A Hello Kitty-themed bullet train made its final run in Japan on May 17, drawing crowds of fans to JR Shin-Osaka station to send off a pink Shinkansen that carried around one million passengers over nearly eight years.
Fans holding cameras and Hello Kitty merchandise packed the platform at the western Japan station to witness the last departure, Kyodo News reported. The wire service said about one million people had ridden the train since its June 2018 debut. As it pulled away, the crowd waved and called out "thank you."The train was operated by West Japan Railway, known as JR West, in collaboration with Sanrio, the Japanese company behind Hello Kitty. JR West launched it as a tourism draw for western Japan, wrapping the exterior in a pink ribbon motif that the operator said was meant to symbolize connecting communities along the route.Two of its eight cars carried dedicated Hello Kitty themes: an exhibition car and gift shop showcasing regional products, and a passenger car decorated from seats to ceiling with the character. The standard station-arrival chime was replaced with a Hello Kitty melody.
Shinkansen train adorned with special livery bearing popular character Hello Kitty. Photo by AFP
