Joyful Train" is a train operated by JR East that offers fun experiences and services during the ride, and is a little different from the trains you normally ride. This time, we will introduce "TOHOKU EMOTION," one of the "Joyful Train" services.
The "TOHOKU EMOTION" runs mainly on weekends on the Hachinohe Line (between Hachinohe Station and Kuji Station), which connects the coast of Aomori and Iwate Prefectures. The train, called the "Tohoku Restaurant Railway," offers original menus using Tohoku ingredients, freshly prepared dishes in an open kitchen, and a high-quality space decorated with motifs of traditional Tohoku crafts. We would like you to enjoy eating, drinking, and riding the train while experiencing more of Tohoku! We asked Mr. Kudo and Mr. Arai, who were involved in the launch of the "TOHOKU EMOTION" project, about the project. They talked about not only the "TOHOKU EMOTION" project but also the "Joyful Train" project as a whole! Joyful Train Reservation Site" is here:
■The Beginning of the "Joyful Train" Project ・What is the background behind the launch of the "Joyful Train" project? We want to energize children with the power of Anpanman and Pokémon! The impact of the earthquake was great.
■What kind of train line does TOHOKU EMOTION run on, the Hachinohe Line?
How TOHOKU EMOTION became a restaurant train ・What about the day of departure of TOHOKU EMOTION? What is TOHOKU EMOTION? What is the "TOHOKU EMOTION" project?
The Beginning of the "Joyful Train" Project
Mr. Arai in charge of concept creation
Mr. Arai (JR East View Tourism & Sales at the time of interview)
I was involved in the "Joyful Train" project in the Sales Department of JR East's head office at the time. I was the leader of a five-person team that worked on the TOHOKU EMOTION, POKÉMON with YOU train, SL Ginga, and the TRAIN SUITE SHIKISHIMA. I was involved in various aspects of the TOHOKU EMOTION, such as creating the overall concept, demand forecasting, cabin layout, operation planning, on-board operations, sales methods, sales promotion measures, etc. I was also involved in the reconstruction of the earthquake-stricken area.
Mr. Kudo in charge of local coordination
Mr. Kudo (Shin-Aomori Station Manager at the time of interview)
I went to JR East's head office and was briefed on the introduction of the "Joyful Train" and returned to the branch office to help prepare the local community to accept the train. I was in charge of coordinating within the Morioka branch office and asking the local governments along the train route what kind of hospitality they would like to offer. I was in charge of coordinating within the Morioka Branch Office, and also coordinating with the local governments along the line.
What is the background behind the launch of the "Joyful Train" project?
TOHOKU EMOTION before departure
Mr. Arai
As far as I know about the launch of the "Joyful Train" project, discussions started around the winter of 2011. At the time, there were various discussions at the head office about reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred in March. Among them, the then president of JR East told me that if JR East continues as it is, in the future it will become a company that only operates Shinkansen trains and commuter transportation in the Tokyo metropolitan area. As a company living in the East Japan area, that is not good enough. I wanted JR East to come up with trains that would make the ride itself an objective. After the earthquake, we wondered what we could do with the power of tourism to help the affected areas, especially the Tohoku region, recover from the disaster. To achieve this, we were asked to create a train that would be attractive enough to attract people from Tokyo.
We want to energize children with the power of Anpanman and Pokemon!
Dining with a view of the sea
Mr. Arai
When I joined the project in June 2012, several Joyful Train projects were already under consideration. The first one that started running was the POKÉMON with YOU train. Around March 2012, we borrowed JR Shikoku's Anpanman trolley and ran it in the affected areas, and it was so popular with children that we started talking about what we could do with JR East's trains. JR East has always been involved in various activities, including the Pokémon stamp rally. So we decided to do a tie-up with Pokémon. The next project under consideration was the current TOHOKU EMOTION. We decided to create a train line with a view of the sea, where people could eat meals like in a restaurant. We had a rough concept of what we wanted to do, and we were starting to work on a number of things.
