Riding the Japan's Only Double-Decker Bullet Train (Niigata→Tokyo) || Max TOKI

[@Idividezero]

In 10 years, we will look back on this video to remember this cool train. Thanks for sharing with us Kuga!

[@soniadowney7427]

Why is it out of service?

[@budisoemantri2303]

@@soniadowney7427 maybe a newer train is coming and replace the old one

[@a4andrei]

This train looks so clean for being 24 years old. I honestly thought it was new before you mentioned its age. 😳

[@andrechris-sargent9921]

... Man, my local buses are from the 2000s and they look ten times worse than this.

[@rudyng3469]

I totally agree 😊

[@a4andrei]

@@andrechris-sargent9921 My local busses are from 2018 and they already look pathetic. The whole world can learn a thing or two from Japan... Especially when it comes to social etiquette.

[@qjtvaddict]

@@a4andrei or any East Asian country

[@autisticguitar]

it's seems like a normal thing for a japanese designed train, all of their trains including the commuter and metro trains always have a futuristic design which can stay new-looking for a very long time. like the JR E231 series, which was released around the end of 90s or early 2000s but one can easily think that the train is from around the mid or end of 2010s. even the shinkansen 100 series can still fit in nicely with the modern trains if it were still running, even though it was released in the 80s.

[@royby]

amazing that after 24 years service this train looks so clean and free of marks. The upholstery on your seat looked new! Fantastic

[@benbunyip]

No vandalism on Japanese trains. 👍🏻

[@maxamaxa194]

I wouldn't be surprised if you see these trainsets sold and exported to another country, which happens to many Japanese trains after they are retired! Maybe for the shinkansen line in Texas?

[@benbunyip]

@@maxamaxa194 Texas getting a Shinkansen? Brilliant! As a traveler, I know these trains are in excellent condition.

[@budisoemantri2303]

@@maxamaxa194 we have a lot of retired Japanese train here in Indonesia just not a Shinkansen tho

[@陳秉軒-c9b]

@@maxamaxa194 I doubt that they will export those used Shinkansen trainsets. One of the main reasons the Japanese are retiring these trains is because of metal fatigue. Though it may still seem very sturdy on the outside, many small wear and tear builds up within the frame at almost atomic level. Reducing the overall strength of the frame. Of which, if you were to reinforce the entire frame, you might as well just have a new train built from scratch, with newer technologies even.

[@leematthews6812]

24 years old. Still looks better than half the trains in the UK! 😊

[@e.c.listening326]

*all*

[@mojabaka]

That‘s not even old for a train. You csn easily use trains for 40+ years if well maintained. It‘s a shame they‘ll cancel this one.

[@abshivkumar2549]

sorry bro bojo don't have no money to buy new trains

[@justacurb]

True

[@Nynke_K]

I never knew double-decker shinkansen existed, and then when I saw one at a platform in 2017, it blew my mind! I'd always hoped to ride one one day, so I'm also really sad to see them go... But thanks for showing us what they were like!

[@redstone0234]

in france is the inverse single-decker TGV are becoming rare

[@MatthewHall]

Will miss the train - was on it a couple of times in the late 90's and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the video and the memories!

[@iatsd]

The Max was the first train I travelled on in Japan, and the one I travelled on the most over the next ~7 years. I always liked it more than any other Shinkansen. It was quite new then and used for all the frequent stop runs, which meant it never really got to stretch its legs. It was the older model trains that were used on the longer non-stop services and that consequently got up to the higher speeds. The Max always felt like it wanted to break free and do more, go faster, show the older trains what it could really do. I'm going to miss it when I get back to Japan.

[@calc2377]

Me too! I rode the Max with my wife and daughter on our first trip to Japan in 2012, supremely comfortable and the best thing about the shinkansen? The seats are always rotated to face the direction of travel! Perfect for people like me who has motion sickness!

