On a Sleeping Train to Hokkaido

The next day we caught a sleeping train to Sapporo in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Although it’s a relatively new service, the train could easily pass as a recently restored Orient Express-style train from the 1920s. Our little compartment comprised two seats and two bunks, one of which descended from the ceiling at the push of a button. We watched as the scenery outside became whiter and whiter. Occasionally a staff member would come in and try to explain how to operate the heating system, or ask us about dinner reservations in the train’s ‘French Restaurant’ carriage. I fell asleep as soon as it got dark and woke the following day in Sapporo.