Shooting the Cruise Train, "Shiki-shima": Part 2

JR East's cruise train, the E001 series "Shiki-shima", approaches Odawara station

Continuing with what I covered last time, I'm going to show you “Shiki-shima”, the JR East E001 series, today.

After shooting Shiki-shima at the Kozu station yard, I went back to Odawara station, and awaited the arrival of this cruise train again. At ten forty, Shiki-shima came back from Kozu to take up the passengers again. Let me explain about the composition of this train. Shiki-shima consists of 10 cars. The first and last cars are observation cars. The other eight cars are six sleeping cars (Car 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9), a lounge car (Car 5) and a dining car (Car 6). Car 7 is the highest-grade sleeping car consisting of Shiki-shima Suite and Deluxe Suite. These rooms have cypress baths. Everything is top-notch, isn’t it?

After picking up passengers, Shiki-shima left Odawara station at ten fifty. It was seen off by two local “samurais” in armors and kabutos (decorative samurai helmets). It was a thoughtful way of treating the passengers. The passengers continued the journey. According to JR East’s website, the passengers and crew had a farewell party, after arriving at Ueno terminal in Tokyo on that day. The crew did more than what the passengers had expected.

By the way, you may ask me, "Don’t you go on board the luxury cruise train to travel?” Good question! I'd like to go on board Shiki-shima at some point… but, I'm always busy. It’s very popular, so, I can’t make a reservation. It’s very expensive and... (so many excuses!)

Local "samurais" (right) send off Shiki-shima cruise train from Odawara station

Official product descriptions about the E001 series, Shiki-shima, by J-TREC (in Japanese):

https://www.j-trec.co.jp/company/070/06/jtr06_088-093.pdf

Shooting the Cruise Train, "Shiki-shima"

JR East's cruise train, the E001 series "Shiki-shima", stands at Kozu station yard

Do you remember when I introduced you to JR West’s sleeper train, “Sunrise Express” last year? That was the only “regular” sleeper train left in Japan. Is there anything else? There are what we call “cruise trains”. I’m going to show you one of such luxury sleeper trains today.

“Shiki-shima (the four seasons island)” is JR East’s cruise train. The formal name is the E001 series. Only one set was jointly built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and J-TREC, and debuted in 2017. The E001 series is composed of 10 cars. An "EDC" electric/diesel hybrid propulsion system is adopted. On the electrified tracks, it’s operated as an EMU (electric multiple unit). Meanwhile, on the non-electrified tracks, it activates two diesel generators in the first and last cars, and powers the train's traction motors.

JR East doesn’t release the detailed timetable of Shiki-shima, because it’s operated as special group trip trains. It’s not so easy to shoot this train as rail-fans expect. I recently got an information about the timetable of Shiki-shima on several websites, and visited Odawara station on the Tokaido main line, but I couldn’t find it. Why? According to a station attendant, Shiki-shima is temporally accommodated in the Kozu station yard, which is located about 6 kilometers east of Odawara station. Oh, my goodness!

After rushing to the scene at Kozu station, I barely shot Shiki-shima, standing on the detention track. Please look at the photos. Shiki-shima was shining brightly. I did it!... but I was completely exhausted. To be continued…

Shiki-shima approaches Kozu station yard

Official information about "Shiki-shima" by JR East:

https://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/en/

2025 Sakura Season on the Yokosuka Line

Set F29 of the EMU E235-1000 series (11-cars) travels on the Yokosuka line

On March 24th, 2025, the Meteorological Agency of Japan declared that this year's sakura (cherry) blossoms had started blooming in the metropolitan area. Spring has sprung! As I posted year after year, Japanese people harbor romantic emotions towards sakura blossoms. We are also reminded of the emptiness of life, seeing the beautiful blossoms dropping only a week after they fully blossom. Sakura viewing in this short period is a part of Japanese culture. This year, I took the JR East Yokosuka line to see sakura blossoms in Kanagawa Prefecture.

My destination was Zushi City, about 50 kilometers southwest of the center of Tokyo. When I reached Sakurayama (Cherry Mountain) Park, lots of visitors were there. They were families with children, couples and close-knit groups, and being fun in their own ways under the full-blown sakura trees. What most left an impression was a couple having “maedori (a bridal photoshoot ahead of their wedding day)”. Congratulations on your wedding!