[@iatsd]

@@NoWayOut1111 An old friend is leaving. Memory is warming, but some days, memory is not enough and the only thing that can fill the space remaining is sadness. I don't want to be sad about it, but I am.

[@martinjh999]

@@calc2377 Have you seen videos of the cleaners that clean these trains? They also change the seats round too. Probably find videos on KZbin about it.

[@pekingpsyduck3431]

I didn't know there was a double-decker shinkansen! Too bad it's being retired.

[@HNBGamer]

You would be more amazed to know that there have been two series of full double-decker Shinkansen, this and E1, retired in 2012. (100 and 200 had some double-decker cars only, not the full train)

[@SalvaBarbus]

I remember when I took it to Echigo-Yuzawa one time. It was quite a surprise, seeing a double-decker shinkansen! It's a shame it's being retired, but, when you compare it to later series of shinkansen, you can see it's beginning to show its age.

[@MeatyLegend]

i like the E4's distinct sound when it passes by at high speed, it's different from any other Shinkansen. maybe due to the huge size? also i love the scenery going to Niigata, the lush rice fields in the summer, and the snowy backdrop in the winter. i miss going to Japan. thank you for the video!

[@meandwhoism]

I think it's the weight

[@riteshkakkar7112]

Pakistamnn

[@posthsc2635]

The distinct sounds are due to the fundamental difference in the structure of the train. Usually a single deck train allows space below the passenger space in each carriage to be used by the instruments (transformers, IGBTs, air conditioning etc..) On the E1/E4, such space is occupied by the existence of a lower deck, and due to the overall increment in the height of the train, the instruments have to be moved to the sides of the train (from 1:45, showing a possible inverter room on the left and air con unit on the right). The sound generated from the instrument will hence be much louder than the regular shinkansens. One possible side reasons why E4 is retiring and getting replaced by E7s for the Joetsu shinkansen. Further research of noise reduction is being conducted on their prototype ALFA-X test train which regularly runs the Tohoku route at 360km/h.

[@RaduButarascu]

Kugaさん, thank you for documenting this train before it was retired.

[@Simonize41]

It is sad they are being retired, they are a beautiful design. My favourite electric train, the Class 91 (IC225) here in the UK is gradually being retired. They came into service in 1989, 31 sets in total and the final sets are to be withdrawn in about a years time. I have travelled several hundred thousand miles behind the 91s over the years and I am going to miss them a lot. Thank you for your excellent videos.

[@RandysRides]

You definitely got the best seat. The countryside view along the rice fields must have been amazing. Thanks for the tour !!

[@pumpkinhill4570]

I prefer the extra panorama of sitting further back. Unless the people in front of you pull their blinders down, of course!

[@alex-cu2qk]

Wow, This is an old train by japanese standards. looks sleek and clean. If you haven't mentioned it is retiring after 24 yrs. No one would believe it as an old train. Thank you for the video.

[@ernstaugust09]

Thank you for taking me on this journey! I'm always sad when your videos end, because that means my journey is over. Your travels give me much needed relaxation and help me rewind after al long day. Much love to you!

[@currentfaves65]

12:08 That train can hold 1,634 people !!! That is amazing.

[@siegmars.450]

but it seems to was empty. Were there any other passengers? I always saw empty seats 🤔

[@daveydoo3173]

For a 24 yr old train it looks super clean outside and inside, like new... Beautiful..

[@saskiapanter]

24 years, it looks bramdnew. What a shame to retire such a beauty. Here in the Netherlands we use trains much older than this.

[@kugastravel5180]

Thanks for watching! I'm going to take the Netherlands train someday🇳🇱 If you like, please subscribe to my channel :)

[@121548654]

Your videos help me to sleep and relax, thanks you so much from Argentina, Latin America!!

[@lindavainomae3489]

Farewell MAX Toki! You will be missed. Thanks for filming it before it is retired.

