Resort Shirakami

The Resort Shirakami (リゾートしらかみ) is a limited-stop "Rapid" service operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) as a sightseeing train along the scenic coastal Gonō Line in the north of Japan since March 1997.

Operations
The train service operates between Akita and Aomori via the Ōu Main Line and Gonō Line, with the journey taking approximately 5 hours. Three return services run daily, with one service operating between Akita and Hirosaki only, and the other two reversing at Hirosaki.

Stops
Trains stop at the following stations:

Akita - Oiwake - Hachirōgata - (Moritake) - Higashi-Noshiro - Noshiro - Akita-Shirakami - Iwadate - Jūniko - WeSPa-Tsubakiyama - Fukaura - (Senjōjiki) - Ajigasawa - Mutsu-Morita - Kizukuri - Goshogawara - Mutsu-Tsuruda - Itayanagi - Fujisaki - Kawabe - Hirosaki - Shin-Aomori - Aomori

Stations in brackets are stations where not all trains stop at or stations which are only called at during certain times of the year.


 * Resort Shirakami no. 4, 5, 3 and 6 do not stop at Moritake.
 * Trains only stop at Senjōjiki at certain times of the year.

Rolling stock
Services are operated by three dedicated four-car diesel multiple unit sets based at Akita Depot, named Aoike (青池), Buna (橅), and Kumagera (くまげら), converted from former KiHa 48 DMU cars. The original KiHa 48 Aoike trainset was replaced by a new HB-E300 series hybrid DMU set, which entered service on 4 December 2010. An additional four-car HB-E300 series hybrid DMU set was built for use on Buna services from July 2016, replacing the KiHa 48 DMU set previously used. The exterior livery and interior design was overseen by Ken Okuyama Design.


 * Aoike KiHa 48 4-car DMU (March 1997 – 2010)
 * Buna KiHa 48 4-car DMU (April 2003 – July 2016)
 * Kumagera KiHa 48 4-car DMU (since March 2006)
 * Aoike HB-E300 series 4-car hybrid DMU (since December 2010)
 * Buna HB-E300 series 4-car hybrid DMU (from 16 July 2016)

All cars are no-smoking, and all seats require advance seat reservations.

KiHa 48 Aoike
This was the first Resort Shirakami trainset introduced, converted from former KiHa DMU cars at JR East's Tsuchizaki Works, and entering service in March 1997. It was initially formed as a four-car set, as shown below. The end cars were built with new cab ends, while the two inner cars retained their original driving cabs. The name Aoike was added in March 2003 to distinguish it from the second Resort Shirakami ("Buna").

From March 2006, the set was reduced to three cars, as shown below, with car KiHa 48 1521 repainted and inserted into the newly created Kumagera trainset.

The end cars had large panorama windows and featured conventional unidirectional seating, with a small lounge space behind the driving cabs. The two inner cars each had eight four-person semi-open compartments.

This set was replaced in 2010 by a new 4-car HB-E300 series hybrid DMU set, and was reformed as a two-car trainset for use on other lines from February 2011, branded as Cruising Train (クルージングトレイン).

KiHa 48 Buna
Following the popularity of the original Resort Shirakami (Aoike) trainset, a second set was built in March 2003, from former KiHa 40 DMU cars at JR East's Tsuchizaki Works, and named Buna (橅). This train entered service on 1 April 2003, and was initially formed as a 3-car set as shown below.

In December 2010, it was lengthened to four cars with the addition of KiHa 1543, formerly part of the original Aoike set, and formed as shown below.

The former identities of the rebuilt cars are as follows.

As with the earlier Aoike set, the end cars have large panorama windows and feature conventional 2+2 abreast unidirectional seating, with a small lounge space behind the driving cabs. The inner car has semi-open compartments with seats that can pulled out to create a flat seating space. It also included a smoking compartment.

KiHa 48 Kumagera
This was the third Resort Shirakami trainset to be built, entering service on 18 March 2006. The name Kumagera is the Japanese name for the black woodpecker, which lives in the Shirakami-Sanchi area, a World Heritage Site. This train was initially formed as a 3-car set as shown below. Car KiHa 48 1521 was originally included in the Aoike trainset.

In December 2010, it was lengthened to four cars, formed as shown below.

The former identities of the rebuilt cars are as follows.

As with the earlier trainsets, the end cars have large panorama windows, ten rows of conventional 2+2 abreast unidirectional seating, and a small lounge space behind the driving cabs. The inner car has eight semi-open compartments with seats that can pulled out to create a flat seating space.

HB-E300 series Aoike
This is a four-car hybrid DMU set, which replaced the original KiHa 48 Aoike set and entered service from 4 December 2010.

The trainset is formed as shown below.

The end cars have conventional 2+2 abreast unidirectional seating, and a small lounge space behind the driving cabs. The inner cars have semi-open compartments.

HB-E300 series Buna
This is a four-car hybrid DMU set introduced on 16 July 2016, replacing the original KiHa 48 Buna set.

The trainset is formed as shown below.

Cars 1, 2, and 4 have conventional 2+2 abreast unidirectional seating, while car 3 has semi-open compartments.

History
The Resort Shirakami service was introduced in March 1997, coinciding with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen. It replaced the locomotive-hauled Nostalgic View Train (ノスタルジックビュートレイン), formed of three converted 50 series coaches, which previously operated as a sightseeing train on the Gono Line.

A new HB-E300 series 4-car hybrid DMU trainset entered service as the Resort Shirakami - Aoike from 4 December 2010, replacing the original KiHa 48 DMU set, and coinciding with the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen extension to Shin-Aomori.