Trains Evolving by Design

In May 2017, a train unlike any train seen before made its debut.

This is "Train Suite Shiki-shima," an ultra-luxury cruise train by JR East that took four years in the making.

The most distinctive feature of "Train Suite Shiki-shima" is its exterior design.

The attractive champagne-gold livery and the innovative car body are outstanding.

Trains like this one are made possible through the culmination of innovative designs and technological know-how.

In today's program, we see how new design elements are causing Japanese trains to evolve.

Today, we are taking a test ride on "Train Suite Shiki-shima" between Fukushima and Tokyo.

Look the train is coming in to the station.

Wow!

It looks so elegant.

Look at it go, wow!

This is amazing. Look at the design.

Look at the windows.

This is "Train Suite Shiki-shima," and you can already tell by the lead car that this is a truly unique design and look at the champagne golden livery.

It reflects the sunlight, it looks so elegant.

And then the window shape, triangular.

I've never seen anything like that.

You can really tell that "Train Suite Shiki-shima" is breaking conventions of train design.

Hello.

Welcome.

Wow, it is so spacious.

The name "Shiki-shima" was inspired by the four seasons as seen across Japan's islands.

The train's cars have been uniquely designed to represent elements from each of the seasons.

We first head to the lead car which features observation seats.

We have changed. Now everything has now kept in red and there is music playing too.

And now we're changing from red to white.

And it becomes incredibly bright right away because of the large windows.

There's some steps leading us up.

Wow!

So we are in the lead car and you can see several sofas here, and couches, and right at the front, you can have a view of the driver's seat too.

This observation car was designed with spring in mind.

The vivid green carpet contrasting with the white walls is reminiscent of fresh grass.

The most eye-catching feature is the windows.

Soft light streams through large triangular windows in the walls and ceiling.

Next, we head to the lounge car.

The theme of the lounge is summer, and you can see the walls are designed to resemble trees

so when the sunlight comes in through the window, it's like rays of sunshine filtering through tree branches.

The lounge is an open space with large windows and a vaulted ceiling.

The area at the bottom of the stairs is furnished with comfortable lounge chairs.

The tables and chairs are made of wood from the Tohoku region - a region where Shiki-shima operates.

The furnishings and wall features were all crafted by traditional artisans.

This ceiling is so tall, it gives you so much breathing space.

This is the dining car where meals are served and the theme is autumn.

You can see those wonderful wooden panels here to express that.

And there is some very soft light coming down from the modern chandelier.

The train feels more spacious than regular tourist trains because of the layout of the two-seater tables and the way the space was designed.

I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to have a meal here while enjoying the view.

Next, let's check out the most luxurious of the 17 rooms.

This is the Shiki-shima suite, named after the train.

This room is a maisonette type.

The bedroom is located on the lower floor.

The upper floor features a Japanese-style living room complete with tatami mats.

It even has an authentic wooden bath tub.

This is the Deluxe suite.

It's the largest and most spacious of the suites.

Tour prices for Shiki-shima vary depending on the package, which range from one to three nights.

However, for one night, prices start at 370,000 yen per person.

For three nights, the price is more than one million yen.

You can't help but be absolutely blown away by "Train Suite Shiki-shima."

The interior design, exterior design, it's so unique, and as part of the design, there was also light and there was also the sound,

the music they were using and there were also some live music playing sometimes and the smell that's something we couldn't put in the video.

All of this together is supposed to be part of the design experience.

Yes that's right.

I know a number of railway vehicle designers who are surprised at how much the railway vehicles are actually handmade.

Handmade?

Yes, compared with the road vehicles where they manufacture in the number of thousands or even tens of thousands one time, railway vehicles is something that if one hundred vehicles are built to a same design then that means that the project is fairly a big one.

Ah right.

And in the case of "Train Suite Shiki-shima," there's only one train set.

Alright, we also spoke with the man who designed "Train Suite Shiki-shima."

Let's hear it from him.

"Train Suite Shiki-shima" was designed by industrial designer Ken Okuyama.

Mr. Okuyama is a world-renowned designer known for his work with Ferrari, although he has also designed many trains.

His famous works include the Series E6 and E7 Shinkansen as well as "Saphir Odoriko" and Tobu Railway's "Revaty" express trains.

Of all these trains, Shiki-shima is particularly unique.

Shiki-shima was created to celebrate
the 30th anniversary of JR East since the privatization of the Japanese
National Railways.

