Mario is also taking over the Sonic train as part of collaboration with JR.

Mt. Fuji may be the most recognizable natural symbol of Japan, but if we’re throwing man-made ones into the mix, the Shinkansen has to be pretty high on the list, right? The crown jewel of Japan’s rail network represents not only technological innovation, but also the culture’s sense of hospitality towards travelers and how there are cool places to explore at all corners of the country.

Just about the only way the Shinkansen could be more Japanese is if it had Nintendo’s Super Mario plastered all over it…which is just what’s happening soon.

As part of rail operator JR Kyushu’s Let’s Go Kyushu collaboration with the video game franchise, the Kamome Shinkansen is getting a special wrapping in Mario’s red and blue image colors, plus a whole lot of graphics depicting the heroic plumber.

▼ There’s even a Fire Flower-powered-up Mario on Car 5!

But with Mario being one of the most prolific stars of the video game world, one bullet train isn’t enough, and he’ll also be appearing on JR Kyushu’s Tsubame Shinkansen, joined by a gathering of friends and foes that show just how huge the Super Mario cast of characters has grown over its decades as Nintendo’s flagship franchise.

A near-rainbow of Yoshis, the three princesses, and both Donkey and Diddy Kong are along for the ride, and the extended Koopa family has their own car too.

And though they may not be quite as speedy as the Shinkansen, a number of JR Kyushu’s special limited express trains are also getting Mario makeovers: the Relay Kamome, Kasasagi, Kirameki, Midori, and Sonic, the last of which, coincidentally, shares its name with Mario’s one-time rival from Sega.

The artwork for these trains has an especially clever aspect to it, as it’s designed to look like a side-scrolling Super Mario level, complete with Mario making a jump towards the finish flagpole at the end.

You won’t spot these trains along the so-called Tokyo-to-Kyoto “golden route” of the Shinkansen, though. Since this is a JR Kyushu collaboration, the trains’ routes are all contained within Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu (which is also where you’ll find Japan’s newest Nintendo specialty shop). The red-and-blue Kamome will be run between Nagasaki and Takeo Onsen Stations on the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen Line, and the Super Mario Tsubame between Hakata (Fukuoka) and Kumamoto or Kagoshima Chuo. The non-Shinkansen limited express trains follow a variety of routes connecting Hakata with Oita, Saiki, Takeo Onsen, Mojiku, Bizen Kashima, Kokura, and Sesebo.

The Super Mario limited express trains are running as of November 29, while the Kamome Shinkansen debuts February 7 and the Tsubame Shinkansen one month later, March 7. Shinkansen schedules have yet to be announced, but specific by-date timetables for the limited express trains are already available on the JR Kyushu website here, from which reservations can also be made. The collaboration is scheduled to last until June 30.

Related: Super Mario x JR Kyushu Let’s Go Kyushu official website
Source: JR Kyushu
Images: JR Kyushu
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