As far as joint collaborations go, the Shinkansen Evangelion Project is set to go down in the annals of history, with Japan Rail West joining up with the hit anime franchise to make our wildest dreams a reality, by bringing out a special Eva-themed bullet train to shuttle customers from Osaka to Fukuoka and back on the Sanyō Shinkansen line.
Since the announcement of the project, we’ve been waiting on the edge of our seats for more details, and finally JR West has come through with news of the launch date, along with never-before-seen images of the train’s interior, which includes Eva-themed seats and window blinds, and a designated “cockpit room”.
The special 500 Series Shinkansen, dubbed the 500 Type Eva, is the love-child of Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno and mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita, who have teamed up for the joint collaboration, which marks Evangelion’s 20th anniversary and the 40th year of Sanyo Shinkansen line operations.
▼ Featuring a purple wrap with green accents, the train borrows its design inspiration from Evangelion Unit-01.
While the exterior is sure to turn heads, although at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour (185 miles), it’s more likely to look like a purple haze, it’s the interior of the carriages that’s guaranteed to make this a memorable trip for passengers.
First up, there’s a special Exhibition Room in the first carriage, with four points of interest: Shinkansen x Evangelion panel art; a photo area; a diorama display; and a life-sized cockpit. Everything here is exclusive to the 500 Type Eva, making this an extra special space for fans.
Knowing full well that everyone has their eyes on climbing into the Evangelion cockpit, passengers who want to experience the thrill will need to enter an online lottery one month to three days before their departure date. Travellers with their heart set on sitting in the pilot’s seat can book tickets as part of special tour itineraries that will soon be offered by travel agents.
▼ The second carriage will offer unreserved seating and feature a special Eva-themed interior.
▼ The door panel and carriage floors transport passengers to NERV’s world of giant bio-machines.
▼ The window blinds and seats remind passengers that they’re on board a 500 Type Eva.
The train will run from November 7 2015 to March 2017 and will be limited to two trips a day so if you want to hop on board the Eva 500, make sure you book a ticket for one of these journeys:
Hakata Station 6:36a.m. – Shin-Osaka Station 11:14 a.m. (Kodama 730)
or
Shin-Osaka Station 11:32 a.m. – Hakata Station 4:07 p.m. (Kodama 741).
Source: JR West Japan
Top Image: 500 Type Eva official website
Insert Images: JR West Japan, 500 Type Eva official website
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