Abercrombie & Kent Plans Two Luxury Rail Journeys Through Japan for 2027
Two exclusive 2027 departures pair a four-day Kyushu rail journey with luxury hotel stays and cultural experiences, starting at $42,995 per person.
Photo: Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent
Abercrombie & Kent will return to Japan’s “Seven Stars in Kyushu” luxury sleeper train in 2027, offering two exclusive charters as part of a 10-day journey that also includes stays in Fukuoka and Kyoto and visits to Hiroshima and Miyajima.
The April departure is timed for cherry blossom season and accommodates up to 18 guests, while the September departure accommodates up to 20. Prices start at $42,995 per person, based on double occupancy.
For travelers hoping to experience the train, the charter offers a way around its usual lottery booking process. According to A&K, prospective passengers can apply repeatedly over several years before securing a place. This marks the operator’s second year chartering the train.
Launched in 2013, Seven Stars has 10 suites with private bathrooms and showers, with woodwork and textiles combining Japanese and Western design. Shared spaces include the Blue Moon lounge car, which becomes a piano bar in the evening, and the Jupiter salon car, featuring a tatami-floored tearoom.
The itinerary begins with two nights at the Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka, then heads to Hakata Station for a welcome ceremony in the Kinsei Lounge before boarding the train for four days exploring Kyushu.
Off-train experiences include a visit to Ransei-an, a workshop preserving traditional weaving and natural indigo dyeing, and a stop at Mount Aso. Guests also spend a night at Ryotei Hanzuiryo, a hot-spring ryokan at the foot of Mount Unzen, and stargaze at Nita Pass, an overlook normally closed to the public after sunset. A local priest leads visits to Kyushu’s forest temples.
Return to Fukuoka, then dine at a yatai food stall before taking the shinkansen to Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Museum and Miyajima’s Itsukushima Shrine.
The journey concludes at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, with visits to Kinkaku-ji and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, a confectionery class and a tea ceremony. A farewell dinner hosted by a geiko and maiko includes performances and conversation about life in contemporary Kyoto.
An English-speaking resident tour director and local guides accompany the journey. The price includes private airport transfers, luggage handling, laundry service, most meals, and all entrance fees. The minimum guest age is 12.
