On Sept. 13, JR Kyushu opened the doors of its luxury train, Seven Stars in Kyushu, to the press. The following is a report by a Nishinippon Shimbun reporter.
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We entered the second car and were immediately greeted by granite floors and a gold-leaf showcase. We were led into the first car, the lounge car, which has an all-wood interior whose subtle aroma and light brown hues provide a soothing effect. It also has a bar and a hutch full of wine glasses specially ordered from an Austrian glassmaker. There is an upright piano that will provide riders with live music. The large rear window, measuring 2.3 x 1.5 m, offered a view of the factory where the train was on display, but our guide wondered “how our passengers will enjoy Kyushu’s natural beauty.” The second car was the dining car, well-lit and sure to offer a pleasant dining experience. It also had a unique “standing” (pub-style) tea room. The third card was a sleeper car with three rooms. Each 10m2, two-person cabin was narrower than your standard hotel room and had a sofa-bed. The rooms had no TVs, only windows, so the passengers could “enjoy the scenery”, said JR Kyushu president Karaike. The train’s interior invokes Japanese sensibilities in even the minutest of details. Looking closely, the screws used inside the train all had star-shaped heads. This was not just a luxury train, it was the product of fastidious design and engineering. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, 9/14, Official HP: http://www.cruisetrain-sevenstars.jp/
