Luxury bullet trains with sake and dinner take on airlines in Japan

Tokyo

DINNER with sake, an airport-like lounge and roomier seats. That's the offer on bullet trains as the Shinkansen rolls into Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, home to some of the country's best ski resorts, for the first time.

Starting on Saturday, Hokkaido Railway Co will whisk Tokyo passengers to Hakodate in first class for 38,280 yen (S$465) in just over four hours. The journey will take only about an hour longer than flying business class on All Nippon Airways Co, which costs 44,900 yen, after including check-in and transfers.