【カシオペア紀行】豪華寝台特急列車カシオペア昼行ツアーで最安2階建て個室を体験｜東京ー仙台
This time, I finally boarded the Cassiopeia. Please enjoy this roughly five-hour train journey. Tokyo, Ueno I finally managed to book the Cassiopeia trip! This time, I reserved the tour through the travel agency Club Tourism. Today’s route runs from Tokyo Station to Sendai Station—a five-hour journey. Because it’s a daytime service, we can only ride the Cassiopeia during these five hours. After riding the Cassiopeia, we’ll spend the night at the Togatta Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture, then return to Tokyo by shinkansen the next day. Due to time constraints, this video shows only the Cassiopeia boarding segment. Wow—at last, I’ve come face to face with the Cassiopeia! The luxury train Cassiopeia began operation on July 16, 1999. It was JR’s first all-double-deck sleeping car train. To provide a comfortable journey, every compartment is an A-class private suite. The Cassiopeia’s E26-series cars were retired on June 28. The main reasons for retirement were aging rolling stock and a decline in available electric locomotives. Here we are at the connection between the passenger cars and the locomotive. Since the Cassiopeia runs as a special train, it consists only of sleeping cars and cannot operate without a locomotive. My room is the Cassiopeia Twin, the most affordable option. It’s also the room type with the greatest number of units on the Cassiopeia. Maybe this is it? The cabins are two-storey; it appears mine is on the lower level. Shortly after, the attendant delivered a paper bag containing breakfast, a drink, and an ice-cream voucher. This room can accommodate up to two people. The space is compact but ingeniously designed. By stacking it in two levels, each room gains extra floor space. At departure, everyone waves us off. We’re scheduled to arrive at Sendai Station at 15:00. Now, let me introduce you to the Cassiopeia Twin cabin. Inside, you’ll find a mirror, a charging outlet, an alarm clock, and light switches. According to the Cassiopeia brochure, the table and chair fold away to become a bed! Hearing that, I couldn’t wait to try it out. As a sleeping train, the cabin is indeed designed for sleeping. A feature like this really raises your spirits. Now I’ll do the same on the other side to make a flat surface. And it’s finally complete. Wow—what a view! Even while lying down, you can switch on the reading light in the ceiling—it’s very handy. Sleeping while moving—this is heaven. The cabin also has two coat hooks. A special feature of this room is its private toilet and sink. It takes zero seconds to walk from the cabin to the toilet. Extremely compact. The sink is fold-away as well. Everything is neatly stowed away. Wow—it runs water perfectly. Even after 25 years, it works without a hitch. According to the itinerary, the tour includes breakfast and lunch. So first, let’s have breakfast. Breakfast is an Ōfunaken sandwich. As Japan’s first station bento sandwich, it was a huge hit and helped popularize sandwiches nationwide. It contains a boneless ham sandwich and a cheese sandwich. Mmm. Delicious! For dessert, the Cassiopeia original cake. Inside is a salted brownie. The Cassiopeia-coloured bag is adorable! Apparently, it’s the train’s signature brownie… A taste full of memories… Feeling full, I went to explore the train cars. I headed for the lounge area, which anyone can use. The cabin key uses a numeric code, so you don’t have to worry about losing it. It’s the same system as the Sunrise sleeper train. No worries about misplacing keys—very comforting. It’s closed now, but there’s a shop in Car 12. I plan to check it out later. And here’s the lounge car. Wow—what an incredible view. Anyone can freely use it while the train is moving. I’d want to stay here the whole trip! From the observation