Mr. Kudo
For the Anpanman train, we invited children along the line for a test ride, and our advertising team took charge of the event. Anpanman is quite popular among children, and we felt that the children were pleased with the train. We felt that children needed to be energized to get excited about the sinking feeling after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The POKÉMON with YOU train started in December 2012 when we invited children to come on the train. We made various efforts such as placing Pokemon objects and commemorative stamps at the stations where the train stops between Ichinoseki Station and Kesennuma Station. Both we and the locals wanted to encourage visitors to tour the city. At the time, there was still a lot of debris in Kesennuma, but we wanted visitors to tour the reconstruction shopping streets in each area, so we designated five or six locations for a Pokemon stamp rally. At the end of the rally, participants returned to the station and turned in their stamps to the tourist information center to receive prizes. It seems that the rally is still going on, and it will soon be 10 years old this year.
The impact of the earthquake disaster was great.
At Kuji Station, the passengers are sent off with a big fishing flag.
Mr. Kudo
I am from Iwate Prefecture, but at the time of the earthquake I was working at JR East's headquarters, and I returned to my hometown on July 1 of the same year. When I returned and went to the coast, I felt that even after 4 or 5 months, the situation was still like this. One of the things I saw firsthand was that I still wanted to do something to help. When we ran the SL, many people came and waved to us along the line. Seeing this made me realize that although it was a lot of work, I am glad we did it. Seeing off at Hachinohe Station After TOHOKU EMOTION left Hachinohe, the local people gathered near Ariake Beach and waved their hands and big fishing flags. I think the reason TOHOKU EMOTION has lasted so long is because of the welcoming hospitality of the local people. I am sure there are great expectations from the locals. Thank you JR" was written on a drum and placed on the beach. Also, there is a high school in Yono Town where students learn to dive, and some high school students there waved to us while wearing diving suits. I went around to the school and the local government and handed them a letter of appreciation, expressing my gratitude as well.
Mr. Arai
I was working in the sales department of JR East's Omiya branch office at the time of the earthquake, but around August 2011, I wanted to see for myself what was really happening in the disaster area, so I rented a car and went there on a private trip. I still remember that we first headed to the Onagawa area, and although the area a little higher up to just before Onagawa was, of course, heavily damaged by the earthquake, the effects of the tsunami were not felt. However, as Onagawa Station approached, the landscape was completely transformed into a different world with the remains of the tsunami, which was very shocking. About a year later, I was transferred to the head office and joined the project. I had witnessed such scenes, so it was very rewarding for me to be involved in work related to the reconstruction of the disaster area. The Hachinohe Line, on which TOHOKU EMOTION runs, resumed operation quite quickly after the earthquake. The Hachinohe Line, on which TOHOKU EMOTION runs, resumed operation fairly quickly after the earthquake. At that time, I heard that the people in the areas along the line were very happy and grateful, so when we were discussing the project, I knew that I wanted to somehow get the Hachinohe line running.
What is the Hachinohe Line where TOHOKU EMOTION runs?
The sea seen from the train window
Mr. Kudo
The production company in the Tokyo metropolitan area was in charge of selecting the chefs for TOHOKU EMOTION, but people who have only worked in the Tokyo metropolitan area probably have never heard of the Hachinohe Line, nor have they ridden it. So we started by getting the people at the production company and the people at JR East's headquarters to know about the Hachinohe Line. We have been working hard to make them aware of the Hachinohe Line and the charm of Kuji, the last stop on the line.
