Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) has announced two exclusive departures aboard Japan's Seven Stars in Kyushu sleeper train for 2027, following its first year of chartering the service.

Launched in October 2013, Seven Stars in Kyushu was Japan's first luxury sleeper train and remains one of the country's most exclusive rail experiences. Places on its regular departures are typically allocated through a lottery system, with some travellers applying for several years before securing a reservation.

A&K's private charter gives guests access to the entire train without having to enter the lottery. The ten-day journeys will take place in April and September, with group sizes limited to 18 and 20 guests respectively. Prices start from £34,815 per person, based on double occupancy.

The train has ten suites, each with a private bathroom and shower, and interiors combining traditional Japanese craftsmanship with Western design influences. Wood panelling, decorative textiles and carefully designed communal spaces reflect the country's attention to detail.

Passengers can watch the countryside pass from the Blue Moon lounge car, which becomes a piano bar in the evening, or visit the Jupiter salon car, which features a tatami-floored tearoom.

The itinerary begins in Fukuoka, where guests spend two nights at The Ritz-Carlton before boarding Seven Stars at Hakata Station. A welcome ceremony takes place in the Kinsei Lounge ahead of four days travelling through Kyushu, Japan's third-largest island.

Along the route, excursions introduce travellers to the region's traditional crafts, volcanic landscapes and religious heritage.

Highlights include a visit to Ransei-an, a workshop specialising in traditional weaving, knotting and natural indigo dyeing, and Mount Aso, one of Japan's most active volcanoes, where visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Guests also spend a night at Ryotei Hanzuiryo, a traditional Japanese ryokan at the foot of Mount Unzen, an area known for its geothermal hot springs. An evening excursion takes the group to Nita Pass for stargazing at a viewpoint normally closed to the public after sunset.

In Kitsuki, a local priest leads a visit to the Rikugo Manzan Sojiin and Futago-ji temples, set within a forest associated with Japan's practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.

After returning to Fukuoka, guests experience the city's street-food culture at a traditional yatai stall before travelling by shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima.

Here, the itinerary includes visits to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, as well as Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Miyajima, known for its distinctive torii gate standing in the water.

The final part of the journey takes place in Kyoto, where guests stay at Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto. Activities include visits to the golden Kinkaku-ji temple and Arashiyama bamboo grove, a Japanese confectionery-making class and a traditional tea ceremony led by a tea master.

The farewell dinner is hosted by a geiko and maiko, Kyoto's traditional female entertainers and apprentices, who perform music and dance and discuss their lives in the city.

The package includes an English-speaking tour director, local guides, private airport transfers, luggage handling, laundry services, most meals and entrance fees. The minimum age for participants is 12.

The 2027 departures form part of A&K's wider portfolio of high-end small-group journeys, combining luxury transport and accommodation with access to cultural experiences that can be difficult to arrange independently.

The April departure also taps into demand for travel during Japan's cherry blossom season, when visitors arrive to see the country's annual sakura blooms.