Best Japanese Train Hotels
Mezamashi TV, the breakfast magazine show on Fuji TV, recently aired this feature listing the top 5 hotels for train enthusiasts. A number of hotels in Japan, due to their proximity to major lines or stations, can offer the Tetsudō Otaku rooms with a fascinating and unique perspective out across the city. Some have adorned the rooms with densha memorabilia or bed linen. Featuring the Series 209 and Shinkansen.
Here is a transcription of the highlights in English:
1. Keio Plaza Hotel Sapporo – This hotel overlooks Sapporo station. You can see the trains of Hokkaido, as well as the many special trains from Honshu such as the Hokutosei and the Twilight Express.
2. Miyazaki Kanko Hotel – From certain rooms in this hotel you can see a railway bridge over the river. Many different rail lines share the bridge, allowing railfans to observe a wide variety of trains one wouldn’t find in the Tokyo area.
3. Hotel Associa Shin-Yokohama – This hotel, which opened just a few months ago, offers a fantastic view of the bullet trains that pass through Shin-Yokohama station. It offers special rooms for railfans that are decorated with shinkansen-themed items. The hotel also has kid-sized shinkansen conductor uniforms so that parents of little railfans can take some cosplay photos.
4. Hotel Century Southern Tower – Located by Shinjuku Station, this hotel offers a great few of the many trains that travel through the busiest train station in the world. Guests can also receive a special paper weight created from track used by Odakyu railways.
5. The Kawasaki Nikko Hotel – Its rooms overlook JR Kawasaki station, allowing railfans to view trains from several major lines: the Tokkaido main line, the Keihin-Tohoku line, and the Nambu line. Fans who want to get a last look at the 208-Series trains used by the Keihin-Tohoku line should hurry up and get a room now, since they will be replaced by the end of this year.
Each of these hotels has an English language homepage, which means they probably have staff members that can speak English. If you’re a railfan and want to experience the best these hotels can offer, you should probably contact them directly and inquire about any special plans they have for railway viewing.
‘Thanks to Japan Probe for highlighting this little gem.
27/09/2009 20:34 
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