Japan to Launch New Night Train Linking Tokyo and Tohoku

Japan is set to launch a brand new night train in spring 2027 that will connect Tokyo with the Tohoku region.

New Japanese night train

The express sleeper train will connect Tokyo with the Tohoku region, which makes up the northeastern part of Honshu, Japan’s largest island.

The new night train will be operated by JR East, which plans to convert a 10-car express train currently running on the JR Joban Line into a state-of-the-art sleeper service.

As communicated in a JR East press release, the train will accommodate 120 passengers, with private Green Car compartments designed for one, two, and (up to) four people.

Each compartment feature a seat or sofa that can be converted into a fully-flat sleeping space.

The train will also include a lounge car accessible to all passengers, where travellers can relax or socialise, as well as two wheelchair-accessible compartments, one for single occupancy and one suitable for two people.

Private compartments in daytime and nighttime mode. ©JR East

Design

The new night train is fully designed by the JR East Architectural Design Corporation, which handled both the interior and the train’s exterior.

The Tohoku night train will feature a blue livery that evokes memories of the old Blue Train sleepers, which were once widespread across the Japanese railway network but were completely discontinued in 2015 due to declining demand, especially with the rise of high-speed Shinkansen trains.

JR East said the interior design is based on the concept of a “simple yet high-quality travel space”.

Timetables and fares have yet to be announced, but JR East gave the example of a night train departing Tokyo at 21:00 and arriving in Aomori the following morning at 09:00.

The new night train that will link Tokyo with the Tohoku region. ©JR East

Other night trains in Japan

Currently, there is only one night train operating in all of Japan: the Sunrise Express.

This sleeper train service actually consists of two trains — the Sunrise Seto and Sunrise Izumo — which run coupled between Tokyo and Okayama, where they split, with the Sunrise Seto continuing to Takamatsu and the Sunrise Izumo to Matsue and Izumo.

Conclusion

Japan will get a new night train, as JR East plans to launch a sleeper service linking Tokyo with Tohoku in spring 2027.

This train will offer private rooms for one, two, and four people, featuring seats and sofas that convert into fully flat sleeping spaces at night.