[@shawnhenry5764]

Hello dear It nice meeting you here How are you doing

[@johnmehaffey9953]

Every time I watch one of your posts it makes me want all the more to visit Japan, my son visited his friend a few years ago and even though it was in January he loved it, I want to visit Kyoto in blossom time but I think that everyone else wants to as well, it’s still on my bucket list so here’s saving my pennies alas I’ll need quite a few to visit Japan

[@kinpyuta]

I love the pattern of the seat fabric, it's so 1990's, reminds me of my first car, a 93 Toyota Celica. So long E4, you had a good run!

[@youngraines851]

The views from the upper level - the best! So glad you have these on video - happy memories soon. Being a lot older, we love all things that are old but still functional. Vintage stuff that most young people no longer know - like public telephone boxes in Britain & so forth.

[@elizabethcoen]

"This train went into service in 1997". OMG! I was born the same year the MAX Toki entered service!

[@shawnhenry5764]

Hello dear It nice meeting you here How are you doing

[@kanita-1183]

24 years! That's a long time of good service. Clearly you'll miss it. Even the sayonara sticker on the train is beautiful. The cranes! What will replace it or are there already existing trains on this route too? I rather take the upper floor. The lower floor was a little claustrophobic for me. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@pumpkinhill4570]

They've started running the newer E7s already on that line, but nothing double-decker anymore for the Shinkansen. I think they value the speed of boarding/disembarking over the extra capacity.

[@ZGryphon]

I think the birds in the train graphic are meant to be crested ibises, since the name of that bird in Japan is _toki._ (There's a certain sad symmetry in the train named Toki being taken out of service, since the actual Japanese crested ibis is critically endangered and all but extinct in the wild. :/ )

[@MeatyLegend]

@@ZGryphon they still run as Toki and Tanigawa with the E7s at Joetsu Shinkansen, they just drop the Max naming 😊

[@ZGryphon]

@@MeatyLegend Good to know!

[@MeatyLegend]

JR East added a pink stripe on the existing E7 livery for the Joetsu Shinkansen, it has yet to grow on me haha. i liked the stock E7 one with the sleek blue and ivory color scheme of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, i think it stands out from the snow really well

[@DemonSlayerCafe]

It's Sad To See That This Train Will Retire Soon But It Will Hold Lot's Of Memories To Many People Who Ride It, Thank You For Sharing This Video With Us.

[@decemberclouds]

Thank you to this shinkansen for being with us for so long! Thank you for sharing this video too.

[@Daniel-hj8el]

This train is not just the only double decker shinkansen bullet train in japan, but ALSO the only double decker High-speed rail that Runs on EMU so like their is no Engine on the Shinkansen! (For Example, in France that use Double- decker TGV's, has an Engine on each side for push-pull High-speed train)

[@simplepixel5617]

Great video. It's nice to see a train that was retired and never get to see when I will visit Japan. Thank you!

[@dennisagbayani3327]

Saying Sayonara to Max Toki & its other sister shinkansens🚅is sad, like bidding farewell to an old, cozy friend. You mentioned the seats in 1st Class are very comfortable. Well, so is this channel. Relaxing and comfortable. And your English is impeccable. Domo Arigato Gozaimashita 🧔

[@stevendaniel8126]

This train looks new! Japan really has its act together.

[@matthewallin2201]

For a 24 year old train it looks flawless. Its breaks my heart to know that it is the last of its type and that it'll be retired after 24yrs of service.

[@mohdibrahim5169]

Wow how lookin amazing after 24 year of service this train is wonderful so clean every thing new without any mark beautiful journey with natural locomotive sound.

[@marynamurray9385]

Japan is so advanced and incredible.

[@kennethwong7748]

Thanks for sharing. My colleague at kawashima told me he will try to take the ferry to Hokkaido once the pandemic is getting better. After I share your video.

