When you really want to immerse yourself in the world of Japanese trains.
There are a lot of things Japan does well, and one aspect where it shines is themed hotel rooms. After giving us a way to sleep with Hello Kitty and snooze in the midst of a Godzilla battle, we’ve now discovered a new place to stay, in the Yurikamome 30th Anniversary Collaboration Room at the Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel.
▼ The hotel is about a three-minute walk from Ariake Station on the Yurikamome line.
▼ You can see the hotel’s curved building from the station.
The theme of the room is clearly evident when you check in and receive your room key, as it looks like a train ticket. Curious as to why the amount on the ticket was 390 yen (US$2.54), we asked staff at the front desk about it, and they told us the 3 (“san” in Japanese) and the 9 (“kyu“) sounds like “san kyu” or “thank you“.
Tapping the ticket against the lock, the light flashed green and we pushed the door open to reveal…
▼ …the Yurikamome Room!
Located on the 18th floor, this room has a great view, but you won’t spend much time looking outside as all your attention will be drawn to the train driver’s seat in the middle of the room.
The driver’s seat is at the foot of the beds, making you feel like passengers on a train while you sleep.
The seat is no gimmick as it’s an actual operator’s cabin used on the Yurikamome, a major transportation line linking downtown Tokyo with the Odaiba and Toyosu areas. Staff say that bringing the train equipment into the hotel room and setting it up was a challenge, but it was definitely worth it as it gives rail fans the rare chance to touch buttons and dials that are usually off limits to the public.
▼ The control panel, including the emergency call (緊急呼出) and call (呼出) buttons are charmingly worn from years of use.
Even the seat has beautiful details that’ll make you feel like you’re riding a train.
And if you look out the window, you’ll see the Yurikamome line, cutting a path over the approach to Tokyo Big Sight, the convention centre where famous events like Comiket are held.
There are plenty of interactive elements on the driver’s panel to help you feel like you’re driving an actual train.
Those yearning for even more realism can head over to the DVD player, where there’s a special DVD provided.
Playing the DVD will give you a driver’s view from the front of the train, so you can watch the journey and hear the sounds of the train while you drive it.
Watching the scenery from the Yurikamome while looking at the real Yurikamome from the Yurikamome room is a wonderfully immersive experience.
And when it’s time to head to bed, you’ll be snuggling up to a cushion shaped like a train, while the wall of train windows gives you the sensation of rocking off to a deep slumber.
▼ The cushions are especially adorable.
Before you get into bed, though, you’ll want to try out the “station name sorting magnets” on the route map attached to the entrance door.
It’s a simple game where you have to line up the station names from Shimbashi to Toyosu in order, but it can be challenging for those who aren’t used to riding the Yurikamome Line.
And when it comes to dinner, guests can head over to the nearby Ariake Garden shopping mall, where you can take your pick from the food court options.
▼ German cuisine is highly recommended.
After testing our knowledge of the train line and filling up on chips and sausages, it was time for bed.
The sleep that came was a special one that can only be had in a train-themed bed in a train-themed room while the very train that inspired it all runs past the window.
When you wake in the morning, you won’t be able to resist a little more driver play before checkout.
Limited to one hotel room per day, the themed experience will only be available for a limited time until 19 March, with prices starting at 22,000 yen ($143.28) per person. Beware, though — the room is so immersive that you may well find yourself wanting to step into the driver’s cabin on the train ride home.
Related: Yurikamome Collaboration Room
Photos ©SoraNews24
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