Japan's first luxury sleeper train, Seven Stars, has been gliding through Kyushu since 2013, and it remains one of the most sought-after rail experiences in Asia. The name refers to the island's seven prefectures and seven themes — nature, history and culture, food, hot springs, spiritual sites, local people, and trains themselves — and the whole design is built around them.
This is rail travel at boutique-hotel scale. There are just seven carriages and ten suites, refitted in 2022 with polished wood and understated Japanese craftsmanship. The deep burgundy exterior with gold detailing turns heads at every station. On board you'll find a salon, tea room, shop and bar, plus the Blue Moon lounge where live piano accompanies the scenery sliding past vast windows at either end of the train. Two deluxe suites offer extra space, including one with an oversized window framing the countryside.
Dining is a major draw. Menus change with the seasons and itineraries, drawing on Kyushu's regional produce with Japanese, French and Italian influences, and some trips bring in dishes from well-known local restaurants. Each meal is framed as a way to understand the island — its farms, coasts and cooking traditions — rather than just dinner.
The routes matter as much as the train. Depending on whether you book the two-day or four-day journey, you might stop in Hita in Oita Prefecture, famous for Onta pottery and traditional crafts, ride along the East China Sea on the Hisatsu Orange Railway, or take in the volcanic terrain around Sakurajima near Kagoshima. Kyushu packs active volcanoes, hot-spring towns and fishing villages into one island, and the excursions are designed to introduce travellers to the artisans and communities behind it all.
What sets Seven Stars apart from regular rail travel is the pace. There are no hotel check-ins, no packing and unpacking, no rush between sights. Mornings might involve a tea ceremony in the tea room; evenings are for the lounge as the light fades over the island. It's slow travel with all the friction removed.
The obvious caveat is access. With only ten suites and curated excursions, this sits firmly in the luxury bracket, and demand in Japan for the train famously outstrips supply — places are typically allocated by lottery or through high-end travel agents, so booking well ahead through a specialist is essential. But for travellers who want a single trip that captures an entire island's food, craft and scenery without ever feeling hurried, few journeys compete.
If the full Seven Stars experience is out of reach, the story still points you somewhere useful: Kyushu itself rewards slow travel. The same routes, hot springs and pottery villages can be explored on ordinary (and far cheaper) regional trains, including the scenic Hisatsu Orange Railway. The island offers much of what makes the luxury version special — just without the burgundy livery.
Full story: Getaway South Africa
