Kawaii! Launch of the "Hello Kitty Shinkansen" high-speed train in Japan

West Japan Railway Co. unveiled a "Hello Kitty Shinkansen" high-speed train, which will begin service on June 30 between Shin-Osaka Station and Hakata Station in Fukuoka.

JR West unveiled the eight-car media train at Hakata Station in Nakagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture. The train is adorned with images of Hello Kitty, a nationally and internationally popular figure with whom the company aims to attract tourists from abroad and Japan

The first and second cars have white and pink bodies with Kitty illustrations. Their interiors have been shown to the media, with the # 1 car offering tourist information to passengers and the # 2 car offering an area where passengers can pose for photos with a Kitty statue. The interior of cars # 3 to 8 looks almost like a normal Shinkansen, but the company says there are Kitty illustrations hidden somewhere in these cars.

The train of characters will operate one round trip per day, from The service will be suspended from July 18 to 20, from August 8 to 10, from September 3 to 5 and from September 26 to 28 according to the calendar of the company until the end of September. The company said the reserved seats on the first day were almost exhausted.