Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

A stunning winter journey through the home of the Red-crowned Crane.

Running for a limited time from January to March, the SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen Train travels across the pure white landscape of the Kushiro Marsh. This exclusive winter rail experience invites you to leave everyday life behind and immerse yourself in a world of snow and silence. Operating on the JR Senmo Main Line between Kushiro Sta. and Shibecha Sta., this steam locomotive is an iconic symbol of winter in Hokkaido. Stepping aboard feels like entering Japan’s golden age of rail travel. Inside the carriages, you are surrounded by the warmth of a nostalgic interior, featuring polished varnished walls and classic wooden-framed seats. As the powerful whistle echoes across the marshland and white steam rises with the faint scent of coal, a timeless journey begins to unfold.

Outside your window, a vast world of silver and white stretches endlessly. In the quiet marshland, elegant Red-crowned Cranes can be seen dancing across the snow, while Ezo deer move gracefully through the frozen landscape. This is a quintessential winter scene unique to Hokkaido—raw, serene, and unforgettable. Spending time inside the all-reserved carriages, warmed by traditional coal-burning “daruma” stoves, offers a level of comfort found nowhere else. Experience a journey shaped by sound, scent, and scenery—an encounter with winter Hokkaido that exists only here.