Joyful Train (ジョイフルトレイン) is the name given to railway rolling stock or train sets operated by the JR Group in Japan primarily for charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes. Traditionally, this term is only used for chartered trains dedicated to large group travel, but in recent years, it has expanded to include sightseeing trains and tourist trains as well, as their distinctions are made ambiguous. This page includes all trains considered "Joyful trains" and "Sightseeing trains".

History

Origins

The "Joyful Train" concept can be traced back to 1960, when a 1935-vintage SuHaShi 29 dining car was converted into a Japanese-style o-zashiki train with tatami flooring and shoji paper screens on the windows. This could be coupled to regular service trains for use by charter parties. A second car was similarly modified in April 1961. The first train to directly be called "Joyful Train" was the Salon Express Tokyo, a European styled train. The term has since been applied in retrospect to all trains produced before then that fits the descriptions. Many conversions of trains were done due to surplus rolling stock after the abolishment of certain express lines, and purpose-built Joyful Trains are rare. All cars on a Joyful Train are considered Green Cars.

Recent years

Since the bursting of Japan's Bubble Economy, small group travel using buses have become more mainstream, and opportunities to use group trains have decreased, and so have been the demand of European style salon trains. Some JR companies such as JR Kyushu has at once completely abolished chartered trains in order to save costs, and European-styled Salon Trains disappeared from JR Central's rolling stock after the retirement of the Euroliner in 2004. On the other hand, this shift has led JR companies to target individual travellers directly with sightseeing trains, in an attempt to increase regional development. Onboard such tourist-oriented trains, one can enjoy local products, famous sake, or other activities. Sometimes, JR companies has not used the term "Joyful Train" to refer to tourist trains, but since tourist trains are often operated as group trains as well, railway hobby magazines often use both terms, if not use them interchangeably. Locomotive-hauled Joyful Trains tend to be retired due to the time consumed in changing locomotives, as well as the aging of the rolling stock itself. Currently, the only loco-hauled Joyful Trains in service are the Seven Stars in Kyushu of JR Kyushu, the Salon Car Naniwa, the SL Yamaguchi, and the Banetsu Monogatari.

Lines in operation

JR Hokkaido

DMU

JR East

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

JR West

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

JR Shikoku

Sightseeing trains are operated on each line of JR Shikoku. All of these trains are operated by DMUs, and there are no trains operated by electric trains. This is because most of the lines within JR Shikoku's jurisdiction are non-electrified.

DMU

JR Kyushu

JR Kyushu officially does not operate any Joyful Trains in the traditional definition. However, the following sightseeing trainsets that they operate are classified as "D&S Trains" (Design and Story trains), as according to JR Kyushu, each train has a design and a story based on the region that they operate in. In addition, the Trans-Kyushu Limited Express is classified as a D&S Train as well despite not appearing on this list. Most D&S Trains are converted from regular rolling stock into sightseeing expresses, and are designed by Eiji Mitooka. The Kampachi Ichiroku was designed by IFOO Corporation instead. However, it is important to note that the Seven Stars in Kyushu is not classified as a D&S train, but a "Luxury Sleeper train".

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

Past Joyful Train sets

JNR

DMU

Loco hauled

JR Hokkaido

DMU

JR East

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

JR Central

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

JR West

EMU

DMU

Loco hauled

JR Shikoku

DMU

Loco hauled

JR Kyushu

DMU

Loco hauled