Originally posted July 18 2014
As if the Shinkansen wasn’t comfortable enough already, JR East is about to launch the first bullet train equipped with onboard foot spas (ashiyu). Named Toreiyu – a combination of the words ‘train’, ‘soleil’ (sun) and ‘yu’ (hot) – the train features two soothing footbaths, each 2.4m long and able to seat four people side by side. Each traveller is allowed 15 minutes of spa luxury. While relaxing with feet emerged, you’ll be facing the windows so you can take in the passing scenery. Afterwards, you can lounge at the bar area, which has tatami-mat flooring and tables made from cherrywood.
As reported in The Asahi Shimbun, the company spent ¥500 million on the renovation. Hideyuki Terui, deputy manager of the company’s Transport and Rolling Stock Department, told the newspaper: ‘We had to be creative, like placing cushions inside the tubs so that the hot water won’t spill out even when the train sways hard.’
Toreiyu, which was designed by famed car designer Ken Okuyama, launches tomorrow (July 19) and will run on weekends until the end of September. The route is between Fukushima city and Shinjo in Yamagata Prefecture, roughly a two-hour journey, and the aim is to promote the cherry-rich area of Yamagata. Online details are currently only in Japanese but you can visit your nearest JR ticket office to make further enquiries or to book your spot.
Photos courtesy of JR East via the Japan National Tourism Organization