The "Oykot" Scenic Train
A new scenic train is opening in time to connect to the brand new Hokuriku Shinkansen in March 2015. Learn more here!
Oykot Tokyo
There are many wonderful scenic trains with which you can see various parts of Japan, and new ones are being introduced all the time! One of these new trains is the Oykot (or “Oikotto”) train run by the JR East company.
What's in a name?
The name comes from spelling the nation’s capital backwards. Tokyo, Oykot… get it? It was named in keeping with the new scenic train’s intentions-- to give travelers a view of the countryside and “old” Japan, the exact opposite of the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.
Where it goes?
This new train will run from Nagano to Niigata Prefectures, and will deliberately start from one of the stations that the brand new Hokuriku Shinkansen will stop at, Iiyama Station. From there, the train will run north, weaving between mountains and rivers, showing off the natural beauty of the country.
What's it like?
The interior of the train is decorated to look like a traditional home, with the lighting and windows modeled after shoji, the delicate paper doors and windows, and the seats after homely furniture, upholstered in patterns familiar to any Japanese person. This train will begin its runs, mainly on weekends, at the end of March, just as Japan passes through winter and begins to burst into bloom.