This is my ride on the 2.5-hour Kintetsu "Shimakaze" limited express train. The service runs between the distant city of Shima in Mie Prefecture and either Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya. (You may have heard of Shima because in 2016 the G7 Summit was held there. Before leaving, I tour the museum on the second floor of Kashikojima Station.)

I take the train from from Shima to Osaka. The Shimakaze is a rare example of a Japanese train with a dining car; most do not have one. (Even shinkansens don't.) This is my first train ride in Japan with a dining car, and I definitely took advantage. The service is superb and the food is absolutely delicious. I even have a beer with a picture of the train itself on the label.

Besides the food, I enjoy a "premium" seat, and the video also shows the features of that (including a unique massage function for your lower back). I show the bathroom facilities (which are, even for Japan, impressively spotless) and the even nicer luxury rooms in car #4. And of course, the scenery of the Kii Mountains of Mie, Nara, and Osaka Prefectures. The Shimakaze ride is an especially great one!

P.S. Yes I know some of the English subtitles are poor translations of the Japanese spoken in this video :/ One gets by the best one can...

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