Most of Japan’s restaurant trains run deep in the countryside, which makes them a commitment to reach. Seibu Railway’s “52 Seats of Happiness” is the rare exception: it departs from Seibu-Shinjuku, right in central Tokyo, and heads out to Chichibu in the mountains of Saitama. For two days this October, it’s serving a menu built almost entirely around ingredients from Shiga Prefecture, several hundred kilometres away.
What Is “52 Seats of Happiness”?
Car 2, with its distinctive persimmon-tannin washi paper ceiling, and Car 4, with a lattice ceiling made from local Nishikawa timber. (Image: Tetsudo Channel)
As the name suggests, this is a sightseeing train with exactly 52 seats. The whole four-car set is given over to dining, with a full open kitchen on board, so passengers get proper multi-course cooking prepared fresh as the scenery goes past — not reheated bento. The interiors take their cues from Chichibu: Car 2 has a ceiling of kakishibu washi (paper treated with fermented persimmon tannin, a traditional Japanese preservative that deepens to a rich amber), while Car 4 uses a lattice ceiling made from locally grown Nishikawa cedar and cypress.
The October Special: A Taste of Shiga on the Way to Chichibu
Dishes are prepared to order in the onboard open kitchen. (Image: Tetsudo Channel)
On October 17 and 18, 2026, the train runs a special programme called the “Gourmet Omi-ji Premium Train,” between Seibu-Shinjuku and Seibu-Chichibu, with a brunch course outbound and a dinner course on the return:
- Brunch course: departs Seibu-Shinjuku around 10:40 a.m., arrives Seibu-Chichibu around 1:57 p.m. — ¥16,000 (yen) (approx. $101)
- Dinner course: departs Seibu-Chichibu around 4:00 p.m., arrives Seibu-Shinjuku around 6:34 p.m. — ¥19,000 (yen) (approx. $119)
Both prices include tax and a Seibu Line one-day free pass, which is worth knowing: it means you can break your journey and explore Chichibu between the two services rather than riding straight back.
Seibu is a private railway, not part of JR, so the Japan Rail Pass doesn’t cover it. But the included one-day free pass means the fare side is already taken care of. Chichibu itself is worth the stop — it’s known for Hitsujiyama Park, the Chichibu Shrine, whisky from the acclaimed Ichiro’s Malt distillery, and as the terminus of the seasonal SL Paleo Express steam train.
Why Shiga? The Destination Campaign Connection
The Shiga Destination Campaign — a tourism push launched jointly by the six JR Group companies, Shiga Prefecture, local governments, and tourism operators — begins its pre-campaign phase in October 2026. This special run is part of that effort, using the restaurant train as a way of introducing Shiga’s produce and traditions to travellers in the Tokyo area, in the hope some of them make the trip west afterwards.
It helps that Seibu and Ohmi Railway, which runs through the Shiga countryside, both belong to the Seibu Group. Passengers also receive extras drawn from four municipalities along the Ohmi Railway (Toyosato, Taga, Higashiomi, and Aisho): local sake, Mandokoro-cha tea, and linen coasters made from Omi-jofu, a traditional hemp textile of the region.
The Menu: A French Course Rooted in Shiga
Flavours of Shiga meet flavours of Chichibu. (Image: Seibu Railway)
The courses are supervised by chef-owner Junji Nunoyama, a Shiga native who trained in France and now runs the French restaurant Gueule de Bois in Tokyo’s Nakameguro. This October run revives the Shiga collaboration menu he created for the train between January and March 2026, which proved popular enough to bring back.
Alongside Shiga specialities such as aka-konnyaku (a distinctive red-tinted konjac unique to the region) and Minakuchi gourd shavings, the mains showcase premium local ingredients: Omi duck at brunch, and Omi beef — one of Japan’s most prized wagyu breeds — at dinner.
Brunch course
The brunch course. (Image: Seibu Railway)
- Appetiser: Assorted starters pairing Shiga Prefecture with Saitama (Chichibu)
- Soup: Ravioli of Shiga-raised pork in a hearty broth
- Main: Confit of Omi duck, with a cassoulet of shakkin-nashi soybeans (a heritage variety native to Chichibu)
- Dessert: Japanese black tea blancmange with Saitama citrus confiture
Dinner course
The dinner course. (Image: Seibu Railway)
- Appetiser: Assorted starters pairing Shiga Prefecture with Saitama (Chichibu)
- Soup: Soupe de poisson accented with moroko (a small freshwater fish from Lake Biwa), served with Tsurugashima saffron rouille croutons
- Main: Omi beef braised in red wine, using beef from Kinoshita Farm
- Dessert: Chocolate terrine with yahei chilli, strawberry sauce
How to Book
Reservations for the October run are handled through the dedicated booking website. Demand is high: as of early August 2026, the October 17 brunch service had already sold out, with limited seats remaining on the others. Availability changes quickly, so check the current status directly rather than assuming.
If those dates don’t work, “52 Seats of Happiness” runs regularly outside this special programme. Bookings for each month’s departures open at 8:00 a.m. Japan time on the second Thursday of the month. There’s also a private-charter option for Car 1.
Booking site: https://seibu52-shifuku.seiburailway.jp/
Official information: https://www.seiburailway.jp/railways/seibu52-shifuku/
A day trip that starts in Shinjuku, delivers a full French tasting menu built from ingredients sourced 400 km away, and drops you in the mountains of Chichibu with a free rail pass in hand — it’s an unusually easy way to fit a genuine restaurant-train experience into a Tokyo itinerary.