JR Resort Shirakami

Enjoy a luxurious view in a luxurious train

Justin Velgus Jan 29, 2014 - 1 min read

The main attraction of the resort ride is the view of the Sea of Japan.

The train features extra large windows so passengers can truly enjoy the upcoming scenery.

"Buna" is the word for the Japanese beech tree. There are thousands of Japanese beech trees within the Shirakami Sanchi World Heritage Site.

The Resort Shirakami Buna train pulls into Akita Station.

All seats require a reservation and are non-smoking. Even the standard seat cars are very comfortable, featuring reclining seats, large windows, and lots of leg room.

Seperate booth tickets can be purchased for the ultimate travel experience. In addition to privacy and a wide table for drinks, food, or easy reading/writing activities, the seats here fold down into a comfy lounging area.

One of the Shirakami Sanchi centers found around the national park. This is the northern Akita center.

Grassy plains and fields are all but fully covered with snow along the train line during winter.

Crossing a river which swells with snowmelt.

Seeing the rural villages with snow-blanketed rooftops is a real winter time treat.

The Sea of Japan is the lifeblood of this fishing town.

Strong winds produced huge waves on the day I rode.

When the train enters a tunnel, the regular lights fade and a collage of space appears.

The snow landscape is particularly beautiful.

If you are lucky, you may see a friend waiting for you at Juniko Station.

The Resort Shirakami is a pleasure train system that runs from Akita Station to Hirosaki in Aomori along the Gono Line. There are three trains in total all with their own names and models, but they all are more or less the same and share similar characteristics.

These photos highlight a winter ride on the "Buna" train, so named because of the thousands of "buna" or Japanese beech trees in the nearby World Heritage Site Shirakami Sanchi. Naturally, the train makes several stops around Shirakami Sanchi and other locales along the Akita and Aomori coastline. While the spring, summer, and fall surely bring their own unique charms to the rural landscape, the winter season creates something special, something I can only describe as timeless serenity.

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...