I wanted to give the passengers something
they had never seen before.

So we designed the entire train,
inside and out.

Mr. Okayama's design was especially innovative.

At first, JR East was against my design,
but that's a good sign.

A certain amount of problem-solving
and forward-thinking is required to create a product that will have an
impact five years from its inception.

However, while the impact is necessary,
it's more important to consider whether the train will continue to attract
passengers for years to come.

This is Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing where Shiki-shima was built.

They are one of Japan's largest rolling stock manufacturers, handling everything from commuter cars to Shinkansen.

Typically, design tends to focus
on appearance only.

Our challenge was to make the
equipment fit in with the design.

Specifically, Shiki-shima had to
be able to operate anywhere, so we needed to equip devices that would
enable it to run in the Seikan Tunnel,

and on varying electric and non-electric lines.

The hardest part was finding the balance
between utility and design.

Depending on the course, Shiki-shima runs on a variety of conventional railway tracks.

On rural lines especially, there are many curves and gaps between rail joints, which increase vibration.

To provide a comfortable ride suitable for a luxurious train trip, the bogies on the Shiki-shima were improved.

Shiki-shima is equipped with suspensions that reduces horizontal vibrations, and dampers to prevent vertical vibration.

This system is the first of its kind to be used by JR East.

With this addition, the train ride has become much more comfortable.

We believe understanding the designer's thinking
is the key to making something extraordinary.

We can't build a train without a design.

A design gives us a goal to aim for.

The evolution of manufacturing technology has also become an important factor in train design.

This is the Series E7 designed by Ken Okuyama.

It currently operates on the Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen Lines.

It has the largest windows of any high-speed train.

The difference can clearly been seen when compared to other Shinkansen.

Windows play a big part in the design.
They affect the view from the inside and they create a certain impression
from the outside.

We can now make laminated glass in large sizes,
which wasn't possible in the past.

Glass manufacturer, AGC, is striving to improve its technology to meet design demands and ensure safety.

The driver's cab window is not a single sheet
of glass but multiple sheets of glass.

The special glass protects against flying
objects that would break ordinary glass.

Making this kind of glass is our
company's expertise.

Designers' specifications can
be challenging at times, but these challenges drive us to innovate and
improve our technological capabilities.

Unique and well-designed trains like Shiki-shima, which use large or curved panes of glass, are only possible because of recent improvements in window-glass manufacturing technology.

Glass on "Train Suite Shiki-shima" is used in different ways and different shapes so it's there to reflect, it's there to let light in, it's there to open up the space

and for example on the outside, the square windows.

They look kind of small when you see them from the outside, when you come in, there are a lot bigger than you thought they are.

They let in a lot of light, and once you go into the rooms, they are so big.

The windows are so big you forget that there are windows and you feel like you're one with the outside.

Ah, I see.

Well you know, not just the glass
manufacturers but there are many more suppliers that supply different parts so the important role of the vehicle designer is to orchestrate all those different manufacturers.

That can't be easy.

No, not at all.

And among those suppliers are the craftsman from many different parts of Japan so that you can find many traditional Japanese craftsmanship when you're on "Train Suite Shiki-shima," didn't you?

Yes, there were like baskets and like art on the walls and such so everywhere you were looking, you could discover some traditional Japanese craftsmanship on board.

Yes.

Now, "Train Suite Shiki-shima" is a totally new design but the Shinkansen which we all know and love, also transforms through design.

In January 2022, new Shinkansen cars left the rolling stock manufacturer in Yamaguchi Prefecture and were loaded onto a ship before being transported to Nagasaki Prefecture in the Kyushu region.

The new Shinkansen is scheduled to operate on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen line, opening in September 2022.

The Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Line will run between Takeo Onsen Station in Saga Prefecture and Nagasaki Station in Nagasaki Prefecture.

In the future, the line will connect to Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Locals held a commemorative ceremony at the port in Nagasaki Prefecture to welcome the new vehicles.

The name of the new shinkansen is "Kamome" which means seagull.

"Kamome" is not actually a new train.

Its base is the N700S Shinkansen which made its debut in 2020 on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Lines.

The N700S was developed by JR Central.

It's the highest performing Shinkansen in operation in terms of safety, comfort, and environmental impact.

Currently operating on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Lines, the N700S was built with business passengers in mind.

JR Kyushu decided to use the N700S as a base for their more luxurious "Kamome" shinkansen.

It was designed by Mitooka Eiji, one of Japan's leading train designers.

