On Saturday, December 20, 2025, a private Shinano Railway SR1 Series train (100 subseries, two-car formation) will host the event tour “Fermentation All Aboard! Shinshu Gastro-Drinking Train Journey,” showcasing fermented foods from the Ueda area.
The luxurious tour lets guests enjoy a train journey with Ueda wines, sake, craft beer, and snacks made with fermented foods.
Here are the details.
Theme: “Eat! Learn! Enjoy!”
The Ueda area of Nagano Prefecture is widely known among Japanese-wine fans as a major production zone in the Chikuma River Wine Valley’s eastern district and a source of high-quality wine.
It is also home to a wide variety of fermented foods including sake, miso, and cheese, making it no exaggeration to call the area a center of fermentation culture.
This event is a dream project that brings Ueda’s fermented foods aboard a privately chartered Shinano Railway SR1 Series train.
Guests can enjoy the rail journey under the theme “Eat! Learn! Enjoy!”
The private train departs from Shinano Railway’s Karuizawa Station and terminates at Ueda Station.
Tour Highlights
The tour has three main highlights.
- 1) Enjoy Ueda-area beverages and fermented foods made with cheese, miso, and more.
The tour will offer one beverage from every winery (20), sake brewery (6), and brewery (4) located in the Ueda area, for a total of 30 beverages.
Twenty of them will be available for tasting.
It is a particularly appealing lineup for wine and drinks enthusiasts.
- 2) Enjoy the train ride while learning about Ueda’s fermented foods and the thoughts and stories of their producers.
Onboard explanations by Emi Wada, a Japan Sommelier Association-certified Senior Sommelier, and others will introduce the appeal of the region’s fermented foods and the stories and intentions of the people who make them.
- 3) Includes a ¥1,000 same-day coupon for selected shops in Yanagimachi on the Hokkoku Kaido in Ueda’s castle town.
The fun continues after the train arrives.
Because the tour includes a ¥1,000 coupon usable that day at selected shops in Ueda’s Yanagimachi district, guests can continue exploring Ueda after the rail journey ends.
Enjoy Ueda Fermentation Culture Aboard a Private Train
“Fermentation All Aboard! Shinshu Gastro-Drinking Train Journey” will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, and costs ¥5,000 per person, tax included.
Capacity is 36 guests on a first-come, advance-reservation basis, so early booking is recommended.
It is a highly distinctive tour that brings together Ueda wine and a variety of fermented foods aboard a private train.
Consider joining while you have the chance.
See the reference link below for tour details and application information.
Reference
“Fermentation All Aboard! Shinshu Gastro-Drinking Train Journey” Details
https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/uedachi/uedachi-somu/documents/20251110.pdf