Riding the Hello Kitty Shinkansen Train in Japan!
The cutest way to travel around western Japan is with Hello Kitty as your train’s conductor. Take advantage of the JR Pass and ride this Hello Kitty-themed train to western destinations such as Osaka, Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi. While staying in Osaka I was able to ride the Hello Kitty train to Kobe. Even though it was a short ride, I still got to experience all this super cute train had to offer.
The Hello Kitty train is a white, gold, and pink bullet train decorated with Hello Kitty and her signature bow. It has both passenger and non-passenger cars as well as reserved and non-reserved seating. It is covered by the JR Pass and currently operates once a day in each direction. The official time schedule is published months in advance and can be found here.
When you step inside the bullet train, you’ll find Hello Kitty decorations all over the train. There are decals of Hello Kitty as a train conductor and her friends with pink bows and ribbons all throughout. The first train car is known as Hello! Plaza and this is where you can find the gift shop. Here you can purchase a souvenir Hello Kitty-themed bento box, Hello Kitty train conductor plushies, keychains, and other exclusive merchandise. There’s also a photo op where you can take a shot with the Hello Kitty train conductor plush and have the views of western Japan as your backdrop.
The second car is known as the Kawaii! Room and this is a reserved seating passenger car with a super cute photo op with Hello Kitty. There’s a statue of Hello Kitty the train conductor and a mural of Hello Kitty that pays homage to Western Japan. The remaining cars are passenger cars that have minimal Hello Kitty decor. If you ride the train all the way to the end in Hakata, you will find a Hello Kitty cafe and souvenir shop.
Riding the Hello Kitty train is an excellent reason to explore cities in Japan that might not have normally been on your must-visit list. You can eat world-renowned beef in Kobe, visit a huge castle in Himeji, or see history in Hiroshima, among other sights in each destination. We rode the train to Kobe so we could check out the Nunobiki Ropeway and try Wagyu but we were surprised to find a Sanrio exhibit and pop-up cafe serving character-themed parfaits. It was such a pleasant surprise and it just goes to show that you’ll never know what Hello Kitty finds you might discover in the destinations of the JR West. She is Japan’s tourism ambassador!
