I recently took the JR East Joetsu Shinkansen for the first time in four years. What was new with this trunk line crossing the main island of Japan?
I found that the stripe of the EMU E4 series train was changed from yellow to a pink color called "toki-iro (the color of the Japanese crested ibis)". Toki is a bird, which has light-pink colored wings. They used to be seen in many places in Japan; however, they are currently very precious. We can only see them in Niigata Prefecture, which is part of the the Joetsu Shinkansen route. The Japanese government places Tokis under careful protection, as they are on the verge of extinction.
Incidentally, The Joetsu Shinkansen is the main transportation artery between the Tokyo Metropolis and Niigata Prefecture. Its operating length is 334 kilometers. The EMU E4 series is the main fleet on the Joetsu Shinkansen. It is a duplex train launched in 1997. A total of 26 sets, 208 cars, were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Hitachi Kasado Factory. The E4 series is only operated as a limited express train, Max-Toki and Max-Tanigawa. They consist of 8 cars, which can accommodate 817 seats in one set. A total of 1634 seats are available, when two sets of trains are connected. The maximum speed is 240 kilometers per hour.
According to JR East, the E4 series will be replaced by the E2 and the E7 series by March, 2021. The E4 series has only three years to live.
Side view of the E4 series