Inside Japan's luxurious Shiki-shima sleeper train that's so expensive the cost of a ticket 'will bend your brain'
Who doesn't love travelling in style? But with prices of flights rising, and the chance of a free upgrade slim, it's no wonder people explore different avenues of getting from A to B.
And train travel has always been right up there as a great option to see amazing things while still being comfortable, and, in many cases, it's the more affordable option.
But not all trains are created equal.
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Japan's ultra-modern Shiki-shima train debuted in 2017, with two-tiered cabins, interlocking windows, and a smattering of abstract art. Passengers board this five-star train by walking along a red carpet.
And that really kind of sets the scene.
The expansive suites onboard include opulent touches, such as traditional Japanese baths made of aromatic hinoki cypress wood and Swarovski binoculars for staring out of the panoramic windows.
The headline act is in the kitchen, undoubtedly, where several of Japan’s finest gourmets work around the clock to conjure up fresh sashimi, horsehair crab, and breakfasts of salmon and squid.
Now this all sounds wonderfully luxurious, but then so is the price tag.
Various sources quote different estimates, but you could be looking at around anything from $2,000 per person to $6,000 for a double occupancy experience.
A Reddit thread has people expressing their views on it all.
One user posted their price guestimate, writing: "$3-10k for 2-4 day trips", which someone responded to saying: "Less than I thought to be honest."
One user wrote: "We paid well over 3K for 4 people on Amtrak with two sleeper rooms from LA-Chicago. The cars were at least 40 years old, clunky, and leaked sewage vapors. The food was good, but not luxurious. By comparison this would almost be reasonable without the luxury treatment".
Someone else said: "Looks amazing, but be well advised, the cost of a ticket will absolutely BEND YOUR BRAIN".
Of course, the thread predictably included a reference to the Snowpiercer series. Netflix launched the first series of this dystopian sci-fi thriller based on South Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film of the same title.
The small screen iteration follows a similar narrative arc, set a few years in the future on a frozen planet Earth where the only survivors of an icy apocalypse are crowded together – by social class – on a perpetually moving train.