[@bengaliinplatforms1268]

Poor Max. How sad he has to retire. An important video for the historical archive

[@steverudder3321]

I have never seen ANY vehicle as clean and polished as these! So this is what high standards looks like!! 👍

[@sebastianflores4479]

Awww man! I’ve only been to Japan twice and I’ve only rode the Shinkansen Tokyo-Sendai, Tokyo- Kanazawa, and the Tokyo-Osaka route, but I never got to ride the MAX line! Those trains ride like Goku’s nimbus cloud. Thanks for the video!

[@watchhans]

Thank you for sharing your travel experience! I took the same Max Toki Green seat on a daytrip in February 2020 from Tokyo, returning the same day. At that time there was still a lot of snow in the mountains and the views were spectacular! Even though most of the trip through the mountains take place in various tunnels. I hope I will be able to visit Japan again as soon as possible!

[@ananwongpinyochit4919]

Thanks for sharing. Japan is so great when it comes to travel by train.

[@jochenlin8085]

Thanks for sharing! I took this train to Gala Ski resort in 2017. Too shame to see it’s going out of service. It’s a solid product and still hope to see double decker in Japan as they do in France with TGV..

[@Bobrogers99]

The train is so clean and well-maintained, it's strange to think that it's old and being retired.

[@bluetree2745]

Good bye MAX! Thank you for your good service. :) So happy I once took him from Niigata to Ueno.

[@Egrezzz]

Whenever you come to Holland, you will see lots of Double-Decker trains. Pretty usual for busy routes :) Not as classy as this train though. Thanks for another great vid.

[@brianb8516]

Most of the commuter trains in Sydney Australia are double deck now.

[@NANICU]

Yeah, but can they travel at 245km/h?

[@brianb8516]

@@NANICU I hope not. The ride is pretty basic at 100. LOL.

[@MeatyLegend]

i like riding Sydney trains too, from the Waratah to the old ones without AC lol, i think the non-AC are retired now?

[@brianb8516]

@@MeatyLegend yeh, they've been gone a couple of years now. Replaced by a newer version of the Waratahs.

[@sim-sam]

Going out of service? looks almost brand new to me (swiss !!). What nice ride and trip, Thanks.

[@AnaSolVa]

Am I getting emotional about a train I didn't even know existed before today? Yes, yes I am

[@jingleton89]

Please do a longer version of this one like you did with the sleeper train! Great work 👍

[@whiskeysk]

I'm so glad now I've stopped in Omyia on the way from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto just to take the short ride to Tokyo on Toki back in 2018. So sad to see these rare sets getting retired.

[@adityaaulia999]

Wonderful. It'll help me and my wife and soon to be born our first son, to make itinerary to japan. Last time I've visited Japan, is 2016 while hanami season. And, hopefully next year when the pandemic is almost over, I can come to visit Japan again.

[@mr_mike365]

What a lovely ride with beautiful Japanese landscape 😉 Thanks for sharing and fare well Max 😊

[@realjohnboxall]

Thank you for your video. I remember riding E4 Max from TokyoSendai. Also, rode double-deck Shinkansen carriage in 1992, had dining car restaurant on upper level.

[@jonbanks3143]

Through the rabbit hole of KZbin I landed on this video. It was a great ride a long. Super cool double decker!

[@christopherorourke6543]

The double decker Shinkansen sets would be great on the Texas High Speed line between Houston & Dallas when the line is built as their Shinkansen high speed line.

[@ridefast0]

I rode this train a few years ago and it is my all time favourite train. So fast and comfortable and great views of the countryside. So sad that it has been withdrawn.

[@FrozenRose816]

Me: hanging out online Me: sees notification for a new Kuga video Also me: stops everything to watch :) I always enjoy your videos and look forward to them!

[@MatthewHall]

same here!

[@anatoleh1]

Hi! I always love your videos. Thank you for the great work :)

[@pumpkinhill4570]

9:00 I love the retro snack area! I took this recently too before they retire it, and it was just such a fun experience. You should get one of the double decker E4 shaped bento boxes from Niigata Station!

