West Japan Railway launched a One Piece-themed Shinkansen train on April 12, 2025, inspired by the popular anime. Named Setouchi Blue, this train celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen line, which operates between Hakata and Shin-Osaka stations.
The new train, designed around the concept ‘Let’s go to the Grand Rail’, features eight cars with striking blue exteriors. It highlights popular characters from One Piece, including Monkey D Luffy, the Straw Hat Pirates, and other iconic symbols from the anime.
One Piece Shinkansen: Key details of Japan’s newest bullet trains
The One Piece Shinkansen project will comprise three separate trains, of which one debuted in April. The second train to be launched as part of the One Piece series is the Tony Tony Chopper, which will commence on May 28, 2025. Named after the One Piece character who loves candy, the train will bear shades of white, pink, and blue.
The third train in the series will be named after Monkey D Luffy and will be launched on July 2, 2025. The colour scheme for the third One Piece Shinkansen will be white, gold, and red, based on the character’s iconic straw hat. Travellers can expect immersive decor and interiors with pirate-themed seating and decorations. One Piece merchandise will also be available at specific stations on the route.
The One Piece Shinkansen trains will run on the Sanyo Shinkansen line along the Setouchi Sea on Honshu’s southern coast, connecting major cities in western Japan such as Osaka and Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Himeji, and Okayama. The trains will run on Kodama services, which means they will stop at all stations on the route.
How to ride
One Piece Shinkansen | Image credit: onepiece_staff/Instagram
Rides on the One Piece Shinkansen will be included with the JR Pass, with a supplemental fee required if the train rides on the Mizuho or Nozomi services. Travellers can also use the Kansai Wide Area Pass and the Sanyo-San’in Area Pass.
For more details, check out the official website.
(Feature image credit: onepiece_staff/Instagram)
This story first appeared here.
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
AloJapan.com