East Japan Railway said it will cancel the tour of the luxurious Train Suite Shiki-Shima departing on August 30.

The rooms were almost fully booked for this trip.

But JR East could not secure enough crew members for this journey due to effects of a drinking scandal.

Whistleblowing has led officials to discover that since at least 2022, six of Shiki-Shima's crew members were drinking alcohol like wine and champagne for passengers during their breaks.

Crew members are allowed to taste them for quality control purposes, but those implicated in the misconduct apparently drank more than the permitted scope.

As the six were removed from the 26-member crew team, JR East could not secure staff necessary for the Shiki-Shima tour that was scheduled to begin August 30.

The railway company said it will provide refunds and offer alternative tours to affected customers.