The Resort Shirakami Train
Resort Shirakami
©By Rsa - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16031206
A wonderful view from the train
Take in incredible views of the Shirakami Sanchi with the Resort Shirakami Train and your Japan Rail Pass!
1 train = 3 Shirakami!
The Resort Shirakami train is a tourist train concept that runs in the far north of Honshu on a magnificent line along the rocky coast of the Sea of Japan, offering breathtaking views.
The Resort Shirakami consists of 3 different trains named "Buna," "Aoike," "Kumagera", departing daily from Aomori or Akita.
A wild journey
Resort Shirakami offers several departures each day, either from Akita station or Aomori station. They take the Gono line, which follows the rugged coastline of the Sea of Japan. If you're taking the Shirakami, it's because you want to take all the time you need to discover the region and enjoy a special train that offers a travel experience through beautiful, unspoilt landscapes.
The Shirakami-Sanchi area, which the train bypasses by sea, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its picturesque forest, with no roads or tracks crossing it to protect its exceptional thousand-year-old biodiversity.
During the journey, which will take you 5 hours from start to finish, the train sometimes slows down as it passes a remarkable viewpoint, and you find yourself on a tiny bridge over vertiginous cliffs, sheer as the waves crash against them at sunset. Rain or shine, the experience is well worth the detour. Especially since Resort Shirakami offers panoramic views on board, with seats facing the landscape or just behind the driver's cabin.
Throughout the year, you'll enjoy taking the Resort Shirakami, especially in autumn with the harvested rice fields and the forest changing colors on the mountains. Try it giving a ride in winter, especially as the Aomori region is one of the snowiest places in the world.
Wooden interior and easy living
The interior of the Shirakami is designed to offer you the best possible travel experience. The seats are very comfortable and are able to be reclined. There are four-seat "family" areas where you can change the seating arrangement, either sitting or lying down as if on tatami mats, with the table in the middle. The large windows allow you to take full advantage of the scenery.
The design of the "Buna" is inspired by forests, with trees in the cars, made of Akita Cedar or Aomori Hiba.
The fabrics of the seats are in the colors of the big festivals held in summer in Aomori and Hirosaki. In fact, there are even small performances onboard the train, including concerts of traditional instruments, puppet shows and folk tales.
You can order a bento from the train staff, which will be delivered to you at the next station stop, to enjoy the best regional specialities.
Extended stops at some stations allow you to buy regional specialties, drinks, food, arts and crafts, etc...
Be sure to check the dedicated website to find out when a Shirakami runs, as everything changes depending on the day of the week and the season.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/fr/joyful/shirakami.html
