OSAKA (ANN/THE JAPAN NEWS) — West Japan Railway Co. on Saturday debuted a new Shinkansen train themed around popular anime “One Piece,” in celebration of the 50th anniversary in March of the full opening of the Sanyo Shinkansen line, which operates between Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations.
The train, which has eight cars, sports an ocean-inspired blue exterior depicting characters from the anime, such as protagonist Luffy, who aspires to be the king of pirates. The idea behind the design is that the Sanyo Shinkansen ushers passengers into adventures across west Japan, against the backdrop of the Seto Inland Sea. Two other Shinkansen trains with different designs will be launched starting in May.
Hiroshi Kitadani, the singer who performed the anime’s first theme song, appeared at the ceremony for the train’s first departure. After performing, he saw it off alongside animation and railroad fans.
