The author has been travelling to Japan for more than 20 years, studying the language and pursuing his life - long passion for railways in this fascinating land. While the Shinkansen bullet trains get most of the glory, his personal favorite routes include the slow - moving kakuekinodensha local trains, making every stop, meandering slowly through the countryside and the sleek "blue" sleeping car trains that have now all but disappeared from the landscape. His very personal experiences in this great railway country are presented in this richly - illustrated book.