Modernised Shinkansen Trains will Start from Spring 2016

A new type of Shinkansen rail car starting service in the spring of 2016 will cater to modern art lovers by featuring contemporary Japanese works, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said March 3.

The bullet train, dubbed the “Genbi Shinkansen” (contemporary art Shinkansen), will run mainly between Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata stations on the Joetsu Shinkansen Line.

The train was conceived by the company as a way to give passengers a more enjoyable Shinkansen experience.

Photographer Mika Ninagawa will design the train’s exterior, which will be themed on the fireworks festival held in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, considered one of the three major fireworks shows in Japan.

Paintings, photographs and video installations created by contemporary artists will be featured throughout the train’s interior, which will also include a cafe and a children’s playroom.

The six-car train will be based on the E3-series, which operated on the Akita Shinkansen Line until March 2014.