This new train continues the story that began with Seibu’s 52 Seats of Happiness, the only full-course restaurant train departing from central Tokyo. Since 2016, more than 80,000 passengers have celebrated anniversaries, proposals, and special occasions on board. With its modern design and locally inspired cuisine, it redefined what a train ride could be.

Seibu’s upcoming flagship aims to elevate that concept even further. Using a newly built Laview-based model with an expanded kitchen and reimagined interiors, the 2028 train will offer an experience where food, scenery, and design merge seamlessly—a journey crafted for memory-making.

Award-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima, whose firm is known for the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa and Dior Omotesando, has designed the train to feel like a gliding piece of architecture. Its mirror-like exterior reflects the scenery of the Seibu lines, while inside, soft gray tones and gentle lighting highlight the dishes, guests, and passing views.

The first car even features an eight-seat private room facing forward along the tracks, a rare luxury that lets guests savor both cuisine and the motion of travel in complete privacy.

At the core of the experience is an entire car devoted to the kitchen, allowing chefs to serve 70 guests perfectly plated hot dishes. Overseen by Executive Chef Hideki Ofude of Balnibarbi, a company known for revitalizing local communities through food projects such as Frogs FARM ATMOSPHERE on Awaji Island, the cuisine will showcase ingredients and stories from along the Seibu lines, from Saitama’s countryside produce to Chichibu’s mountain flavors.

Balnibarbi’s founder Hirohisa Sato describes the train as “a new stage for regional rebirth through food,” combining Seibu’s railway heritage with Japan’s growing passion for culinary tourism.

Japan’s sightseeing trains have become experiences in themselves. Travelers can already enjoy gourmet rides like the Spacia X, which links Tokyo and Nikko with elegant lounges and a café designed by NIKKEN SEKKEI, or the sake-themed Koshino Shu*Kura in Niigata, where passengers toast with regional brews as snow-capped mountains roll past.

Seibu’s upcoming restaurant train joins this lineup as Tokyo’s newest entry into Japan’s “railway gastronomy,” offering urban access to an experience that feels far beyond the city limits.

(Note: All images are for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the final design. Information as of September 2025.)