[7] The Train Suite Shiki-shima operates itineraries that are crafted based on the season of travel to ensure guests experience the best of each location visited.

[11] JR East first announced its plans to build a new luxury cruising train in June 2013, designed by Ken Okuyama, and provisionally scheduled to enter service some time after spring 2016.

[3] A year later, in June 2014, JR East published more detailed plans for the new train, with a revised exterior design and service entry date scheduled for spring 2017.

[10] The first seven cars (1 to 4 and 8 to 10) of the ten-car trainset were delivered from the Kawasaki Heavy Industries factory in Kobe in September 2016.

It attracted great interest, with tickets for the inaugural journey made available via a lottery that was reported to have been oversubscribed by a factor of 76.