Japan Now Has Super Kawaii Hello Kitty Bullet Trains

Sanrio has a special treat for Hello Kitty fans visiting Japan this summer with the launch of custom-designed trains featuring the beloved feline character.

The new line of limited edition Hello Kitty shinkansen, connecting Osaka and Fukuoka, was unveiled on June 30, CNN reports.

Sanrion teamed up with Japan’s Shinkansen train operator, West Japan Railway Co. Ltd to encourage more people to take the route of the two exciting cities which are often overlooked by travelers.

The specially designed train, which will continue to run until the end of September, has over eight 500 series cars covered with Hello Kitty-style decorations both inside and out.

Kitty train’s car 1 was set up for selling locally made snacks, while car 2 will be filled with other Hello Kitty items that commuters can purchase along the way.

Sanrio is set to thrill fans with even more Kitty-themed modes of transportation as the Japanese firm has reportedly already teamed up with an airplane company and sightseeing bus operator.

Hello Kitty, which was created by Japanese artist Yuko Shimizu and added to the lineup of early Sanrio characters in 1974, is among the world’s most recognizable cartoon characters.

A global marketing phenomenon generating $7 billion a year, Hello Kitty has recently become the third highest-grossing franchise of all-time with an estimated revenue of over $41 billion, following the Star Wars franchise at No. 2 with $42.9 billion and Pokémon at No. 1 with $59.1 billion.

Feature Image via YouTube / Dr.YELLOW

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