basic information

Below is a network map of Japan's night trains, i.e. trains that run through the night. All night trains are operated by the Japan Railways Group (JR).

Train wagons

Most Japanese night trains are equipped with couchettes and private rooms with beds, and some have cars with seats. Couchettes and private rooms come in two classes, A and B, with B being the more basic and less costly. In addition, some trains offer a "Special A Class" with rather luxurious suites.

All night trains are equipped with toilets and sinks, and the better ones have also public phones, showers, a restaurant and a lounge or lobby car.

• Couchettes
  Couchettes are bunk beds, two or three stories high, in compartments shared by four to six people. "B class" couchettes cost around 6,000 Yen, and "A class" couchettes around 10,000 Yen. Most night trains carry at least one couchette car of either or both classes.

• Private Rooms
  Private rooms come in single and twin. "B class" rooms cost around 6,000-9,000 Yen per person, and "A class" rooms around 14,000 Yen/person. More luxurious suites can cost up to 38,000 Yen/person. Most night trains have some private rooms, but only a few have luxury suites.

• Seats
  A few night trains carry cars with seats. Depending on the train, the seats may be non reserved, partially reserved or all reserved. Seat reservations cost about 300 to 500 Yen. Seat reservations are free for Japan Rail Pass holders.

 
Japan Rail Pass and night trains (What is the Japan Rail Pass?)

The Japan Rail Pass does not cover the cost for a couchette or private room! You will have to pay for it separately. In addition, you will also have to pay the (limited) express fee, which is typically around 3,000 Yen, if you travel in a couchette or private room.

While the Japan Rail Pass does not cover the cost for couchettes and beds, it does cover the cost for a seat on night trains. Note however, that quite a few night trains do not carry cars with seats.

 
Seishun 18 Kippu and night trains (What is the Seishun 18 Kippu?)

Most night trains are classified as limited express (tokkyu) or express (kyuko), and can therefore not be used with the Seishun 18 Kippu, which is only valid on local (futsu) and rapid (kaisoku) trains.

However, there is a small number of night train classified as rapid (kaisoku), which can be used with the Seishun 18 Kippu. These trains are called "Moonlight". The only Moonlight trains operating on a daily basis are the Moonlight Nagara and Moonlight Echigo.

Furthermore, during the Seishun 18 Kippu seasons, several more Moonlight trains are operating on selected days. See the Seishun 18 Kippu page for details.

 
List of trains

Below is a list of Japan's night trains. The following information is given for each train (note that the ticket costs refer to a trip along the complete route):

Train Category   Train Name: Route
More detailed route, showing other major stations
Approx. duration of the trip			Frequency of departures
Comments
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
Approx. ticket cost without Japan Rail Pass	Approx. ticket cost with Japan Rail Pass	Approx. ticket cost without Japan Rail Pass	Approx. ticket cost with Japan Rail Pass	Approx. ticket cost without Japan Rail Pass	Approx. ticket cost with Japan Rail Pass

From Tokyo:

Limited Express   Cassiopeia: Ueno (Tokyo) - Sapporo
Ueno - Omiya - Utsunomiya - Fukushima - Sendai - Hakodate - Sapporo
Approx. 17 hours			3-4 trains per week
The Cassiopeia is Japan's most luxurious night train. It is equipped with a lounge and restaurant car and private "A class" twin rooms exclusively. It also carries some luxury suites.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	-	-	32,500 Yen	19,000 Yen

Limited Express   Hokutosei: Ueno (Tokyo) - Sapporo
Ueno - Omiya - Utsunomiya - Fukushima - Sendai - Hakodate - Sapporo
Approx. 17 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes, private rooms, luxury suites and a restaurant car.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	25,000 Yen	12,000 Yen	25,000 Yen	12,000 Yen

Limited Express   Akebono: Ueno (Tokyo) - Aomori
Ueno - Omiya - Takasaki - Sakata - Akita - Aomori
Approx. 13 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes, private rooms and so called "Goron to Shito" seats, which are basically couchettes without blankets, but are categorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. There is one "Goron to Shito" car for excluive use by women.
Goron to Shito		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
14,000 Yen	free	20,000 Yen	9,500 Yen	20,000 Yen	9,500 Yen

Rapid   Moonlight Echigo: Shinjuku (Tokyo) - Niigata
Shinjuku - Omiya - Takasaki - Niigata
Approx. 6 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with reserved seats only. One car is for exclusive use by women.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
6,000 Yen	free	-	-	-	-

Limited Express   Hokuriku: Ueno (Tokyo) - Kanazawa
Ueno - Omiya - Takasaki - Nagaoka - Toyama - Kanazawa
Approx. 8 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes and private rooms.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	17,000 Yen	9,000 Yen	17,000 Yen	9,000 Yen

