Japan Railways Turns 150-years old! Celebrates with train-simulator hotel rooms!
Argubly the creator of the world’s first high-speed rail, and owner of the best railway system in the world, Japan Railways (JR), is turning 150-years old on September 13!
A feat in itself, but to truly commemorate this amazing day, JR East has inagurated a special train simulation hotel room stay:
JR East has announced a special collaboration with Nippon Hotel, which focuses on the development of hotels mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The main part of the collaboration will see guests stepping into the role of a JR East train driver through the use of a train simulator installed in the bedroom.
The train simulator installed in the room reproduces the visuals seen from the cockpit of a conventional JR East train line. Guests can select which visuals will be shown on the screen from one of two lines; the Keihin Tohoku Line and the Hachiko Line.
These live-action videos are in fact the very same footage used by JR East drivers-in-training. In addition, the audio emitted from the vehicle and tracks are from real-life recordings, and are played back according to changes in the video and driving operation.
In front of the screen, a control panel faithfully replicates the “master control unit” used by JR East train drivers. This unit consists of a number of switches, indicator lights and levers that are used to control the acceleration and deceleration of trains.
Taking control of this unit, guests will be able to experience JR East train-driving operation through video simulation and a reactive speedometer.
Available dates: Until Friday Sept 30
Pricing: Varies depending on the hotel (refer to each hotel information below for details)
Participating hotels:
– Hotel Metropolitan Ikebukuro
– Hotel Metropolitan Marunochi
– Hotel Metropolitan Kawasaki
– Hotel Metropolitan Saitama-Shintoshin
Experience content:
– Keihin Tohoku Line Omiya - Ofuna Simulation
– Hachikō Line Takasaki - Komagawa Simulation