This summer, a train running on Fukui’s Echizen Railway will be decorated inside and out with images of the Pokemon character Dragonite. The train is officially called the “Kairyu Train” as Kairyu (which means “cheerful dragon”) is the Japanese name for the Dragonite character.
Echizen Railway’s Dragonite Train
Last year, Fukui Prefecture teamed up with the Pokemon Company and appointed Dragonite as an ambassador for local tourism. Dragonite was chosen partly because Fukui is home to a famous dinosaur museum and boasts the highest number of dinosaur fossil discoveries in the country — and kyoryu, the Japanese name for “dinosaur” means “fearful dragon”.
Since then, local residents may have noticed Dragonite manhole covers appearing around the prefecture and Dragonite has also made several live appearances at local events — including the official welcome ceremony for the Hokuriku Shinkansen when the bullet train network was extended to Fukui in March.
Inside the Dragonite Train
The Dragonite Train will run on Echizen Railway from July 21st to August 4th. Echizen Railway is a semi-private third sector railway with ownership shared by local government and local businesses. It has two railway lines: the Katsuyama Eiheiji Line, which runs between Fukui and Katsuyama and the Mikuni Awara Line, which runs between Fukui and Sakai.
The Dragonite Train is scheduled to run on both lines, each of which features some of Fukui’s top tourist attractions. Notably, Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum can be accessed via Katsuyama Station on the Katsuyama Eiheiji Line and the spectacular Tojinbo cliffs can be accessed via Mikuni-Minato Station on the Mikuni Awara Line.
As part of the promotion a Dragonite-themed mystery-solving activity will also be held along the railway from July 21st. Participants will solve puzzles while riding the railway line to discover sightseeing destinations as they advance through the story. Full details can be found on the official website (Japanese only).
The Dragonite Train will operate as a regular train and its full schedule can be found here.
Article by Michael Lambe. Photos courtesy of Echizen Railway. All rights reserved.