The main platter used in TOHOKU EMOTION is actually a platter that was made in Kuji. It was custom-made for me, and I knew a place in Kuji that did pottery, so I introduced it to them. It is not easy to do PR without knowing about the train line. When I went to explain to the Hachinohe Transportation District staff who would be operating the train, they asked a lot of questions. In the end, however, I think all the employees were able to come to a unified feeling that this is our train, and that it is up to us on the front lines to sell it. The Hachinohe Transportation District also came up with various measures, such as asking if the train could slow down or stop temporarily at this point. Courteous service on the bumpy train The Hachinohe Transportation District also wants passengers to know about the Hachinohe Line, so they made a map of the Hachinohe Line's points of interest and placed it in the cars. Conductors and drivers in the Hachinohe Transportation District were also selected to ride the TOHOKU EMOTION trains, and badges with the TOHOKU EMOTION logo were made and worn by the drivers and conductors to raise employee awareness. The Hachinohe Line does not have a very large number of trains, so most sleepers were made of wood at that time, but we increased the number of concrete sleepers to reduce swaying. They also made efforts such as being careful when passing through points and making sure drinks were not spilled. I think there were quite a few behind-the-scenes efforts as well. I think this created quite a sense of unity among both the locals and the employees.
How TOHOKU EMOTION became a restaurant train
The entrance to the train looks like the entrance to a restaurant.
Mr. Arai
The project was to create a train that would make the ride itself an objective, and the event trains in JR East by then were the "Resort Shirakami," SL, and the so-called "Ozashiki" trains, etc. In Kyushu, on the other hand, there were already various sightseeing trains, some of which offered food and beverages on board. On the other hand, Kyushu already had a variety of sightseeing trains, some of which allowed passengers to eat and drink on board. Eating a meal while admiring the scenery on board is a fun experience, and we agreed that it would be nice to have a delicious meal while looking out at the sea. At the time, a company called Transit General Office was involved as the overall producer of the project. Originally, Transit General Office was a producer of popular restaurants and cafes in Tokyo, and we decided to team up with them and have a chef who is hard to get a reservation for in Tokyo supervise the cooking. We decided to create a train service in Tohoku so that people from Tokyo would come all the way from Tokyo to ride the train. We also wanted to attract a slightly different audience than the usual train travelers, targeting young women. We decided to ask Mr. Kiyoyuki Okuyama, who is from Yamagata Prefecture and was in charge of the design of the E7 series of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, to design the train. The exterior design of the TOHOKU EMOTION is a bold design that depicts a "restaurant on the move". When I first saw the illustration of the exterior design, I was very surprised. When I first saw the illustration of the exterior design, I was very surprised. It was different from the conventional "tatami room" trains, and I was really shocked that such a thing was possible on a train. I was also surprised to see that the actual train was made exactly as it was, lol.
Mr. Kudo
I thought it was very innovative. It was an unprecedented design, and it really had the atmosphere of a brick restaurant somewhere. When the train actually departs from Hachinohe Station, there will be only one entrance, with a red carpet and lamps on the upper left and right sides to welcome the passengers. It really has the atmosphere of entering a restaurant and enjoying a meal, rather than boarding a train. The final touches are made inside the train.
Mr. Arai
The person in charge of remodeling the train seemed to have a hard time thinking, "What should we do with this..." lol Also, the concept is to "discover and experience a new Tohoku," and in this regard, the Transit General Office has come up with a lot of ideas. In this regard, Transit General Office's idea was to create a number of devices in various places that would serve as hooks for customers. The exterior design was done by Mr. Okuyama, the interior design by someone else, the logo design by someone else, the illustrations on the pamphlet, the contemporary art inside the train, the music played inside the train, and many other tricks. And then there was the live kitchen. By having guests watch the food being prepared right in front of them, we wanted them to enjoy not only the taste of the food, but also the sight of it, and to enjoy the live atmosphere of the event.
What happened on the day of TOHOKU EMOTION's departure?
Introduction booklet at the time Records distributed at the time of the press release
Mr. Kudo
On the day of the event, I was in charge of the logistics of the grand departure ceremony. I had been to many departure ceremonies before, but I remember that this was the grandest departure ceremony I had ever seen. I remember that we took over the entire free aisle of Hachinohe Station for the departure ceremony, leaving just enough space for a few passengers to pass through. We even made a decorated cake in the shape of a train.
