In a bid to revitalize tourism in the Niigata region, JR East are introducing a special shinkansen service this spring on the Joetsu Line that runs between Niigata Station on the coast and inland Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
The Genbi Shinkansen exterior
The logo by Naoyuki Suzuki, is a stylized rendering of the “Genbi” characters 現美
Several carriages of the new bullet train will be fully dedicated to art appreciation, with one side of the train being giving over to a gallery of contemporary art. Called the “Genbi Shinkansen” the name “Genbi” means “contemporary beauty” and it has already been dubbed “the world’s fastest art experience”.
The Genbi Shinkansen interior
Contributing artists have been announced as Nao Matsumoto, Brian Alfred, Yusuke Komuta, Kentaro Kobuke, Haruka Kojin, the Paramodel art unit, and photographer Naoki Ishikawa. Mika Ninagawa’s photographs of Nagaoka fireworks have been used to decorate the exterior of the train. The artists hope to make best use of the space with interactive art that contains “story” and “trick” elements. One carriage will also periodically change its exhibition, and host irregular performance art surprises.
The fireworks festival in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture is one of the biggest in Japan
There will also be a café on board the train, and sweets, cakes and pastries created by renowned patissier, Romi Igarashi. Passengers will be treated to a full sensory experience with modern art installations on one side, breathtaking scenery from the windows and all while enjoying fresh roasted coffee and cake!
The Genbi Shinkansen café
The Genbi Shinkansen is scheduled to debut on April 29th 2016, with services mainly on weekends and holidays. With the world famous Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale festival held every three years in Niigata’s Tokamachi city, the introduction of this new train should cement Niigata’s reputation as a leading center of contemporary art creation.
上越新幹線で運行予定の現代美術を楽しめる「GENBI SHINKANSEN」が本日、仙台～北上間で試運転を行いました。
種車はE3系R19編成で、12号車及び14号車～16号車は海側(東北新幹線基準)に窓がありません。 pic.twitter.com/t275x47md2— ＴＺ (@sayakawa3838) January 5, 2016
The Genbi Shinkansen has already been spotted by several Twitter users on trial runs running through northern Japan.
Article by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
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Keisei Ueno Station in the 1980s, with signage promoting the Keisei Skyliner’s 60-minute connection to Narita Airport. The Skyliner began operations in 1973 as one of Japan’s first dedicated airport rail links.](https://www.japanstation.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
