Railfans will have a rare chance to get up close and personal with the recently retired “Doctor Yellow” shinkansen — touted as a symbol of happiness — during a special event to be hosted soon by Central Japan Railway Co.
The company, known as JR Central, has announced it will hold an event on June 7 to transport the Doctor Yellow train, which was used to diagnose faults on Japan’s high-speed shinkansen lines until January, to its railway museum in Nagoya for display.
Applications will be accepted until May 14, with the event limited to 40 guests. As the number of applicants has already exceeded capacity, attendees will be chosen by lottery, according to JR Central.
Photo taken in February 2025 shows the “Doctor Yellow” shinkansen diagnostic bullet train that retired in January. (Photo courtesy of the Central Japan Railway Co.)(Kyodo)
Participants will be able to place their hands on JR Central’s Doctor Yellow during its transport, take commemorative photos and have a lunch box in the dining car of another shinkansen on display.
Doctor Yellow is known for its vivid exterior, setting it apart from shinkansen trains in regular service. Because it operated on an irregular and unannounced schedule, it was long cherished, with some believing that “seeing it brings happiness.”
The recently retired T4 edition of the bullet train was in service for about 24 years on the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan. No successor is planned as some passenger trains will be equipped with testing and observation equipment.
Another edition called T5, which belongs to JR West and debuted in 2005, is set to retire in 2027 or later.
To apply for the upcoming event, participants must accumulate a required number of points by, for example, correctly answering quizzes available on a special website while riding Tokaido Shinkansen trains.
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AloJapan.com