JR EAST

JR East starts up party train for yearend celebrations

Sunday 14th December, 06:28 AM JST

CHIBA —

As the end of year parties step into full swing, the Chiba branch of JR East has decided to join in on the festivities by running a special rapid service from Ryogoku to Naruto, on which passengers take off their shoes and eat and drink as they sit in comfort at kotatsu tables.

The Ozashiki Togane service will run on Thursdays and Fridays this month, and on Monday the 22nd, the day before the national holiday held for the Emperor’s birthday.

The trip from Ryogoku to Naruto takes about an hour and a half, and all tickets in the six-car train need to be reserved. Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase on platform 3 at Ryogoku station.

Masakazu Ishimoto, a 34-year-old resident of Narashino City working in Tokyo, had this to say between drinks with his colleagues: “You can stretch your legs out and drink alcohol, it’s great. You can’t do this every day, so I’m going to stay on until the last stop.”

Kyodo News Service

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9 Comments

Mark_McCracken at 07:20 AM JST - 14th December

Didn't JR go to great lengths to prevent a party train during Halloween?
Statistician at 10:27 AM JST - 14th December

If you have to go to Naruto you'll need a few beers first.
timorborder at 11:01 AM JST - 14th December

Many years ago, I was dragged to a party train event in rural Japan by a friend of a friend who I had never met. It was a pretty memorial experience with the fellow party goers getting into the spirit of things to the max (typical Japanese year end party). A couple of the young guys stripped off and started mooning everybody standing on the platforms of the stations that we passed through (without stopping). Totally unbelievable but incredible fun.
martyman at 11:31 AM JST - 14th December

Timorborder, sounds like a few normal train rides I ve been on between Hiroshima and Osaka. I guess the only difference, is the party train doesn't make any stops?
Latenights at 03:20 PM JST - 14th December

“You can stretch your legs out and drink alcohol, it’s great. You can’t do this every day"

Load of rubbish! the 8:00am shink to Nagoya is full of "mature" salarymen stretching, cracking beers and eating those disgusting, smelly dried squid things for breakfast!

I can appreciate the scam, though, after all, once you've done your 90-minute party ride, you then need to buy another ticket to get yourself home. Genius!
kitakirisuzume at 07:21 PM JST - 14th December

I agree with Latenights. I have never ridden a train in this country, to or from work or any other appointment without drinking heavily and having some of the inferior crisps they sell at kiosks. You can't always stretch your legs out, for sure, but you can definitely carry a plastic bag full of beer, chu-high and enjoy the ride. And of course in some trains you have the added pleasure of being able to smoke.
Sarge at 07:29 PM JST - 14th December

"sit in comfort at kotatsu tables"

I wish they had these train cars on the Yamanote Line weekday mornings.
plasticmonkey at 09:03 PM JST - 14th December

What about the return trip?
Ninjazilla at 11:08 PM JST - 14th December

man those trains must stink to high heaven afterwards!but sounds like a fun experience