1.
overnight train; night train (a train that runs through the night, often with sleeper cars)
A train that travels during the night, allowing passengers to make long-distance trips while sleeping. In Japan, the category traditionally includes sleeper express trains (寝台特急), though most such services have been discontinued in recent decades.
夜行列車に乗る。
To take an overnight train.
夜行列車で北海道まで行った。
I went all the way to Hokkaido by overnight train.
若いころ、夜行列車で各地を旅したことがある。
When I was young, I traveled around the country by overnight train.
かつて日本には多くの夜行列車が走っていたが、新幹線の発達とともに次第に姿を消していった。
Japan once had many overnight trains, but they gradually disappeared as the Shinkansen network developed.
Compound of 夜行 ('running/traveling at night') and 列車 ('train'). Refers specifically to long-distance trains that operate through the night, as opposed to regular urban or commuter services that happen to run late.
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Once a central part of long-distance travel in Japan, overnight trains — particularly sleeper trains (寝台列車) — have largely been discontinued due to the expansion of the Shinkansen and budget airlines. Only a few remain, such as the luxury cruise train サンライズ{出雲}/瀬戸, which retains a nostalgic status among rail fans.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 夜行列車に乗る: to take an overnight train
- 夜行列車で旅する: to travel by overnight train
- 夜行列車の旅: an overnight-train journey
- 夜行列車が廃止される: overnight train is discontinued
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 寝台列車: sleeper train — has beds; overlaps with but is narrower than 夜行列車
- 夜行バス: overnight bus — the modern equivalent for budget travelers
- 夜行便: night flight/service — used for planes and ships
- 急行列車: express train — category based on speed, not time of day
REGISTER:
Neutral written and spoken. Particularly common in travel writing, nostalgia pieces, and discussion of rail history.