
  Kanazawa Station
  Kanazawa Station is a JR West railway station located in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the biggest station in Ishikawa Prefecture....
  
  ; discontinued in March 2010
• Hokusei - connected Ueno and Morioka
  Morioka Station
  Morioka Station is a railway station located in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.-History:The station was opened on November 1, 1890, by Japan's first private railway company, Nippon Tetsudō.-Station layout:...
  
  ; discontinued in November 1982
• Inaba - connected Tokyo and Yonago
  Yonago Station
  is a railway station on the San'in Main Line of West Japan Railway Company located in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It is also the terminus of the Sakai Line.The station started operation on November 1, 1902.-Layout:...
  
  ; discontinued in October 1978
• Izumo - connected Tokyo and Izumoshi
  Izumoshi Station
  is a station of West Japan Railway Company in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. of Ichibata Electric Railway is attached to the JR station.-Lines:Izumoshi Station*West Japan Railway Company *Sanin Main Line...
  
  ; replaced in March 2006 by the Sunrise Izumo night trainAlthough the Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto are night trains, they are not considered blue trains and are therefore not included on this list.
• Kii - connected Tokyo and Kii-Katsuura; discontinued in January 1984
• Mizuho
  Mizuho (train)
  The is a limited-stop shinkansen service operated between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011, following the completion of the Kyūshū Shinkansen.-History:...
  
  - connected Tokyo and Kumamoto/Nagasaki; discontinued in December 1996.
• Myōjō - connected Shin-Osaka and Nishi-Kagoshima; discontinued in November 1986
• Naha
  Naha (train)
  The was a sleeper train service operated by JR Kyūshū, which ran from Kyoto to Kumamoto, passing through Osaka, Okayama, Kokura and Hakata. It once extended to Nishi-Kagoshima...
  
  - connected Kyoto and Kumamoto; discontinued in March 2008
• Sakura
  Sakura (train)
  The is a high-speed shinkansen service operated between and Kagoshima in Japan since 12 March 2011. It was formerly a limited express sleeper train service operated by JR Kyushu, which ran from to and in Kyūshū, Japan...
  
  - connected Tokyo and Nagasaki/Sasebo
  Sasebo Station
  is the major railway station in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in Japan. The Sasebo Line of the Kyushu Railway Company and the Nishi-Kyūshū Line of the Matsuura Railway provide local and regional service and connections to the extensive JR network...
  
  ; discontinued in March 2005
• Seto - connected Tokyo and Takamatsu
  Takamatsu Station
  Takamatsu Station is the name of multiple train stations in Japan.* Takamatsu Station - in Kagawa Prefecture* Takamatsu Station - in Ishikawa Prefecture* Takamatsu Station - in Tokyo...
  
  ; replaced in July 1998 by Sunrise Seto night train
• Suisei - connected Kyoto and Minami-Miyazaki
  Minami-Miyazaki Station
  is a train station of JR Kyushu Nippō Main Line and Nichinan Line in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan....
  
  ; discontinued in October 2005
• Tsurugi - connected Osaka and Niigata
  Niigata Station
  is a train station operated by East Japan Railway Company in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Japan. It opened on May 3, 1904.The station is at the centre of Niigata city, the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast in Honshū...
  
  ; discontinued in December 1996
• Yūzuru - connected Ueno and Aomori; discontinued in March 1988

Express sleeper trains

• Amanogawa - connected Ueno and Akita; discontinued in March 1985
• Chikuma - connected Nagano
  Nagano Station
  is a railway station in the city of Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.This station is used by East Japan Railway , Japan Freight Railway and Nagano Electric Railway .-Lines:*East Japan Railway Company...
  
   and Osaka; downgraded from Blue Train status in October 1997; discontinued in October 2005
• Daisen - connected Osaka and Izumoshi; downgraded from Blue Train status in October 1999, discontinued in October 2004
• Ginga
  Ginga (train)
  The was an overnight express sleeper train operating on the Tōkaidō Main Line between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. It was operated by Japanese National Railways and, after its privatization in 1987, by West Japan Railway Company ....
  
  - connected Tokyo and Osaka
  Osaka Station
  is a station on the West Japan Railway Company located in the Umeda district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is the city's main rail terminal in the north....
  
