Pokeman is hopping onboard Japan’s JR East trains to mark the 150th
anniversary of the first passenger train connecting Tokyo and Yokohama.
The train line, launched on 14 October 1872, changed the Tokyo to
Yokohama journey time from eight hours on foot to just 53 minutes.
More recently, train journeys have moved at bullet-like speed. The
first Shinkansen bullet train launched in 1964, and in 2011 the Tohoku
Shinkansen “Hayabusa” bullet train entered service – a train that can
reach a speed of 320 km/h.
Not all innovations are about speed though. Arguably just as
important in Japan, JR East says, are innovations in “kawaii-ness” or
cuteness.
A Pokegenic campaign is being rolled out progressively at 16 JR East
stations until late March 2023. Travellers are encouraged to load photos
of Pokeman to social media.
And for those unable to join the Pokegenic campaign, The POKÉMON with
YOU Train continues to thrill kids in the Tohoku region - the area
devastated by the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami of 2011.
Travellers can join the train from Ichinoseki, which is a Shikansen stop, and travel east to the beachside town of Kesennuma.
Onboard, travellers can either sit in the reserved seats in Car 1 and enjoy the view or run amok in Car 2 – the Playroom Car.