The Best Character Trains in Japan

• The Doraemon Train

Still in the realm of children’s cartoons, we have the famous blue alien cat Doraemon. It’s not strictly speaking a train, but a tram that has been in service since 2012 in Takaoka, the hometown of its creator, manga artist Fujiko Fujio. The train features Doraemon’s signature colors and distinctive elements: his typical blue color, a red stripe reminiscent of his collar, and even yellow-tinted headlights to evoke the bell he wears around his neck.

In addition to this tram, trains bearing the character’s image have also been spotted from time to time.

• The Kumamon Train

Speaking of cute characters, it’s impossible to overlook Japan’s most famous mascot: Kumamon. As the proud representative of Kumamoto Prefecture, it is there that you’ll find trains bearing his image.

As a black bear with red cheeks, his name echoes the name of his home prefecture, with “kuma” meaning “bear” in Japanese. The general public first saw him in 2011, on the opening day of the Shinkansen line serving the city. So it’s only natural that he’s regularly seen on trains!

As staples of Japanese pop culture, it’s no surprise to find Pokémon in and on trains.

There are a large number of Pokémon-themed trains, often tied to promotional campaigns for various products in the franchise (cards, video games, movies, etc.). One notable initiative was the “Pokémon with You” train, a project launched after the major earthquake of March 2011 to bring smiles back to the faces of children in the region.

Other temporary trains can be found all over Japan. Even the Okinawa monorail has had its own Pikachu version!

• The Tama Train

You probably didn’t know his name, but you may have heard the story of Tama, the cat taken in by station staff at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture in 2007. This calico cat was named stationmaster, and his main job seems to have been sleeping while wearing a stationmaster’s cap.

The story attracted the attention of thousands of curious visitors who made the trip just to see him. He passed away in 2015 and was given a Shinto funeral, officially making him a kami, a kind of local deity. Since then, other cats have succeeded him as stationmaster.