Pokemon Shinkansen

Pokemon and Pikachu characters on the front of the Shinkansen
Pokemon characters on the front of the Shinkansen

The Pokemon decorated Shinkansen series was started last year during the summer holiday season and became a popular success with families.

I went down to Tokyo station to have a look at the trains. I was able to get into the station and up on to the Shinkansen platform with just a ‘platform ticket’ 入場券, that only cost YEN 170. That was a cheap way to take a look at the Pokemon train without riding it.

A character hugs the window frame
A character hugs the window frame
Getting ready for the departure. Pikachu rides a watermelon
Getting ready for the departure. Pichu rides a watermelon
All aboard the Pokemon Express for Akita
All aboard the Pokemon Express for Akita

I only had my long lens 70-300mm with me, so it made for some difficult positioning. The platforms generally have gates and barriers to stop people falling into the train tracks which also meant the photos were not just of the train but also the obstacles. It would be nice to photograph the train away from the station maybe.

Looking back along the carriages as the train waits to depart
Looking back along the carriages as the train waits to depart
The front of the train with the Pokemon characters
The front of the train with the Pokemon characters
The Akita Shinkansen, Pokemon characters attached
The Akita Shinkansen, Pokemon characters attached
The rear end of the Shinkansen with more Pokemon characters
The rear end of the Shinkansen with more Pokemon characters

This year the number of trains decorated with the Pokemon characters has increased from 7 to 13. The trains operate on the Tohoku, Joetsu, Akita, Yamagata and Nagano lines until September 23.

Here is some video from YouTube of another Pokemon Shinkansen


video by castcast2 on YouTube

If you are thinking of booking a Pokemon train then it is best to check with JR East what times they will be running. The schedule of their departure/arrival is only released a day before, but it may be possible to specify the train if you are booking a package tour.

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