Companies

JR East Luxury Sleeper Train Staff Drank On-Duty; Investigation Finds Employees Habitually Consumed Alcoholic Beverages During Breaks for Years

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
JR East’s Train Suite Shiki-shima sleeper train rolls along beside a row of cherry trees In Shibata, Miyagi Prefecture, on April 10.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

19:52 JST, August 13, 2025

Six employees responsible for in-car service on the Train Suite Shiki-shima luxury sleeper train frequently drank alcohol during work hours beyond the scope of their duties for several years, a tour company belonging to the JR East group announced Wednesday.

According to the tour company, JR East View Tourism and Sales Co., the employees were permitted to taste alcoholic beverages as wine and champagne provided to passengers for quality assurance purposes. However, for several years they had habitually consumed these beverages during breaks and at other times for reasons other than quality control.

The scandal was uncovered during an internal investigation conducted by the company after receiving a whistleblower’s report in January.

The company stated that the six employees had been disciplined in accordance with internal regulations. They also said that company President Hiroyuki Sawada would forfeit 30% of his monthly salary for one month.