Photo: PR Times
travel

New shinkansen design revealed for Nagasaki extension

16 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

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.

KS-3.jpg

Those in Car 2 have a shishi (lion) pattern inspired by depictions of the pseudo-mythical creature’s mane in classical Japanese paintings.

KS-4.jpg

And in Car 3, a karakusa (peony flower arabesque) motif.

KS-5.jpg

The remaining 233 non-reserved seats can be found in Cars 4 through 6, with a total of five seats per row.

KS-6.jpg

KS-7.jpg

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.

KS-8.jpg

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.

Sources: JR KyushuPR Times

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- The ultimate Shinkansen trip: Riding Japan’s bullet train network from one end to the other

-- Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains to remove all onboard payphones

-- Hello Kitty Shinkansen bullet train to debut in Japan this summer

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

16 Comments
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Look forward to the service, but I love taking the slow train to Nagasaki from Fukuoka. It is a great trip.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

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.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Look forward to riding it when Japan is fully vaccinated, travel restrictions are eased and countermeasures are ensured across the archipelago.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

snowymountainhellToday  12:18 pm JST

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.

What a country-young at heart, child in mind.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

There is almost zero need for a shinkansen from Hakata to Nagasaki.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

David BrentToday  12:24 pm JST

There is almost zero need for a shinkansen from Hakata to Nagasaki.

About an hour on the current train?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

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” !!*

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

snowymountainhellToday  12:50 pm JST

The true beauty (and paradoxes) of Japanese designs & culture are ‘enigmatic’.

You are the best!

I don't think people here take enough time to read and appreciate what you write.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

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.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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’

Audi? Mazda? IOC?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One big disadvantage compared to Japan's neighbours is the price. Taiwan, Korea and China's high speed rail is so much cheaper.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

So we will have to change in Fukuoka. Got it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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