  ; discontinued in March 2008
• Kaimon - connected Mojikō
  Mojiko Station
  in Moji ward, Kitakyūshū, Japan is the oldest station on the Kagoshima Main Line in Kyūshū and the terminus for those going to and from Honshū by boat...
  
   and Nishi-Kagoshima; replaced by Dream Tsubame in March 1993
• Kitaguni - connected Osaka and Niigata
  Niigata Station
  is a train station operated by East Japan Railway Company in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Japan. It opened on May 3, 1904.The station is at the centre of Niigata city, the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast in Honshū...
  
  ; downgraded from Blue Train status in March 1985
• Marimo - connected Sapporo and Kushiro
  Kushiro Station
  Kushiro Station can refer to two different train stations in Japan:, on the Nemuro Main Line located in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan, on the Sanin Main Line located in Hamada, Shimane, Japan...
  
  ; downgraded from Blue Train status in March 1993; discontinued in August 2008
• Myōkō - connected Ueno and Naoetsu
  Naoetsu Station
  is a JR East and JR West railway station in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the Hokuriku and Shinetsu main lines, as well as the Hokuhoku Line.-Lines:*JR East**Shinetsu Main Line*JR West**Hokuriku Main Line*Hokuetsu Express**Hokuhoku Line...
  
   via the Shin'etsu Main Line; downgraded from Blue Train status in March 1985; discontinued in March 1993
• Nichinan - connected Hakata and Nishi-Kagoshima via the Nippō Main Line
  Nippo Main Line
  frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...
  
  ; replaced in March 1993 by Dream Nichirin
  Nichirin
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Kyushu which runs to Kokura and Beppu from Miyazaki and Miyazaki Airport.The Dream Nichirin overnight train service from Hakata and Miyazaki Airport was discontinued from the start of the revised timetable on March 12, 2011....
  
  night train
• Noto
  Noto (train)
  The is a seasonal overnight express train service operated by East Japan Railway Company , which runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kanazawa via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey takes approximately seven hours...
  
  - connected Ueno and Kanazawa
  Kanazawa Station
  Kanazawa Station is a JR West railway station located in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the biggest station in Ishikawa Prefecture....
  
   via the Shin'etsu Main Line
  Shin'etsu Main Line
  The is a set of lines operated by the East Japan Railway Company in Japan. The bulk of the line runs from Shinonoi Station in Nagano Prefecture to Niigata Station in Niigata Prefecture, with several connections to other lines including Hokuriku Main Line at Naoetsu Station in Niigata Prefecture...
  
  ; downgraded from Blue Train status in March 1993;　discontinued in March 2010
• Rishiri - connected Sapporo and Wakkanai
  Wakkanai Station
  serves the city of Wakkanai, Hokkaidō prefecture. The station is the northern terminus of the Sōya Main Line and is also the northernmost railway station in Japan.-Limited express trains:* Super Soya * Sarobetsu...
  
  ; downgraded from Blue Train status in March 1991; discontinued in September 2007
• Sanbe - connected Yonago and Hakata
  Hakata Station
  Hakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...
  
  ; discontinued in February 1984
• Shinsei - connected Ueno and Sendai
  Sendai Station
  Sendai Station the name of two train stations in Japan:*Sendai Station , Miyagi Prefecture* Sendai Station , Kagoshima Prefecture...
  
  ; discontinued in November 1982
• Taisetsu - connected Sapporo
  Sapporo Station
  is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...
  
   and Abashiri
  Abashiri Station
  is a railway station of the Hokkaido Railway Company , located in Abashiri in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the main railway station in the city...
  
  ; replaced in March 1992 by Okhotsk
  Okhotsk (train)
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Hokkaido which runs between Sapporo and Abashiri. It operates at a maximum speed of 110 km/h. It is named after the Sea of Okhotsk.-Sleeper service:...
  
  night train
• Towada - connected Ueno and Aomori via the Jōban Line
  Joban Line
  The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
  
  ; discontinued in March 1985
• Tsugaru
  Tsugaru (train)
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company , which runs from to and via the Tōhoku Main Line and Ōu Main Line.-Service pattern:...
  
  - connected Ueno and Aomori via the Ōu Main Line
  Ou Main Line
  The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It runs from Fukushima Station in Fukushima, Fukushima through Akita Station in Akita, Akita to Aomori Station in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture...
  
  ; discontinued in March 1985