Mr. Mitooka has designed many trains for JR Kyushu.

One of his most famous works is the cruise train "Seven Stars in Kyushu," a pioneer in luxury sleeper trains.

Another is "36 Plus 3," which began operation in 2020.

This tourist train's design incorporates Japanese and Western styles to create a relaxing journey.

It took JR Kyushu almost a year to build the "Kamome" from the N700S base.

I was given the N700S to work with,
but there were certain limitations.

We couldn't make any changes
to the exterior or hardware.

We could only change things like
the color and fabric of the seats, and the layout of the seats
in the reserved cars.

Following these guidelines, JR Kyushu asked us
to create a one-of-a-kind train.

Business trains like the N700S
run from point A to point B.

But that's not the purpose of this train.

So, to make the ride more fun and relaxing,
we added colors and shapes.

Mr. Mitooka first prepared four concept images depicting the shinkansen in different colors: black, red, white, and, red and white.

After reviewing the concept images, JR Kyushu selected the red and white livery.

The lead car was designed to look like a face, something locals and passengers can know and recognize easily.

Eye shadows were added to the headlights, and the front emblem resembles a nose.

By adding a nose and eyes, the train
suddenly looks like a living creature.

It has a presence and character
that stands out.

That is what design is all about.

Even if you don't change anything fundamental,
if all you do is change the colors and shapes or change the way you think, you can
create something entirely different.

A different kind of enjoyment and
beauty can be created.

While JR Central's N700S offers first-class cars, the cars in JR Kyushu's Kamome are all regular cars, however, they are divided into cars with reserved and non-reserved seats.

In addition, the seating arrangement onboard the "Kamome" is different.

The seats in the reserved-seat cars are arranged in rows of four instead of five, giving passengers more space to relax.

This was done in an effort to attract tourists to the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen.

As an added bonus, the restroom walls and the connecting decks are decorated with illustrations drawn by Mr. Mitooka.

Unlike any other Shinkansen, these displays create a more sightseeing-train-like atmosphere.

This is the Hitachi factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where numerous Shinkansen including the "Kamome" have been built.

The engineers here were responsible for making Mr. Mitooka's design a reality.

JR Kyushu and Hitachi's skilled staff took
my basic drawings and sketches and turned them into production drawings.

They had the knowledge and expertise to modify
my ideas and make them into reality.

They would fix my poor drawings
without me knowing.

My drawings and ideas make
up about 60%.

The rest is primarily the work of the manufacturer's
designers and craftsmen.

Isn't in interesting how they took the N700S and turned it from a business travel train to a tourist train, amidst a lot of restrictions.

So they took something that they had and made something new with it.

Yes, you know a nice looking train is always good isn't?

But in doing design, you have to do that under or within the constraints.

What constraints do you think are absolutely necessary?

Well, for example, restrictions or the requirements about speed and requirements about capacity, and even the costs. So, all these things are important and designers should do things within those constraints

but from a passengers point of view, it's always good if you feel comfortable within the train, isn't?

And it will be even better if you feel fascinated so to speak when you are on the train.

Yes, you're right.

Railway Topics.

On March 11, Odakyu Electric Railway's limited express train known as the "White Romance Car" that connected Tokyo and Hakone, a tourist destination in Kanagawa Prefecture, ended regular service.

Introduced in 2005, the "Romance Car VSE 50000 Series" with its pure white car body and large-windows and observation seats, was a popular mode of transportation among tourists for 17 years.

However, because of the difficulty maintaining and fixing the complicated bogie structure, Odakyu Electric Railway decided to end regular operation of the white romance car.

Many people gathered at Shinjuku Station to catch a glimpse of the last train.

I used to ride the train with my grandfather.

I'll think about him during the trip.

At 9:00 p.m., the last train departed the station, fully booked.

People on the platform took pictures and waved goodbye.

On April 12, a press event was held by Kintetsu Railway, an operator with a vast railway network in the Kansai region to introduce their new sightseeing train, "Ao ni yoshi."

"Ao ni yoshi" is an old word that was used to refer to the Nara area.

The train was designed to attract tourists visiting Kyoto and Osaka to Nara.

The base color of the car body is purple.

The walls and ceiling inside the car are decorated to resemble Shosoin, a World Cultural Heritage Site.

Passengers can enjoy views of the historic landscape from on board.

The sightseeing train "Ao ni yoshi" will begin service on April 29th.