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I'm sure many of you are familiar with the opening line of Sayuri Ishikawa's single "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki" (Tsugaru Strait Winter Scenery), released in 1977
It is a masterpiece that packs travel scenes into its short lyrics, but the " night train from Ueno to Aomori " that is featured in the song no longer exists, the Seikan Ferry also ceased operation before the night train to Aomori.
This time, we will focus on what kind of train the "night train from Ueno to Aomori" was
The role played by the night train from Ueno to Aomori
The sleeper express "Akebono" that ran between Ueno and Aomori
The night train from Ueno to Aomori was born 1891 during the Meiji period, when the railway line from Ueno Station to Aomori Station, now the Tohoku Main Line, opened.
There has been a direct train from Ueno Station to Aomori Station since the line first opened, and at the time the operating time was as long as 26.5 hours, so it was naturally an overnight train that ran all night.
When "Tsugaru Kaikyo: Winter Scenery" was published in 1977, the Tohoku Shinkansen had not yet opened, and airfares were expensive. For most people at the time, it was common knowledge that by express train took about nine hours
It would have been a waste to spend this much time traveling during the day, so there was still considerable demand for night trains that allowed people to travel while they slept
the Seikan Tunnel, which runs under the Tsugaru Strait between Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, was only opened in 1988, and until then, Aomori Station was the northernmost destination for overnight trains on Honshu. The Seikan Ferry was responsible for transporting people from Aomori Station to Hokkaido, and in fact, "Tsugaru Strait: Winter Scenery" depicts a journey to Hokkaido on the Seikan Ferry.
From the opening of the Tohoku Main Line until the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen and Seikan Tunnel, the overnight train from Ueno to Aomori continued to connect Kanto with Tohoku and Hokkaido for many years .
Night trains from Ueno to Aomori had various routes
From here on, I will be using the timetable from the famous Go-San-To timetable revision that took place in October 1978, the year after "Tsugaru Kaikyo Winter Scenery" was released, as a base. Although it is generally called an overnight train departing from Ueno and heading to Aomori, there are actually many different routes along the way, and as of 1978 there were three types
After leaving Ueno Station, the train enters the Joban Line and passes through Mito, Taira (now Iwaki), Sendai, Morioka and other stations before arriving at Aomori Station
This train leaves Ueno Station and heads north on the Tohoku Main Line, passing through stations such as Omiya, Utsunomiya, Fukushima, Sendai, and Morioka before arriving at Aomori Station
The train from Ueno Station to Fukushima Station travels via the Tohoku Main Line, then enters the Ou Main Line and passes through Yamagata, Shinjo, Akita, Odate and other stations before arriving at Aomori Station
In addition, in later years, trains that run via the Takasaki Line, Joetsu Line, Uetsu Main Line, and Ou Main Line, as well as trains that pass through stations such as Omiya, Takasaki, Nagaoka, Sakata, Akita, and Odate, also appeared. In the next section, we will introduce night trains connecting Ueno and Aomori by route
Trains via the Joban Line (via Mito, Taira, and Sendai)
The main route for night trains heading towards Tohoku was the Joban Line, not the Tohoku Main Line
Before the Tohoku Shinkansen, the Tohoku Main Line, a major artery connecting the Kanto and Tohoku regions, had many trains running, even at night. For this reason, night trains, which did not require high speed, tended to use the Joban Line, even though it was a slightly longer route.
The first train to be introduced on the Joban Line is the sleeper express "Yuzuru ." As of October 1978, there were an astonishing seven trains running per day, including three special trains.
Yuuzuru No. 1, 3 and 5 were operated by 583 series electric trains, which could be used as both sleeper cars at night and seat cars during the day (during the daytime, they were used for the Hatsukari limited express train, which also ran between Ueno Station and Aomori Station)
"Blue Trains" and used blue-painted sleeping cars .
Most night trains bound for Aomori were scheduled so that passengers could transfer to the Seikan Ferry at Aomori Station
For example, Yuuzuru No. 3 departs Ueno Station at 19:53 and arrives at Aomori Station at 5:08 the next morning. If you transfer to the Seikan Ferry departing at 5:25, you'll arrive at Hakodate Station at 9:15 (a time that makes you want to take an extra nap on the ferry)
At Hakodate Station, I changed to the limited express "Ozora No. 3" and departed at 9:35, arriving at Sapporo Station at 13:44. The train then split into two at Takikawa Station, arriving at Asahikawa Station at 15:36 and Kushiro Station at 19:41.