Express   Noto: Ueno (Tokyo) - Kanazawa
Ueno - Omiya - Takasaki - Toyama - Kanazawa
Approx. 7 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with non reserved and reserved seats only. There is one car for exclusive use by women.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
9,000 Yen	free	-	-	-	-

Limited Express   Fuji: Tokyo - Oita
Tokyo - Nagoya - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima - Shin-Yamaguchi - Kokura - Beppu - Oita
Approx. 17 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes, private rooms and a lobby car. The Fuji is coupled to the Hayabusa between Tokyo and Moji (Kitakyushu).
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	23,500 Yen	9,500 Yen	23,500 Yen	9,500 Yen

Limited Express   Hayabusa: Tokyo - Kumamoto
Tokyo - Nagoya - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima - Shin-Yamaguchi - Kokura - Hakata - Kumamoto
Approx. 18 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes, private rooms and a lobby car. The Hayabusa is coupled to the Fuji between Tokyo and Moji (Kitakyushu).
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	23,500 Yen	9,500 Yen	23,500 Yen	9,500 Yen

Limited Express   Sunrise Seto: Tokyo - Takamatsu
Tokyo - Himeji - Okayama - Takamatsu
Approx. 10 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with private rooms and so called "Nobinobi" seats, which are basically carpeted compartments to lie down, but are categorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. The Sunrise Seto is coupled to the Sunrise Izumo between Tokyo and Okayama.
Nobinobi Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
14,500 Yen	free	-	-	20,500 Yen	9,500 Yen

Limited Express   Sunrise Izumo: Tokyo - Izumo
Tokyo - Himeji - Okayama - Matsue - Izumoshi
Approx. 12 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with private rooms and so called "Nobinobi" seats, which are basically carpeted compartments to lie down, but are categorized as seats and can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. The Sunrise Izumo is coupled to the Sunrise Seto between Tokyo and Okayama.
Nobinobi Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
15,500 Yen	free	-	-	21,000 Yen	9,500 Yen

Rapid   Moonlight Nagara: Tokyo - Ogaki
Tokyo - Nagoya - Ogaki
Approx. 7 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with reserved seats only (in direction of Ogaki, some seats turn non-reserved beyond Odawara; in direction of Tokyo: some seats turn non-reserved beyond Atami). A second Moonlight Nagara train (fully reserved seats along its entire journey) is operating on selected days during Seishun 18 Kippu seasons.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
7,000 Yen	free	-	-	-	-

From Osaka/Kyoto:

Limited Express   Twilight Express: Osaka - Sapporo
Osaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Nagaoka - Sapporo
Approx. 21 hours			4-7 trains per week
Equipped with couchettes, private rooms, luxury suites, a restaurant and a salon car.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	27,000 Yen	11,000 Yen	29,000 Yen	13,000 Yen

Limited Express   Nihonkai: Osaka - Aomori
Osaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Akita - Aomori
Approx. 15 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes only.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
-	-	23,000 Yen	9,500 Yen	-	-

Express   Kitakuni: Osaka - Niigata
Osaka - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Toyama - Nagaoka - Niigata
Approx. 8 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes and non reserved seats.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
10,500 Yen	free	15,500 Yen	6,500 Yen	-	-

From Sapporo:

Express   Hamanasu: Sapporo - Aomori
Sapporo - Hakodate - Aomori
Approx. 8 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with couchettes, reserved seats (reclining "dreamcar" seats), non reserved seats and a so called "nobinobi carpet car", which features carpeted compartments to lie down. Seats and the nobinobi carpet compartments can be used for free with the Japan Rail Pass. Some couchettes, nobinobi carpet compartments and reserved seats are for exclusive use by women. Note that on some days, the Hamanasu may not feature all of the above mentioned car types.
Seats, nobinobi carpet car		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
9,000 Yen	free	15,500 Yen	7,500 Yen	-	-

From Fukuoka:

Limited Express   Dream Nichirin: Hakata - Miyazaki
Hakata - Kokura - Beppu - Oita - Miyazaki - Minami-Miyazaki - Miyazaki Kuko
Approx. 6 hours			1 train per day
Equipped with non reserved and reserved seats only. Some seats are for exclusive use by women.
Seat		Couchette		Private Room
w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass	w/o JR Pass	with JR Pass
10,000 Yen	free	-	-	-	-

In addition to the above listed trains, there are a few night trains, which run only during certain seasons or selected days of the year. Some of them are so called "Moonlight" trains, classified as rapid trains (kaisoku), which can be used with the Seishun 18 Kippu.

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