A railway-themed tourist attraction in the town of Kosaka, Akita Prefecture, northeastern Japan, is set to restart its lodging services using a preserved retired “blue train” or sleeper train on Saturday. These services had been suspended for five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Kosaka Railroad Railpark facility had collected funds through crowdfunding to partially cover the costs of repairing the sleeping cars of the “Akebono” blue train.
Jiro Suzuki, the 60-year-old manager of the facility, conveyed that the Akebono carries abundant memories and sentiments of numerous passengers. He expressed his desire for guests to experience the atmosphere of the sleeping cars, which cannot be replicated in today’s railway cars.
In 1970, the Akebono, a limited express train, commenced service, linking Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture to Ueno Station in Tokyo in approximately 12.5 hours, passing through prefectures like Akita. Residents of Kosaka and neighbouring municipalities frequently utilized this train for commuting to and from the Japanese capital. However, regular operations of the Akebono ceased in 2014.
In the same year, the Kosaka Railroad Railpark was inaugurated. The municipal government of Kosaka, one of the entities overseeing the facility’s management, approached East Japan Railway Co., also known as JR East, the former operator of the Akebono, requesting the transfer of the decommissioned train. The town aspired to repurpose it into an accommodation facility. JR East accepted the proposal, and in 2016, the Akebono embarked on its second journey at the railway park.
The bedding, curtains, and other furnishings previously used aboard the Akebono during its operational days are still utilized in the current guest rooms, preserving the essence of that era.
Before the tourism facility temporarily suspended operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, approximately 2,000 guests stayed in the Akebono cars annually at Kosaka Railroad Railpark.
In 2022, the railway park reopened its doors to visitors. However, the Akebono remained closed, and the exterior of its cars began to show signs of peeling paint over time.
Reservations for the reinitiated Akebono lodging services commenced on April 20 of this year. Merely two days later, the guest rooms were nearly fully booked for the upcoming summer holiday period.