It takes nearly 18 hours from Ueno Station to Sapporo Station, but at the time, trains were the main means of long-distance travel, so many people would have used it
Another overnight train bound for Aomori via the Joban Line the Towada Express . On the busiest days, there were four trains in operation, including two special trains. As an express train, it stops at more stations than the Yuuzuru sleeper express, and both trains took over 12 hours to get from Ueno Station to Aomori Station.
Another notable feature is that all trains except Towada No. 3, which departed Ueno Station at 20:50, did not have sleeping cars attached .
The lack of sleeping cars meant that passengers had to spend 12 hours sitting in their seats overnight. Not only that, but while there were reserved seats in the coaches, the majority were unreserved. Since unreserved seats meant that it was possible to get on and find that the train was full, it was common for passengers to spend the night lying down on newspapers on the floor during peak periods
Trains via the Tohoku Main Line (via Fukushima and Sendai)
Among the trains that ran via the Tohoku Main Line, there was one that was the first of all the "night trains departing from Ueno (including trains not bound for Aomori)" to depart from Ueno Station at the time
The first train was the express "Hakkoda ." It departed Ueno Station at 19:08 and arrived at Aomori Station at 6:17, making the journey time 11 hours. Even after arriving at Aomori Station, the train was not scheduled to allow for an immediate transfer to the Seikan Ferry, so it was primarily a train used to access northern Kanto and Tohoku.
This train also had no sleeping cars attached, and all cars except for one reserved seat and one green car were unreserved. Looking at it from a modern perspective, it may seem strange why a train with such harsh riding conditions existed, but as it was an express train, the fare was cheaper than a limited express, and as it was a seating car, the fare was cheaper than a sleeping car. In other words, one advantage was that it was much cheaper than a sleeping car express
It was also a popular train because it allowed passengers to use the unreserved seats on Hakkoda if they used a Wide Round Trip Ticket. There was only one regular train on Hakkoda per day, but up to three special trains ran per day, and even so, it was said to be quite crowded during peak passenger periods
583 series train sleeper express "Hakutsuru"
Then there is the sleeper express "Hakutsuru" . Like some of the Yuuzuru, it used the 583 series electric train.
This train only ran once a day, which suggests that the main sleeper express train to Aomori was the Yuuzuru, which ran via the Joban Line
Trains via the Ou Main Line (via Fukushima, Yamagata, and Akita)
The first overnight train to Aomori via the Ou Main Line is the express "Tsugaru ." Two trains run per day, and Tsugaru No. 1 also connects with the Seikan Ferry.
In addition to passenger cars, including one Green Car and one reserved seat car, the Tsugaru was also fitted with three-tiered sleeping cars and more comfortable A-class sleeping cars. For those who traveled to Tokyo from Tohoku on a local train for work, being able to ride an A-class sleeping car on the Tsugaru Express was considered a sign of success.
And we cannot forget to introduce "Akebono."
In 1978, there were two trains per day, Akebono No. 1 bound for Aomori and No. 3 bound for Akita. No. 3 only went as far as Akita, and No. 1 did not connect with the Seikan Ferry at Aomori Station, so perhaps it was more of a train connecting Ueno and Akita than Ueno and Aomori
The Akebono's route was later significantly changed, but it continued to operate regularly until March 2014, making it the last "night train from Ueno to Aomori .
The Ou Main Line, which is the route these trains take, is characterized by the fact that for some reason there are many stations with unusual names. There is an explanatory article here, so please take a look
After the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen and Seikan Tunnel
The Tohoku Shinkansen opened between Omiya Station and Morioka Station in 1982, and then between Ueno Station and Omiya Station in 1985, greatly reducing travel times between Kanto and Tohoku. However, the advantage of night trains - being able to travel while you sleep - remained unchanged, so night trains were not immediately abolished, but as time went on, the number of people using airplanes and express buses in addition to the Shinkansen increased, and the number of people using night trains gradually decreased, leading to their decline
First, in 1985, the Towada Express was downgraded from a regular train to a special train, and later ceased operation as a special train as well
In addition, the Seikan Tunnel opened in 1988
Since it became possible to travel from Aomori Station to Hakodate Station without leaving the train, the Seikan Ferry was discontinued. Aomori Station's traditional role as a gateway to Hokkaido was lost, and the scene depicted in the lyrics became a thing of the past
The Yuuzuru Sleeper Express, Hakkoda Express, and Tsugaru Express were subsequently discontinued as special trains in 1993, and later ceased operation entirely. The Hakutsuru Sleeper Express was also discontinued in 2002 when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended between Morioka Station and Hachinohe Station
The Hakkoda Maru , a ferry that was actually used as a Seikan Ferry is preserved as the Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru , a five-minute walk from Aomori Station
Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkodamaru
You can go inside the ship (for a fee) and walk on the deck, touch the rudder and communication equipment in the wheelhouse, and see the railway cars on board.
Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru ＜ Information ＞
Name: Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
Address: 112-15 Yanagawa 1-chome, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
Phone number: 017-735-8150
Opening hours: 9:00-19:00, admission until 18:00 (April 1st - October 31st) 9:00-17:00, admission until 16:30 (November 1st - March 31st)
Closed: December 31st, January 1st, Monday to Friday of the second week of March
The last night train "Akebono" from Ueno to Aomori
The Akebono was the last overnight train to depart Ueno and head to Aomori
In the 1990s, construction began on a section of the Ou Main Line where the Akebono sleeper express and Tsugaru express trains were operating, to allow the Yamagata Shinkansen to run. This construction widened the gap between the two rails to accommodate the Shinkansen, making it impossible for conventional trains to run
For more information on how the Yamagata Shinkansen (Shinkansen Tsubasa) came to be, please see this article
The Akebono and Tsugaru trains, which could no longer operate on their original routes, continued to operate after changing their routes in 1990. However, the Tsugaru trains were converted into limited service in 1993, shortly after the route was changed to run via the Tohoku Main Line, Senzan Line (a line connecting Sendai Station and Uzen-Chitose Station in Yamagata Prefecture), and Ou Main Line, and operation of the trains was discontinued
At the time, two Akebono trains were running per day, one of which was changed to run via the Tohoku Main Line, Rikuou East Line (a line connecting Kogota Station in Miyagi Prefecture and Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture), and Ou Main Line
The other train was changed to run via routes such as the Takasaki Line, Joetsu Line, and Uetsu Main Line, meaning it passes through Gunma Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, and the Sea of Japan side of Yamagata Prefecture, and the name of the train was changed to "Chokai."
In 1997, the Akebono route was changed to the same route as Chokai, that is, via the Sea of Japan side, and Chokai was discontinued. There is no parallel Shinkansen line along the Sea of Japan coast from Niigata Prefecture to Aomori Prefecture
Perhaps for this reason, the Akebono continued to exist for a relatively long time after that, and in the meantime all of the night trains that had once headed to Aomori Station together with it disappeared
As for the Akebono, it will inevitably face problems such as competition with other forms of transportation and the aging of its vehicles, and its time will finally come to an end
Regular Akebono service ended with the train departing on March 14, 2014. The last special train service was at the beginning of 2015, and has not been operated since
The night train from Ueno to Aomori, which has been running since the Tohoku Main Line was completed in 1891, has finally come to an end after a long history of over 120 years .
"Blue Train Akebono" where you can stay in an actual sleeping car
Blue Train Akebono
once used as , has opened within the Kosaka Railway Rail Park in Kosaka Town, Kazuno County, Akita Prefecture. It is one of the rare facilities where you can stay in a private sleeping car from the Blue Train, which has now completely disappeared.
The Kosaka Railway Rail Park is a railway complex that utilizes the tracks, facilities, and rolling stock of the Kosaka Railway, which was closed in 2009. This place, which evokes a nostalgic atmosphere and a sense of history, can be enjoyed by people of all ages
As you can see, around the time "Tsugaru Kaikyo Winter Scenery" became a hit, overnight trains from Ueno to Aomori were something that taken for granted I don't think many people could have predicted that they would disappear completely. It 's a bit sad, but it seems that some of the things we take for granted now (not just trains) will eventually disappear as well.
However, even if the train no longer exists, the memories of riding it remain in the hearts of many people, including myself. I hope that all readers will experience a memorable journey that is unique to this modern era.
![EF65 + Sleeper Express "Akebono"](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAJYAAACWAQAAAAAUekxPAAAAAnRSTlMAAHaTzTgAAAAaSURBVEjH7cExAQAAAMKg9U9tDQ+gAACAdwMLuAABXZHjmQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg== "A former child who loved the picture book "I Took the Blue Train" reflects on the blue train depicted in the book")
![EF65 + Sleeper Express "Akebono"](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/EF651018_Akebono_Kawaguchi_19910816-150x150.jpg.webp "A former child who loved the picture book "I Took the Blue Train" reflects on the blue train depicted in the book")
![Mashumaru](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2244492_s-150x150.jpg.webp "I read the picture book "I Got on the Train" [Aomori Prefecture]")
