Spring 2021 heralds the Japanese theatrical release of a Thomas movie starring a Japanese bullet train!
Thomas the Tank Engine
Drastic solution required to remove cheeky locomotive.
Read More
As if Thomas wasn’t already creepy enough…
Read More
Young Thomas seems to be pulling a cargo of fashionable nightmares.
A hobbyist has inadvertently given life to an Eldritch horror posing as a Thomas the Tank Engine toy by giving it glowing eyes and the ability to scale walls and ceilings.
Being that he’s a train on an island, you wouldn’t expect Thomas the Tank Engine to do much international traveling. However, thanks to a bit of clever storytelling (and Thomas’ absolute lack of compunction about stowing away on freight ships), the beloved locomotive has embarked on a globe-trotting tour in an ongoing video series.
In one of the most recent episodes, Thomas even arrives in Japan, where he takes in the local sites in a whirlwind visit that’s more Japanese than actually living in Japan.
Well, it looks like train fans in Japan have something to be excited about — the real-life Thomas the Tank Engine, which has already attracted considerable attention on the Internet and media, is now in service! The Thomas steam locomotive, designed with a large face in the front to quite accurately recreate the well-known children’s character, started on its very first journey on July 12 with about 560 passengers on board. And since we knew this was a ride that would be sure to delight kids as well as adult train fans, one of the reporters from our Japanese site traveled to Shizuoka Prefecture in the center of Honshu, the main island, to see the “real Thomas” on his very first day in operation!
Japan is a country that loves its trains. For many rail enthusiasts, there’s nothing better than a getaway to one of the rural parts of the country to ride on and snap pictures of unique trains running through beautiful countryside scenery.
Some localities even drum up tourism by keeping old-fashioned steam locomotives in service, which are always a big draw. This summer, though, Shizuoka Prefecture’s Oigawa Line is going a step further by dressing up one of its trains as Thomas the Tank Engine.
Well, that’s a much-loved part of my childhood ruined forever…
I have fond memories of rushing home as quickly possible every Monday afternoon circa 1986, pulling my mother along behind me after she had kindly come to meet me from school, and constantly asking her what time it was, fretting that I might miss even a snippet of the opening credits of kids’ TV show Thomas and Friends.
Had I known that there was just some creepy nude guy inside that little blue tank engine, though, I might have instead dragged my feet as much as possible so as not to give my four-year-old self, already with a highly active imagination and a fear of anything that wasn’t my cat or jam sandwiches, any additional nightmare fuel.
Thomas the Tank Engine has a huge following in Japan. Known here as Kikansha Tomasu, literally Tank Engine Thomas, the cheeky train and his group of hard-working friends are so popular they even have their own amusement park and a hotel dedicated to them with unique, train carriage-themed rooms. Now Japanese fans are looking forward to their biggest present yet: a chance to ride on a fully-working Thomas the Tank Engine steam locomotive. Set to take passengers down the hills and round the bends of the Oigawa Line in Shizuoka Prefecture, this is a really useful engine we adore!
MOST POPULAR
Now
Japanese high school girl Saya returns to blow everyone away with her new look for 2016
Who makes Japan’s best Spam-style onigiri convenience store rice ball? Let’s find out【Taste test】
Tommy Lee Jones cries, says sayonara to the Heisei era in epic new Boss coffee commercial 【Video】
Which convenience store onigiri rice balls are the most popular? Survey reveals surprising results
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
Chance to play Teris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March
Potama serves up epic rice balls like no other, and there’s only one store in Tokyo
Amazing papercraft kit looks, and even sounds, just like the Nintendo Famicom【Photos】
Secrets of the sumo ring: Behind-the-scenes rituals that support the wrestlers…literally【Video】
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Weekly
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japanese restaurant chain serves Dragon Ball donuts and Senzu Beans this spring
Highest Starbucks in Japan set to open this spring in the Tokyo sky
Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 1]
Japan has only one airport named after a samurai, so let’s check out Kochi Ryoma【Photos】- Japan Extreme Budget Travel! A trip from Tokyo to Izumo for just 30,000 yen [Part 2]
- Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
Japanese drugstore sells onigiri at pre-stupid era prices, but how do they compare to 7-Eleven?
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Monthly
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting the lines at a popular Tokyo gyukatsu restaurant?
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home- Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
- Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Chance to play Teris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March
Potama serves up epic rice balls like no other, and there’s only one store in Tokyo
Amazing papercraft kit looks, and even sounds, just like the Nintendo Famicom【Photos】
Secrets of the sumo ring: Behind-the-scenes rituals that support the wrestlers…literally【Video】
Japan’s craziest burger chain takes menchi katsu to new extreme levels
-
