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