Finnish logistics company Nurminen Logistics will send a freight train from Helsinki on Thursday headed to the port city of Yokohama, located in the Kanagawa Prefecture to the south of Tokyo.
The route, which is more than 10,000 kilometres long, runs from Helsinki to the Russian port city of Vostochny and from there by sea to Yokohama.
The last frieght train to depart Finland bound for Japan was more than 30 years ago, according to the company.
"This is a block train for one customer, but due to the high demand for exports and imports to Japan, we believe that more trains will start opening between Finland and Japan," Sales Director Marjut Linnajärvi said in the company's press release.
The statement added that the company is currently negotiating for the dispatch of 18 similar container trains to Japan, and departures are expected to become more regular once the required permits have been obtained.
Japan is Finland’s second-largest trading partner in Asia, after China, with timber, paper and machinery being exported to the far east, the company said.
Nurminen Logistics has also recently opened new cargo routes to the Chinese cities of Jianzhou and Tianjin.