The overnight train Sunrise Express connects the cities Tokyo and Izumo-Shi: A travel over night and day over 590 miles in exactly 11:58 hours.

The train route passes high altitudes. In winter, it is likely that the train ride needs to be interrupted or cancelled due to heavy snow. However, it is the winter time where the Sunrise Express is mostly fully booked: People are extraordinary keen on seeing the absolutely astonishing snow landscapes, and book their tickets months in advance.  

It is this small step from „a great lot“ to „just too much“ that makes all the difference: Snow is at the same time the reason why the train ride is sold out, and also the reason why the train ride might not take place at all, bringing everything to a stillstand.