Hello Kitty Shinkansen
Last time, we took a look at how to spend 1 day in Hakata, Fukuoka, which remains one of my favorite cities in Japan especially for its food culture. If you haven’t read it yet, please check it out as you may discover some new experiences worthy of trying, such as 300 yen ramen.
Before taking a look at the next city of the 35-day journey across Japan, this post will stray off the tracks a little bit to talk about a unique transportation experience when travelling by Shinkansen between Hakata Station and Shin-Osaka station.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen
Riding the Hello Kitty Shinkansen
The Hello Kitty Shinkansen is a Kodama Shinkansen (which stops at every station, and thus is the slowest) running between only Hakata Station (Fukuoka) and Shin-Osaka station (Osaka).
Only 1 of these Shinkansens are operated on a daily basis, starting from Hakata Station before making a round trip from Shin-Osaka station. From Hakata Station, the train departs just after 7 am, so make sure you set your alarm extra early if you plan on taking this train! The round trip back from Shin-Osaka station on the other hand starts a bit after 11:30 am, making it a bit better suited for those who like to sleep in.
Since I was riding this from Hakata Station, I had to wake up at around 6 am and forgo breakfast in order to catch the train. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth waking up so early just to see the train, ask yourself the following questions:
- How much do you want to see and ride it?
- Will you have any other opportunity to ride it? If not, how much will you regret not riding it?
For me, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I don’t regret waking up early to see it because of how interesting I found the concept. But at the same time, I did have other opportunities to ride it later. In fact, I ended up running into it a few days later in another city, which made waking up early feel a bit wasteful.
Inside the Hello Kitty Shinkansen
There are 2 noteworthy sections within this Shinkansen. Car 1 which is a dedicated shop for Hello Kitty Shinkansen goods and Car 2 which is a themed passenger car.
Car 2 - “Kawaii! Room” Passenger Car
This car of the Shinkansen is a non-reserved seating passenger car. From the floor design, the seats, the headrest covers, and to the armrests, the entire car is decorated in some sort of Hello Kitty design.
Sitting at the front, a Hello Kitty Shinkansen decal is applied to each of the tray tables.
You’ll also get a close-up view of the Hello Kitty decor applied to the car door, and the Hello Kitty promotional artwork where the ads would normally be placed.
As for the windows, you’ll be able to block out the sun with Hello Kitty themed blinds.
At one end of the car, there’s a section to take photos with various Shinkansen-themed Hello Kittys; there’s one statue of Hello Kitty wearing a conductor uniform, an artwork of Hello Kitty inside the Shinkansen seen from the outside, and another artwork of Hello Kitty from the “conductor’s compartment.”
There’s also an artwork where Hello Kitty promotes the prefectural specialties within the JR West coverage area, which primarily consists of the Chubu and Kansai regions. This fits the theme of the Hello Kitty Shinkansen, which belongs to the JR West group.
Just opposite of the photo area is the reserved luggage space, which is also decorated in a Hello Kitty theme.
Car 1 - “Hello! Plaza” Shop Car
The entire experience wouldn’t be complete unless we were able to buy some souvenirs to remember riding this train, and that’s where the “Hello! Plaza” car shines. In this car, you’ll find various foods and goods related to the Hello Kitty Shinkansen theme. Unfortunately I was too busy shopping and forgot to take pictures of the shop itself.
Access
The shop takes about 15 minutes to set up before opening. Therefore, the shop opens after arriving at Kokura Station in Kitakyushu (from Hakata Station). Make sure you are travelling past Kitakyushu if you plan on shopping; otherwise, you might miss your stop!
Goods
In the interest of saving space, I opted to only make purchases on what would be smallest to carry around.
Complimentary Original Design Timetable Card
When you visit the “Hello! Plaza” shop car, you can obtain a wallet-sized timetable card which has a Hello Kitty Shinkansen-themed design on the front. The design also seems subject to change as the card I had received is different from what is currently promoted on the official JR West website.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen Mini Pouch
A pink mini pouch with a Hello Kitty Shinkansen theme. It has a zipper at the top and is not far from a coin purse other than its size. Its dimensions are W90 x H60 cm and the material is 100% cotton. It’s also made in Japan!
Hello Kitty Shinkansen Tote Bag
A cotton tote bag featuring Hello Kitty in various themes that promote the prefectures in which the JR West Group operates in. The bag is made in China.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen Mini Towel (3-set)
Three 16 x 16 cm mini towels, each featuring its own design. Made in China using 100% cotton. Similar to the tote bag, the first towel promotes the prefectures within the JR West Group’s coverage area.
The second towel promotes Okayama prefecture and its fruit parfaits.
The third towel promotes Hiroshima prefecture and its Momiji Manjus.
Strawberry Tsukitama
Another Japanese confectionery which is quite similar to Kasutadon from Kagoshima; it’s sort of like a sponge cake, but with a strawberry-jam filling.
Gachapon
There’s also some Gachapon machines alongside the merchandise where you can try your luck with obtaining a themed connect-magnet block.
Or with a themed drawstring purse.
So be sure to carry some coins with you before you ride!