Do wrapped trains run in your country? If so, here's another question: do any of them feature artwork?
In Japan, art-themed wrapped trains are not particularly common, but we do occasionally come across them. One memorable example for me was Tobu Railway's "Ikebukuro–Kawagoe Art Train", which operated in 2020. To promote tourism in Kawagoe City, illustrations of the city's historic landmarks, local food, and specialty products were painted on the train by a Japanese-style artist.
Another example was Saitama Railway's "Thanks 25 Train". Created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Saitama Stadium Line, it featured abstract artwork by a local artist.
Today, I would like to introduce another art train currently operating on Tokyu's Den-en-toshi Line. Please take a look at the photo above. This is "A Special Train That Paints Color for People, Towns, and the Future."
The train was created through a collaboration between Tokyu Corporation and Heralbony, a talent agency that works primarily with artists with intellectual disabilities. The company signs licensing agreements with these artists and promotes their artwork through various projects.
Incidentally, the name "Heralbony" itself does not have any particular meaning. It was coined by the older brother of the company's CEOs, who has an intellectual disability.
Now, let's take a closer look at the artwork. The train features various scenes found along Tokyu's railway lines, including urban buildings, riverside parks, and a historic station building.
Among these scenes, my personal favorite is the depiction of everyday local life shown in the photo below—a father pushing a stroller. There is something heartwarming about such an ordinary moment captured in art.
Finally, as a railway enthusiast, I would like to touch briefly on the technical aspects of the train itself.
The art train is Set 2145 of Tokyu's 2020 series EMU fleet. The 2020 series is a commuter EMU designed for 1,500 V DC electrification and operation on Japan's 1,067 mm narrow-gauge network. The series entered service in 2018.
Each trainset consists of ten 20-meter stainless-steel cars arranged in a 5M5T configuration (five motor cars and five trailer cars). Many of its running components are shared with JR East's E235 series.
The train is equipped with a SiC-based VFD traction system and 140 kW fully enclosed induction motors. Thanks to these advanced technologies, power consumption has been reduced to approximately half that of the older 8500 series, while exterior noise levels have been lowered by around 10 dB.
