Courtesy of Tokyo metropolitan government’s Bureau of Transportation
A poster advertising the collaboration between English singer Ed Sheeran and the Toei Oedo subway line.

A unique collaboration between Ed Sheeran and the Toei Oedo subway line that runs through Tokyo started Monday and is highlighted by a train filled with details on the life and career of the popular English singer.

The campaign’s English title of “Oh! Ed!” is a pun referencing the singer’s name and the name of the subway line operated by the Tokyo metropolitan government’s Bureau of Transportation.

The special eight-car train will operate until Oct. 12. Each car covers a different Sheeran-related theme, with the first car exploring his life, including his childhood dream and his journey to becoming a worldwide hit; the second car covers the history of his career; and the third outlines the messages he wants to convey in his new album, “Play.”




The exterior of a shop promoting the collaboration at Ichigaya Station in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

There is official collaboration merchandise including T-shirts and keychains, as well as a special one-day Oedo Line pass designed to look like the album’s cover. An adult pass costs ¥700, and a child’s pass costs ¥350. Another highlight is the stamp rally that includes six locations mostly along the Toei Oedo subway line.

Sheeran has won four Grammy Awards, the highest honor in the U.S. music industry. Warner Music Japan Inc. floated the idea of the collaboration because Play, which went on sale in Japan on Friday, has a magenta cover matching the color used to depict the Toei Oedo Line on signs and maps.

AloJapan.com