Tokyu unveils new tram with beckoning cat livery

[bill937ca]

Tokyu Corp. on Monday unveiled a new tram painted with manekineko (beckoning cat) livery to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Tamagawa Line and promote use of the Setagaya Line to tourists.

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/25/national/tokyu-unveils-new-tram-beckoning-cat-livery-mark-110th-anniversary-tamagawa-line/#.WckCMsh97cc

 

 

Video by  時事通信映像センター

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by bill937ca

[scotspensioner]

Hi cute!!

[cteno4]

UH oh another modemo!

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

I would say creepy especially at night... I mean, those eyes are kinda creepy...

[gmat]

I saw it last night and showed some pictures to my wife. She was impressed.

Gotokuji Temple is also where you bring the Manekineko cat doll to be retired. My wife says that the scheme will last until the end of next March.

https://www.tofugu.com/travel/gotokuji-temple/

 

308 used to be painted red. I last took photos of it in that scheme last Monday. I assume that the repainting was done at the Kamimachi depot. I would like to have shot it unpainted.

 

Around last Christmas, 306, the yellow painted one had a special Star Wars scheme. More recently, 305 has been repainted brown with the 110th Anniversary mark on the front and back.

 

Grant

 

[katoftw]

I'm traveling up and down the Tokyu Tamagawa Line every day this week.  I cannot see anything appealing to tourism on these smaller commuter lines in the area.  These companies need to stick with what they do best, which is move large amounts pf commuters from residential zones to work.

[kvp]

I have the impression, these ad wraps are aimed more for the local community. An ad for a hollywood movie is clearly not for tourists and a local line commemorative wrap is also something that is mostly for the local community and maybe railfans, which is not a truely large crowd. Btw. imho it's not an accident, that the Tamagawa anniversary wrap was put on a much smaller Setagaya line tram.

 

ps: Is there a term like local tourism? Like encouraging people to visit the various sights in their own neighbourhood?

[Yavianice]

45 minutes ago, katoftw said:

I'm traveling up and down the Tokyu Tamagawa Line every day this week.  I cannot see anything appealing to tourism on these smaller commuter lines in the area. 

 

Until someone has the genius idea to make an owl the station master somewhere on the line, and flocks of people will go and visit it, myself included. 

[gmat]

  December and January 15th and 16th, every year, have the Boroichi Flea Market. Get off at Kamimachi, Setagaya or Shoin-jinja Stations. It is not as crowded, nor has as many sellers as during the 'Bubble Economy' times, but still worth a look or two. When I first saw it during the 90s, the sellers used almost all of the side lanes and much of the Setagayadori main street too, The trams were so packed that lines formed just to get on the trams. It seemed to go on until midnight, or so I remember. Now it finishes at 9:00. It was a glorious madhouse. Last year, I saw that they had a small mini portable pass swiper at Kamimachi Station in use during Boroichi. Shoin-jinja Shrine is a popular visit during the New Year's and one or two days later.

  A couple of months ago, on a late Sunday afternoon, I noticed two conductors/staff at the Shoin-jinja Station. (It is always un-manned) It was only when they were leaving that I think that I noticed that they had a PASMO card on a small swipe(?) box on the wall. I suspect that they were testing it out. Wish that I realized in time to get a proper picture with the card on the box. On reflection, it must have been for something in the late Spring or Summer. 

  This year, about every month or so, there are new 100th Anniversary posters with photos of trams, past and present and or stations, past and present, on each platform at every station. 

  Each station has a list of local attractions and at Shoin-jinja Station, on the Shrine side, there is a metal plate on the ground with directions to the Setagaya City Hall, Setagaya Civic Hall and Metropolitan Taxation Office and someplace else. It is illegible on one plate and removed (ground away) on the other plate. The other side of the station doesn't have plates like this. 

 

Rambling off.

 

Grant

[gmat]

Cat scheme;

 

Previous repain, brown scheme;

 

Star Wars scheme; 

 

 

Portable PASMO reader during Boroichi Festival;

 

 

Grant

Edited September 27, 2017 by gmat