Mr. Arai
I was also at Hachinohe Station that day. I was at Hachinohe Station that day, too, and I tried to get as much coverage as possible, saying I had never seen a departure ceremony like this. There was a huge champagne bottle-like object at the venue, and confetti would fly out from the end of the bottle like a cracker, just like when you break a kusudama at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Other press releases by JR East to the media usually consist of written explanations and handouts to reporters, but for the first press release, the Transit General Office sent the press release to media outlets that do not usually have much contact with JR East. Just sending a press release would never be noticed, so we sent a record of the background music to be played in the trains along with the release. I got it later as a souvenir, but I don't have a record player, so I never played it lol. There was also a CD with the same songs on it, so I listened to it there.
What is YONO EMOTION?
Everyone at Yono Emotion
Mr. Kudo
The TOHOKU EMOTION leaves from Hachinohe, travels to Kuji, turns around in Kuji, and returns to Hachinohe, but the TOHOKU EMOTION does not stop in the town of Yono on the way. But the town of Hirono has a beautiful coastline. The people of Hirono do their best to wave big fishing flags and banners to show their hospitality. The train will slow down and the passengers will wave back at you from inside the train. This was started by a woman who came from Kanagawa Prefecture to help with earthquake recovery efforts. She was the initiator of the event, and it has been going on for a long time. The baseball club of the JR Morioka branch joined in on Saturdays and Sundays, and as a token of our appreciation, we went to the baseball club and gave them a baseball lesson. Whenever a new employee joins the company, we always take him or her to the beach in the town of Hirono to wave to the local people and show them our hospitality. Also, the customers who boarded the car were very moved by it and asked us to use it for some kind of reconstruction when they get back to their own homes. They were so impressed that they sent money to the town of Hirono. What did the local people do with the money? They made a banner with the person's name on it and used it for hospitality.
Mr. Arai
I think that customers who come from far away will remember the train ride not only for the delicious food, but also for the fact that the locals waved to the train and welcomed them. It is a train that makes you feel a strong connection with the local community.
Mr. Kudo
The Hachinohe line is quite windy in winter. Sometimes the trains are delayed. I guess the people who are entertained by the Yono Emotion are waiting for the trains to come or not. Sometimes we get phone calls asking what is going on with the service today. In order to let the locals know about this, we asked JR East to include TOHOKU EMOTION in their "Dokotore" service, which provides information on where the trains are running. Originally, group trains such as the TOHOKU EMOTION were not registered on the "Dokodotore" service. We told the local people that they could easily find the TOHOKU EMOTION's delays by looking at the "Where to Train" page.
At the end
The train is stopping at Kuji Station.
Mr. Arai
The TOHOKU EMOTION is a train that JR East had never offered before, and at the time, only the Hokutosei and Cassiopeia offered meals on board. Personally, I did not expect the train to sell for such a long time... I think the reason it became a train that exceeded my expectations is because it is loved by the local community. Until then, I had been working on how to get as many customers as possible to ride the train, and there were some difficulties, but I am really glad that the TOHOKU EMOTION worked out well and became a train that is loved by the community.
Mr. Kudo
I have been involved in various projects such as the POKÉMON with YOU train, the TOHOKU EMOTION, and the SL Ginga, and I have met many different people. Now, as a field manager, I would like to pass on to the younger generation the great experience I had in training them. The SL Ginga was taken to Kamaishi, and since I was stationmaster in Kamaishi before, I was surprised at how moving it was to see the train I took part in greet the passengers at the site, I was so moved to see the train that I had put in. So, I am a little sad to hear that the SL Ginga will be retired next year. A meal with a view of the train window is a special experience!
To use "TOHOKU EMOTION", please visit the "Joyful Train Reservation Site"!
We are also publishing articles on other aspects of the TOHOKU EMOTION and a special feature on the Fruitea Fukushima! More articles on "Joyful Train" will be published in the future. Please look forward to more articles about "Fun to Ride Trains" in the future!