[@anxiousbottle]

i rode it in 2019 to echigo yuzawa, absolute ride of my life, it was my favorite shinkansen and i was sad when it was announced it was retiring

[@flyingpigfarm1]

Loved the ride! Thanks for letting us tag along!

[@Backwardlooking]

Very ‘COOL’ in every sense of that word!. Thank you again for your videos. 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿❤️

[@DeannaAKADeanna]

I so enjoy rail travel in Japan! Love this channel. 🙂

[@mogofresha]

Mantep banget keretanya, dari dulu penasaran gimana interior kereta ini. I love this video, thanks for this video. I've always been curious about this car. Im from Indonesia, anyway.. .

[@maxamaxa194]

So sad. I rode this train as a child the first year it came into service. I even still have the plarail toy my grandmother bought that day. I wish I could ride it one more time. お疲れさま、Max! いい思えくれてありがとう!

[@stevew2926]

Thanks for letting us travel with you virtually! Brings back so many great memories of taking the bullet trains

[@lynnnewland2553]

Thank you for showing your journey I'm hooked on watching Keep it up

[@chrisC052]

Kuga-san, another amazing video. Really love the channel. Looking forward to your next adventure on a Ferry. Do you ever travel to Sasebo? What a beautiful city. Looking forward to seeing your next video and adventure. 🇯🇵🤝🇺🇸

[@cylenalag]

Why can't we have nice Shinkansens. I always marvel at how sleek all the modern bullet trains are and how fast they are!

[@Steve-xf4uv]

Wow ! In Japan they are retiring nicer trains than we have in North America, and we still run ours.

[@michaelhughes3273]

It's too bad I never got a chance to ride the double decker. So, thank you for this as this will be the closest we'll get to riding it now that it's retired.

[@sodorflubbs5000]

I’m pleased this train had access for disabled. I can only hope that it’s replacement does too. I use crutches and it is quite intimidating to see all the stairs in all the travel videos of trains and ferries!

[@sotsora8000]

The train on the right at the beginning of the video is the replacement, which is a single-story car. In Japan, the number of double-decker trains with steps has been reduced for barrier-free reasons. There is also a reason that double-decker trains are not suitable for high-speed running on the Shinkansen.

[@marksinay8702]

Glad to see you feature the Maxx! Sad to see it go though.

[@KittyCat-kx7pl]

Always nice to travel in Japan with your videos.just kind of fun to go on adventures with your channel

[@Mayfieldgardende]

how unbelievable clean all this rains are compared to the german trains. amazing. :)

[@allesiosnens8152]

A man of culture, das sind wahre Züge ;)

[@cmrd_hdcrb]

Culture and maintenance. That's all it is. At the final destination, the shinkansen are cleaned from the inside. Not even an hour and they are off again.

[@robertott2631]

Yes rain is mostly pretty clean

[@robertott2631]

The US train system is trash compared to other countries

[@allentoyokawa9068]

@@robertott2631 no it is not

[@jenniferthomas5305]

Really enjoyed the ride! Thanks for the tour. Sorry your trip wasn't longer - your seat looked like a great place to take a nap :) it's hard to believe the train is that old and it's being retired - honestly it still looks quite new 🌄

[@ReyOfLight]

