For many years, Japan’s high-speed shinkansen rail system could only take you as far from Tokyo as Fukuoka, on Japan’s southwest island of Kyushu. The line eventually got extended to south to Kagoshima, but people traveling to or from western Kyushu, including Nagasaki, still have no bullet train service in the region.
That’s going to change soon, though, and with an eye towards the future rail operator JR Kyushu has unveiled the visual design of its new Shinkansen trains that will be running on the upcoming West Kyushu Route next year.
Utilizing KR Kyushu’s bright red image color on its exterior, the train will be called Kamome, which translates as “Seagull,” with its stylized emblem evocative of a bird in flight and brush calligraphy logo carrying a similar feeling of freedom in motion.
The six passenger cars that make up the train have room for 396 travelers, with a total of 163 reserved seats in Cars 1, 2, and 3. Seats in Car 1 have an auspicious chrysanthemum design on their upholstery.
Those in Car 2 have a shishi (lion) pattern inspired by depictions of the pseudo-mythical creature’s mane in classical Japanese paintings.
And in Car 3, a karakusa (peony flower arabesque) motif.
The remaining 233 non-reserved seats can be found in Cars 4 through 6, with a total of five seats per row.
The new shinkansen isn’t the first train in Japan to be called Kamome, however. The name has been used a handful of trains in west Kyushu, most noticeably the limited express that ran between Nagasaki and Kyoto starting in 1961.
It’s still a fitting name for the new train, though, as once Nagasaki is linked to Fukuoka by shinkansen, it’ll make for an easy connection to the Sanyo Shinkansen line that runs through the western and central regions of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
The shinkansen West Kyushu Route is scheduled to start service in the fall of 2022.
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- The ultimate Shinkansen trip: Riding Japan’s bullet train network from one end to the other
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2021/08/02/new-shinkansen-bullet-train-design-revealed-for-nagasaki-extension/
16 Comments
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crashcourse
Look forward to the service, but I love taking the slow train to Nagasaki from Fukuoka. It is a great trip.
snowymountainhell
“Kawaiiiii!!” is what many will emotionally ‘cry out’ when they see the more, intentionally-designed manekineko-tan ‘eyes’, color scheme & appearance of this new Shinkansen as it approaches.
snowymountainhell
Look forward to riding it when Japan is fully vaccinated, travel restrictions are eased and countermeasures are ensured across the archipelago.
Commodore Perry
snowymountainhellToday 12:18 pm JST
What a country-young at heart, child in mind.
David Brent
There is almost zero need for a shinkansen from Hakata to Nagasaki.
Commodore Perry
David BrentToday 12:24 pm JST
About an hour on the current train?
snowymountainhell
Can’t think of too many, if any, red, white & green ‘Kamome’ Japanese seagulls currently surviving in the wild.
*https://www.nhbs.com/an-identification-guide-to-the-gulls-of-japan-japanese-book -Unfortunately, according to this tome, there are ‘*none’. - Looking more and more like Japan’s famed “Lucky Cat” !!*
snowymountainhell
The true beauty (and paradoxes) of Japanese designs & culture are ‘enigmatic’.
Who can really understand the mind of the Japanese, other than ‘other Japanese’ ? - Definitely NOT the annoying & irritatingly, ever-present “weebo” that are giving well-educated, learned scholars; Japanophiles: and even, serious otaku a bad reputation with their ill-informed and oft-misguided “weebo” political assertions.
Commodore Perry
snowymountainhellToday 12:50 pm JST
You are the best!
I don't think people here take enough time to read and appreciate what you write.
snowymountainhell
Not yet confirmed at this stage but, sources indicate a ‘copyright infringement action’ over this rings logo, is presently being considered and may be filed by a global ‘entity’ in the Tribunal fédéral on Mon, Sep 6, 2021.
Mickelicious
Audi? Mazda? IOC?
Pukey2
One big disadvantage compared to Japan's neighbours is the price. Taiwan, Korea and China's high speed rail is so much cheaper.
nandakandamanda
So we will have to change in Fukuoka. Got it.