lounge, you can see the locomotive up close. It’s my first time seeing the locomotive in motion from such a vantage point. Besides the lounge, there’s also a mini-lobby area open to everyone. It’s nice to have spaces outside your cabin to relax. It’s closed now, but there used to be a vending machine here. I wanted to buy a drink here at midnight and soak in the moment. And that’s when I made a big mistake: The “dining car”… It turned out you could have lunch there for an extra charge. I didn’t know and ended up picking the boxed meal… Normally only dining-car passengers are allowed in, but I was given special permission to film. I really wish I had eaten there… lesson learned. As a sleeper train, the Cassiopeia also has a shower car. On this daytime tour, I didn’t use it. I’d love to try the overnight trip someday… Lunch in the cabin consists of a boxed meal. Even without the dining car, the boxed meal is very luxurious! The “Cassiopeia Special Bento” A three-tiered feast featuring Tōhoku specialties. Rich and colourful. The large meat portion is Sendai’s famous beef tongue. So many delicious items—every bite is wonderful. Generous servings of ikura too! A concentrated taste of Tōhoku’s best in one box. At certain times, trolley service sells drinks, snacks, and Cassiopeia goods right to your cabin. You can go to the shop, but the trolley comes to you. When it’s approaching, a lamp lights up to let you know. Trolley service really adds to the travel vibe. It’s rare these days, but it brings nostalgia and makes you want to buy something. I bought sake, quail bacon skewers, and an original Cassiopeia pen. This pen writes so smoothly! I also received a commemorative Cassiopeia travel certificate. Right now, we’re traveling through Fukushima Prefecture… The shop has opened—time to grab ice cream and coffee in the lounge. The shutter has lifted and the shop is open. It’s great to see and touch the merchandise before buying. So I got free coffee and ice cream! Made by Hokkaidō’s Machimura Farm, the ice cream uses only fresh milk, dairy, sugar, and egg yolk. Wow!!! That ice cream is rock-hard!!! It’s ultra-creamy yet refreshingly light. Cold ice cream and hot coffee on Cassiopeia—what a combo. I feel like I just used up all my luck at once. Everything was going smoothly until the train suddenly slowed down. It came to a complete stop at a level crossing. What’s happening!? An announcement says someone pressed the emergency button at the crossing, triggering an emergency stop. For safety checks, we’ll remain stopped for a while. In 2023, a railfan was prosecuted for trespassing on the tracks to photograph the Cassiopeia. As a popular train, incidents like this do sometimes occur. About 30 minutes later, the train resumed its journey (the cause remained unknown…). The Cassiopeia overnight express began service on July 16, 1999, between Ueno and Sapporo. Though the interior still looks fresh, the cars had aged and were retired after 25 years. In the lounge, there’s a “Memories Notebook” for passengers to record their Cassiopeia experiences. Our Cassiopeia journey is drawing to a close. Five hours may seem short, but it’s been an incredibly rich experience. Another piece of history comes to an end. Where will I go next? Thank you for watching to the end!
ついに憧れのカシオペア紀行に乗車しました。
今回のルートは東京駅から仙台駅までの5時間限定昼行ツアー。豪華A寝台個室「カシオペアツイン」、伝説の大船軒サンドウィッチ、カシオペアオリジナルスイーツ、東北名物が詰まった特製弁当、展望ラウンジからの絶景など、全てをじっくり紹介します。
さらに途中でまさかの緊急停止トラブルも発生。カシオペアの魅力と少しのハプニングをお楽しみください。
【カシオペアとは？】
カシオペアは1999年に運行を開始した、JR初のオールA寝台個室・2階建ての豪華寝台特急列車です。上野〜札幌間を中心に運行していましたが、2024年に車両の老朽化などを理由に引退が決定。今回がその貴重な乗車体験となります。
【目次】
0:00 オープニング・ついにカシオペア乗車
1:50 豪華寝台個室「カシオペアツイン」紹介
4:20 客室設備＆ベッド展開ギミック
9:34 伝説の駅弁「大船軒サンドウィッチ」朝食
13:36 展望ラウンジの絶景と売店探索
15:11 ダイニングカーの存在に後悔
17:10 昼食・仙台牛タン入り豪華3段重弁当
22:00 まさかの緊急停止トラブル発生
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