If planning a visit to Japan, make sure to purchase tickets for the recently-unveiled Shiki-shima. The new luxury sleeper train was designed by industrial designer Ken Kiyoyuki Okuyama and, in addition to being gold-tinted, features a blend of modern and traditional Japanese materials.
For instance, the train has been outfitted with wash paper walls and screens, lavish carpets and cypress bathtubs. Additionally, the greenhouse-looking interior allows passengers a panoramic view of breathtaking views, as Inhabitat points out.
If this is the new standard for modern train travel, we couldn’t be happier. The Shiki-shima has 17 rooms: two large suite rooms and 15 smaller rooms. Each room features a bed, storage space, and a private bathroom.
Those who stay in the two-story Shikishima suite can prepare to be spoiled. The suite includes a seating area and tatami mats, along with a rectangular cypress bathtub. Finally, the walls in the two luxury suites are lined with floor-to-ceiling windows which provide passengers with their own personal view of the moving landscape outside.
Comfortable bentwood sofas made using traditional Japanese techniques can be found in the communal lounge car. Decorative wall panels designed to “evoke the image of a quiet forest” cover the interior of the same car. Guests are encouraged to enjoy a selection of culinary specialties from Japan while using nickel silver cutlery designed by Yamazaki Kinzoku Kogyo.
Such extravagance has a price, of course. Two to four-day trips on the Train Suite Shiki-shima begin at $2,865 and max out at $8,500. However, for those with the budget, the train ride could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Following are photos of the opulent train:
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