By SHUICHI DOI/ Staff Writer
October 17, 2022 at 07:00 JST
HIROSAKI, Aomori Prefecture--Pretty as a picture, a train with its interior painted entirely in shocking pink runs through a green pastoral landscape in the Tsugaru region, making a fashion statement all its own.
The Art Train, which also sports pink lines on its body, makes up to nine round trips a day between Hirosaki and Kuroishi stations on Konan Railway Co.’s Konan Line.
The flashy train serves as a “time machine” to help passengers trace their memories. Words such as “Where were you born?” and “What is your memorable place?” are written on the floor alongside “November 1972.”
“There are spaces no other trains can offer,” said Takafumi Hara, who designed the train, during the unveiling ceremony on Sept. 14. “I hope each (passenger) gains access to their memories and remembers precious things.”
Hara, a contemporary artist who also serves as a professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design, is known for incorporating pink into his works.
He was asked by the prefectural government and other parties to work for the project aimed at encouraging passengers to rediscover the charms of areas along the Konan Line.
He was inspired by things unique to Aomori Prefecture, such as apple farming and “neputa” gigantic lantern floats.
The interior of the second car of the two-car train was designed by nine students from the information design course at the prefecture-run Kuroishi High School.
They interviewed local residents and used their stories as inspiration to create pink-themed in-train advertisement.
“We interviewed people from different generations, so we’d be happy if (passengers) can feel the ambience of different times,” said third-year student Konami Kimura, 17.
The Art Train is scheduled to run until Nov. 13. Konan Railway said it will consider continuing the service after seeing how it is received by passengers.
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The interior of Konan Railway Co.’s Art Train immersed in pink (Shuichi Doi)
