Any Christmas themed liveries running anywhere in Japan?

[chadbag]

Does anyone know if there are any trains running with Christmas themed liveries?  JR or private line?

 

I tried some Google searches but didn't see anything (and there may not be anything to see)

[Kamome]

The only thing I found was some Hiroden trams decorated for Christmas and a Gakunan railway unit painted with a Santa face some years ago. 

[Doddy]

Christmas 2015

 

https://rail-ac.translate.goog/wp/2015/12/07/shintetsu-20151207/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Tony Galiani]

I am sort of surprised at this.  When we were in Japan recently, everything changed just about overnight from autumn colors to red and green Christmas colors on November 1st.  The Takamatsu Sunport Tower lights and display went red and green, the pumpkins in the hotel lobby disappeared to be replaced by Christmas decorations and so on.  Not something I personally like but it is what it is.  Would have figured there would be Christmas themed trains somewhere in Japan.

Tony

[Kingmeow]

11 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

...the pumpkins in the hotel lobby disappeared to be replaced by Christmas decorations and so on.  

 

Interesting you say this.  We left our hotel in Tokyo one morning and when we came back from our daily activities, the entire lobby of the Villa Fontaine was transformed into a winter wonderland.  They even had a giant wreath decal on the entrance doors.  It took me a second to double check that I was at the right hotel!

 

But, it's better than seeing Christmas stuff at Home Depot after Halloween.  🤣

Edited November 19 by Kingmeow

[maihama eki]

The Tokyo Disney Resort Line monorail has done Christmas wraps in the past, but not for a number of years.

 

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/tdr/resortline/wrapping.html#:~:text=Decorations themed to "Disney,a heartwarming Christmas atmosphere.

 

 

[Beaver]

The Sangi Railway runs a Christmas decorated train on the narrow gauge Hokusei Line most winters. For 2020 the greeting was changed temporarily to 'Merry Christmask'.

[chadbag]

Interesting.  With all the cool and fun and whimsical and whatever liveries you see in Japan, I would have expected to see a few more -- especially on the major private railways.  I know we've been there several times over the Christmas / New Years and there is a serious embrace of the "secular Christmas" in Japan as a theme for decrations, background music, and stuff.

 

My ukterior motive was to try and find a model of it 🙂 to use as a Christmas Train.  I haven't really done the "Christmas Train" thing though I know KATO has a US Christmas Train most years or some years but I thought it would be interesting to use a Japanese train for the eventual time I decide to set one up.

 

Thanks

 

[Kamome]

As it’s not a predominantly christian country, the association with Christmas is more commercial. It’s a normal working day in Japan and Christmas is about couples exchanging gifts and spending time together whereas New Year is focussed on family. Kind of opposite of what it’s like in the UK.

 

The Christmas decorations in a good number of places are taken down on Christmas day and replaced with New Year decorations. There are a good number of western influenced events that are everywhere up until the day but I don’t think the general populace have much connection with these things once they’re over the age of 25.

[chadbag]

10 minutes ago, Kamome said:

As it’s not a predominantly christian country, the association with Christmas is more commercial. It’s a normal working day in Japan and Christmas is about couples exchanging gifts and spending time together whereas New Year is focussed on family. Kind of opposite of what it’s like in the UK.

 

The Christmas decorations in a good number of places are taken down on Christmas day and replaced with New Year decorations. There are a good number of western influenced events that are everywhere up until the day but I don’t think the general populace have much connection with these things once they’re over the age of 25.

 

Yes, exactly.  Which is why I said "secular Christmas". They've embraced the santa clause, the trees, the music, the idea of gift giving.  But they do it to an extreme in terms of decorating.  When I've been there, every train station has a display commensurate with its size.  Every mall is decked out.  Because of the "intense" way that they gear up for it I'd have thought someone would have done a livery.  Oh well.  As I tell my friends here in the US -- In Japan you see trees and santa and stuff every where in every store and every store and station plays Christmas music etc etc etc (Japan's national Christmas song:  "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart" (by lyric -- don't know the real name).  Then I say:  it's a normal work day.  Not a holiday at all in terms of a national day.

 

Because of school breaks most of our last 4-5 times to Japan have been over Christmas to just after New Year (2019 was the exception of a late summer).

 

 

[cteno4]

Goji even gets in on the act!

 

https://www.geeknative.com/49837/godzilla-christmas-tree-wishes-festive-grrreatings/

 

jeff

[Kingmeow]

27 minutes ago, chadbag said:

(Japan's national Christmas song:  "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart" (by lyric -- don't know the real name).

 

Wait!  Really???  It's their national Christmas song?  Pretty upbeat!  🙂  It would be pretty cool to hear this in Japan!

 

Last Christmas by Wham!

 

 

Edited November 19 by Kingmeow

[Kamome]

Actually this one is probably better, as it has a 100系

 

 

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Kingmeow said:

 

Wait!  Really???  It's their national Christmas song?  Pretty upbeat!  🙂  It would be pretty cool to hear this in Japan!

 

Last Christmas by Wham!

 

 

 

It's their de-facto national Christmas Song.  It's the song I hear every where all the time when I am in Japan.  It was the music playing when I took this video 8 years ago

 

 

 

 

And remember, once Dec 1 comes along, it's the "don't get Whammed" competition.  When you hear the original WHAM version (none of the 10^6 covers) you're out.  See how long you last.

 

Edited November 20 by chadbag

[bill937ca]

I assume there is nothing like the CP Holiday Train in Japan.  Its a mix of hi-cube box cars and vintage passenger cars for the crew and performers. But lots of lights!! Unfortunately it comes here first thing in the morning.

 

 

 

Edited November 20 by bill937ca

[E231-500]

I know one of the biggest Christmas thing in japan is..... KFC

 

I think it may have been in 1974, KFC started massively promoting Christmas meals which included a Christmas cake.

 

Now you have to order your Christmas Day KFC sometimes months in advance.

 

A KFC Christmas themed train! Now that would be awesome 🙂

 

Found on KFC's official global page: https://global.kfc.com/stories/how-kentucky-for-christmas-began-in-japan