And I was today years old when even learning about this double decker Shinkansen :O I’ve only ever heard of the regular ones before! Here in Sweden we have double decker trains but they’re regular regional trains and not high speed or even express trains, like if I was to take a double decker train from where I live to Stockholm, it would take around 4 hours, while with the express train or high speed train it only takes about 2h 45 mins because of the fewer stops and (in the case of X200) higher speed and I think I slightly shorter route than the regional train. We don’t have special high speed tracks however, even X2000 shares tracks with regional and local trains and cargo trains :/ Also, massive thumbs up for the elevator on this Shinkansen! Here in Sweden on double decker trains wheelchair users and people with impaired mobility who can’t climb the stairs don’t get the choice to ride the train on the upper floor as there’s no elevator to get up there... There’s also never any wheelchair accessible seats or areas in first class so even there we get no choice on where in the train we’d like to travel in. I’d personally prefer a quiet area or first class to not have small children around me as I’m sound sensitive, but because I’m a wheelchair user I don’t get a choice and of course the wheelchair accessible part of the trains is also where they accommodate families with small children in prams... Needless to say, I avoid going anywhere by train here because it’s just too draining and the lack of choices makes me feel like customers with disabilities are second class citizens not worthy of even being able to travel in first class...

[@shawnhenry5764]

Hello dear It nice meeting you here How are you doing

[@storminmay]

That was so cool, I didn’t know double-decker trains were even a thing!

[@bobfranklin2572]

These videos make me so sleepy 😴. Didn't know there was double-decker ones!

[@CrazySquirrelProductions]

Oh wow, it's an older train but so well kept and clean. Happy you were able to relax in the awesome reclining seat. I hope you can go to Echigo-Yuzawa and ride the cable car to the top. I like the top floor - better view. The train is similar to an RER train I used often in France. Have you done the transcontinental trip in Canada yet? Stay safe Kuga. 🙏❤️ Thank you!

[@MrDboydeluxe]

We all need to retire sooner or later even a Max Toki. thanks for the video!

[@alanschwartz1157]

In answer to your question, I prefer the 1st class but only if you'll be my tour guide. You seem to know the best ways to travel and things to know and do at interesting locations.

[@quarterburnt]

I can’t believe how compact yet spacious that double decker is. On Metra, a double decker is just really tall so the fact that you are sitting below the platform is wild.

[@bbear753]

Thanks for another great video before the retirement of this magnificent engineering achievement.

[@jamjardj1974]

That train is awesome. They’re not pretty, but built for a purpose and that in itself is beautiful.

[@TheChampy2012]

I'm so sorry this beautiful train is retiring. 🙁 That was an amazing seat you had!! 👍🏻💗

[@averialalonzo9398]

Nice Video as always :) Keep it up and stay safe

[@peanat24]

I like that trains in Japan consider accommodation for persons with disabilities. The double decker is awesome! I like that there's this toy machine. Haha! I hope you'll be able to see or ride it's last run, it might be memorable. 😅 Thank you for sharing.

[@cmagnus7980]

Thanks for another wonderful video!

[@travelingdude33914]

24 years in service and it's still 1000x better and cleaner than ANY trains we have here in America. We are so far behind

[@vikrantsatpute9984]

24 years old for Japan but actually it's 24 years ahead train and technology for many countries.

[@petouser]

I would really love to see another double-decker shinkansen in Japan. If Japanese manufacturers don't want to produce one, I'm sure Alstom will be able to offer one.

[@paulccrimmins]

Aloha 🤙 from Honolulu! Thanks Kuga for your excellent videos. Domo Origato

[@omarjhungoor2598]

These Japanese trains look stunning beautiful and clean to. I like the bullet train it looks aswome and beautiful to.

[@ardionoroma]

I'm amazed that all of these facilities have been around since 1997

[@leek8858]

it’s a shame that max is being retired, such a sleek and clean train :(

[@juniel4003]

I'm waiting for this class to be reviewed, thank you so much

[@pranjaltech6084]

This train is much better than today new luxurious train in other countries

[@danmccarthy4700]

I bet I could ride a train all day in Japan and never tire of the scenery.

[@PhilipWintrip]

You should try the TGV Duplex from Paris to Strassbourg. It's a TGV dubbeldecker and it goes 320 kilometers per hour.

[@timosha21]

I'm a train and I approve this video! Choo choo!

[@AmbientWalking]

Wow! I didn't know there's a double decker Shinkansen!!!