If you thought Japan’s bullet trains were about as cool as they could get, you’d be wrong. Why? Well, because thanks to a partnership with UK-based design consultancy Tangerine, the legendary high-speed services are about to get a whole new look.
East Japan Railway Company has just unveiled the first images of its brand-new high-speed E10 Shinkansen train (which will eventually replace the existing E2 and E5 on the Tohoku route) and while they’ve only just entered the ‘design implementation’ phase, these babies could be on the railways as soon as 2030.
The interiors have apparently been inspired by Japan’s various landscapes, from the coast to the mountains, with a mid-green colour palette nodding to the country’s lush forests, and the graphic shapes being inspired by the Sakura flower (cherry blossom) silhouette, which is one of Japan’s most iconic symbols.
And you won’t find any jarring fluorescent lighting on these trains – instead, Tangerine opted to install something called indirect wash lights which create a gentler lighting effect and a calmer atmosphere. Scroll on for some snaps of the designs.
Recommended: The incredible 2,500-mile train tour of France launching in September.
They look pretty suave, don’t they? Have a look at this all-private room sleeper train which is launching and will connect 100 European cities, too.
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Plus: Tokyo’s world-renowned digital art museum TeamLabs is opening in this European city.
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