Luxury Train Tour Offers Tourists The Opportunity To Visit Hidden Permata In Japan

Seven Stars in Kyushu Train. (Wikimedia Commons/Rsa)

JAKARTA - Japan's struggling regional economy could accept the much-needed push through the recent introduction of a high-end rail tour that offers travelers the opportunity to visit locations rarely visited in luxury.

This development comes as local rail lines and communities in Japan are starting to age under pressure due to declining passenger numbers and shrinking populations, so governments and private companies are looking for ways to encourage foreign tourists to find destinations that are rarely visited.

Takeshi Sakimoto, professor of Sociology at the University of Edogawa who specializes in tourism studies, said there was a "large growth potential" from regional tourist spots that were less highlighted in Japan.

"The luxury train trend has room to be a powerful catalyst for the local rail lines that are struggling," he said, pointing to their potential to attract foreign tourists from city destinations, such as Tokyo and Kyoto, which are struggling under the burden of tourists, quoted from Kyodo News March 5.

Among the tours is a tour on Tokyu Corp's Royal Express luxury train, which is operated in various parts of Japan.

On tours held in Shizuoka Prefecture in November and December, co-operated by Tokyu and Central Japan Railway Co, passengers spent three days and four nights in the central Japanese prefecture to enjoy views of Mount Fuji and taste local mitigation dishes among other treats.

Although tickets are quite expensive, namely 750,000 yen (IDR 82,551,000) to 820,000 yen (IDR 90,255,760) per person, the six tours were sold out.

In western Japan, West Japan Railway Co's Twilight Express Mizukaze train takes passengers to routes that are rarely traversed and help preserve local traditions.

While at the uninhabited Higashihama Station in Tottori Prefecture, local residents voluntarily showcase the tradition of people's singing from the area to welcome passengers.

Masuo Hamaguchi, one of the local dancers, said the train had "bringing more tourists and making the city more alive."