On the way home, I took a moment to enjoy train shooting at Higashi-Zushi station. I was so happy that I could shoot an eleven-car train of the EMU E235-1000 series reflecting the sunlight, but… at the same time, I remembered that his (her) elder brother (sister), namely E217 series, was retired from the Yokosuka line on March 14th. I didn’t have a chance to say good-bye to the E217 series before the retirement. The E217 series… I’m truly sorry… but thank you so much for your hard working on the Yokosuka, Sobu-Rapid and Tokaido lines.

Full-blown sakura trees in Sakura-yama Park near HIgashi-Zushi station

Visit to Kumamoto: Friendly Bird and Tramcar

Trainset 0803 of the electric car Kumamoto City Tram 0800 series

Sorry for jumping from one topic to another, but I’m going to follow up and post about my recent visit to Kumamoto today.

When I visited Mt. Kinbo in Kumamto City with my family, we came across a group of local hikers. The leader of the group kindly showed us how to contact with wild birds there. Please look at the photo below. If a visitor put a nut on his/her palm and hold it out, a Yamagara (Varied tit) lands on his/her hand, and eats it. That’s so cute! I have never seen such a friendly wild bird.

I can't finish here as this is a railway blog. Please look at the top photo. It’s trainset 0803 of Kumamoto City Tram’s electric car 0800 series. The 0800 series was commissioned in 2009. It's a so-called LRT (light rail transit). 3 sets in total were built by Niigata Transys. The 0800 series is a two-car train with two bogies. It means that the 0800 series doesn't have an articulated bogie. The overall length is about 18 meters. An IGBT-VVVF inverter (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor - variable frequency drive) electric control system with two 100kW induction motors is adopted. The 3rd set, namely trainset 0803, is the latest set of the 0800 series. It has the wooden interior, and makes passengers peaceful. The nickname of trainset 0803 is “COCORO (mind)”. COCORO is beloved by passengers because it connects with their minds.

I enjoyed a friendly bird and tramcar in Kumamoto City.

A friendly wild Yamagara (Varied tit) can be seen at the summit of Mt. Kinbo

The 2nd Generation Kenty Skyliner

Trainset AE4 of the EMU Keisei AE series, the 2nd generation Kenty Skyliner

Do you remember when I introduced you to Kenty Skyliner last year? It was a special poster train on the Keisei line. A year has passed since then and Keisei Electric Railway recently launched the 2nd generation Kenty Skyliner. I’m going to show you this new poster train today.

Let me quickly review “Kenty” to start. Nakajima Kento, alias Kenty, is a popular Japanese singer and actor. Keisei has been using Kenty for their advertising campaigns since 2019. For example, Kenty acted as "the Prince of Keisei", and promoted the Narita Airport access train “Skyliner” on the TV commercials. Keisei, then, started to operate a special poster train, "Kenty Skyliner", in 2021. Large posters of Kenty, who is dressed as the Prince of Keisei, were displayed on the side bodies. It meant that Kenty, the prince of Keisei, escorted passengers, who were in the likeness of princesses.

Fast-forward to November, 2024, the 2nd generation Kenty Skyliner debuted. This train displays large posters of Kenty on the side bodies just like the 1st generation Kenty Skyliner, but Kenty doesn’t play the prince of Keisei anymore. He looks more matured and natural.

Incidentally, the 2nd generation Kenty Skyliner is trainset AE4 of the EMU Keisei AE series. The AE series is an 8-car train with crow-shaped black faces. Its maximum speed is 160 kilometers per hour, which is the fastest in Japan except the Shinkansen vehicles. The AE series won the 2011 Blue Ribbon Prize by Japan Railfan Club as the best train that debuted in 2010.

Large posters of Kenty are displayed on the side bodies of Kenty Slyliner

Official information about the 2nd generation Kenty Skyliner by Keisei (in Japanese): https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/jp/kentyskyliner/

Official promotion movie of Keisei Skyliner (in Japanese):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1orJiQNRrw