Train Cruise Season 11

Travel through one of the largest calderas in the world at Mt. Aso in Kumamoto Pref. The caldera has fertile ground to sustain crops and livestock.

We journey the JR Hakushin and Uetsu Main Lines of Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures in search of traditional food culture in one of Japan's major rice-producing regions. At Niigata Station we sample sake from the dizzying array on offer. We visit an old brewery that has converted one building into a tourist attraction. One sightseeing train—so popular it's always fully booked—offers spectacular views of the Sea of Japan. Along the way we try exquisite salmon dishes and other culinary delights.

We start our journey from Fukuyama in southeastern Hiroshima Prefecture bound for Kurashiki in southwestern Okayama Prefecture via JR and the Ibara Railway. The area once prospered on cotton cultivation and textile production. The traditional weaving techniques are used today to make denim, and brocade items for temples and shrines. We also visit historic townscapes dating back to the 16th through 18th centuries, and taste some local sweets. At our destination, we encounter masterpieces of art.

We journey from Gunma Pref., northwest of Tokyo, through Niigata Pref. and marvel at the colors of early summer. Glide along the Tone River through fresh verdure. Explore an art installation in a 750m tunnel and become part of the art in a mirrored shaft that reflects the gorge outside. Admire carvings by Japan's Michelangelo at a 500-year-old Buddhist temple. Try the local, pastel-colored sugar candies. Hover between blue sky and sea at a station on the Sea of Japan. Find your favorite color.

Journey through eastern Hokkaido Prefecture, where spring arrives last in Japan. First, head east from Obihiro through the expansive fields of the Tokachi Plain, which produce much of Japan's food, then along the Pacific Ocean where you can savor the fresh, local produce and seafood. Visit a closed railway that is popular with rail fans, then roll through vast marshlands, a rarity in Japan, and observe the spring wildlife frolicking outside your window as you steam toward your final stop in Nemuro.

We take a trip on the JR Yosan Line through the local history and culture of Ehime Prefecture. Learn modern history at a railroad museum featuring exhibits you can touch and a theme park located on the former site of a copper mine. Dive into an age-old culture at a hot spring town where Geiko entertainers delight guests. A beloved tourist train with dining cars takes us right along the sea and stops at a popular lookout. Experience Gagaku Imperial Court Music at an ancient Shinto shrine.

We journey through the snowy landscapes of northern Fukui Prefecture in central Japan on the Echizen Railway. The local trains, which are a lifeline for residents, operate over a total distance of 53 kilometers and provide access to many sightseeing locations. Visit the 770-year-old Eiheiji and practice zazen meditation, sip locally brewed sake and dine on Echizen crab, as we train cruise through the natural winter wonderland of the old Echizen Province on the Sea of Japan.

We travel the Hisatsu Orange Railway from Yatsushiro in Kumamoto Prefecture to Akune in Kagoshima Prefecture. Much of the line hugs the coast, framing beautiful ocean vistas in the windows. Sea breezes nurture the regional specialty, Amanatsu citrus fruit, while billowing white sails lend traditional fishing vessels the nickname, "ladies in white dresses." One artisan crafts colorful fishing vessel banners for bountiful hauls. Meet a local culture fostered by the sea and the residents who eek their living from it.