J-pop superstar brings new meaning to A Room of One’s Own on Japan’s busiest bullet train.

These days, the Tokaido Shinkansen has been full of surprises. In June, the train’s operators, Japan Central Railway (JR Central), announced it would be adding private “Supreme Class Cabins” inside the bullet train, which runs between Tokyo and Osaka, and then they gave us a way to try them before they became available.

Now, JR Central has given us the biggest surprise of all, with a new commercial starring J-Pop sensation Hikaru Utada. In the clip, Utada can be seen sitting on the Shinkansen, inside a Supreme Class cabin, singing a new song specially written to promote the private rooms.

Called “Intentions”, the song is set to be released in autumn, but fans are getting an early listen with a short snippet being used as the theme song for the “Good Day Express” campaign. This campaign serves to highlight the company’s commitment to creating a “good day” for passengers, by catering to their individual needs with the private rooms.

The lyrics reflect that sentiment, focusing on a sense of independence that Utada says was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. This 1929 essay famously contains the argument by Woolf that a woman must have financial and personal independence, a “room of one’s own”, in order to create freely.

In thinking about Woolf’s ideas, Utada ruminated on what her own “rules for being free” might be, and in the process of composing the song, she came to realise it’s the courage to let go of things in order to protect what needs protecting.

These are deep, thought-provoking ideas that we’ve come to expect and love from Utada, and we get to learn more from the lyrics in the commercial, which start with the words “Jibun dake no heya”, which means “A room of one’s own”.

Although the lyrics are yet to be officially released, what we hear in the video is:

“Jibun dake no heya hitotsu, chiisana uchu ga fukuramu [A room of one’s own, a small universe expands]
Watashi to watashi no dairogu, tokidoki Vajinia Urufu [A dialogue between myself and me, sometimes with Virginia Woolf]
(I came but I’m not gonna stay, I’m good)
Jiyu de aru tame no ruru [The rules for being free]
(Got bills to pay, not gonna wait for you to change)
I used to give you all of my affection
Even when you stopped paying me attention”

The video also comes in a shorter, 30-second version, which includes the same voiceover towards the end: “The Supreme Class debuts on the Shinkansen”.

In the video, Utada can be seen enjoying a sense of freedom in the private space, which allows for the universe within to expand. Another touching nod to Woolf can be seen midway through, when Utada sits by the window, writing in the room just as Woolf might do if she were on the Shinkansen today.

With the commercial set after dark, the Good Day Express is a sentiment that runs even at night, especially for those enjoying private time in the one and two-person cabins that will soon be available to passengers. With reclining seats, dedicated Wi-Fi and controls for the lighting, air conditioning and onboard announcements, the cabins give you more control over your space during the journey, and they’ll be available from 1 October.

Related: JR Central Supreme Class official website
Source: JR Central 
Images: JR Central
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