The last run of Nihonkai

[bill937ca]

[to2leo]

Glad I had the chance to ride it in 2009.  Most uncomfortable overnight train ride in Japan, IMHO. 

[westfalen]

I rode from Osaka to Higashi Noshiro in November 1996, went round the Gono Line and caught the "Hakutsuru" (I think) overnight from Aomori back to Tokyo back when there were still several sleeper trains plying their trade on the Tohoku Line.

 

They weren't luxury trains but they were ok and saved a days travel, plus you got the experience that is the same all over the world but dissappearing with the demise of regular overnight trains, that of stopping somewhere in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning and raising the blind to see some country town, deserted except for a few railwaymen going about their business and sleepy eyed locals meeting or seeing off friends.