JR EAST celebrates the 150th anniversary of Japan’s first railway with Pokémon

On October 14, 1872, the opening ceremony was held at the Shimbashi and Yokohama (now Sakuragicho) stations and then on the following day, passenger trains began operation.

This new train line meant the trip between Tokyo and Yokohama would come from over 8 hours on foot down to just 53 minutes.

The pace of innovation has been incredible with the first Shinkansen bullet train put into operation in 1964.

In 2011 the Tohoku Shinkansen “Hayabusa” bullet train was put into service - a train that could reach a speed of 320 km/h.

Not all innovations are about speed though. Arguably just as important in Japan are innovations in “kawaii-ness” or cuteness.

#Pokégenic (＃ポケジェニック)

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the railway service, JR East has collaborated with Pokémon.

The #Pokegenic (＃ポケジェニック) campaign is being rolled out progressively at 16 JR East stations*, where you can take photogenic spot photos with a variety of Pokémon! The campaign is scheduled to run until late March 2023.

*The 16 participating stations include;
Old Shimbashi Stn., Sakuragichō Stn. (at the Former Yokohama railroad history display [the old side gallery]), Hachiōji Stn., Ōmiya Stn., Takasaki Stn., Mito Stn., Chiba Stn., Sendai Stn., Fukushima Stn., Yamagata Stn. Ichinoseki Stn., Kesennuma Stn., Shin-Aomori Stn., Akita Stn., Niigata Stn., and Nagano Stn.

Passengers can enjoy the journey using JR East trains or shinkansen while looking for the Pokémon at stations. If you find one, make sure you take a photo and get it out on the socials with the hashtag #Pokégenic or ＃ポケジェニック.

POKÉMON with YOU Train

If you can’t make it in time for the #pokegenic, don’t worry, you can still catch a ride on the iconic POKÉMON with YOU Train.

The POKÉMON with YOU Train is a special train, themed with Pikachu designs in its carriages.

The train has been bringing smiles to children in the Tohoku region - the area devastated by the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Travellers can take in the breathtaking scenery of the area whilst enjoying the onboard Pikachu fun. You can catch the train from Ichinoseki, which is a Shikansen stop, and travel east all the way to Kesennuma, a beautiful beachside town.

Onboard, travellers can either sit in the reserved seats in Car 1 and enjoy the view or run amok in Car 2 - the Playroom Car.

In the Playroom Car, kids (or young-at-heart adults) can try their hands at being the conductor in the driver’s cab or the engine room or play with all the toys and gadgets in the car.

Along the route there are a number of great sightseeing spots to stop and check out. One of the examples is the boat rides down Geibi Gorge, which may be one of the best ways to take in the scenery of this beautiful area. Boat rides depart all year round and are the perfect way to soak up the changing seasonal beauty of the region.

JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) and JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area)

If you’re thinking about making the most of the #Pokegenic (＃ポケジェニック) or travelling on the POKÉMON with YOU Train, you may want to consider picking up a JR EAST PASS for the Tohoku region and perhaps one for the Nagano & Niigata areas.

The Tohoku region pass covers you for a lot of the stations for the #Pokegenic. Also the POKÉMON with YOU Train is located within its area.

If you’re going to be spending time in the Nagano and Niigata areas and want to explore all the #Pokegenic areas outside of Tohoku, you should definitely consider picking up a JR EAST PASS for the Nagano and Niigata area. The pass will have you covered the remainder of the #Pokegenic stations.

The JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) gives you unlimited train travel on JR EAST railway lines in the Tohoku region for 5 consecutive days including the Shinkansen to and from Tokyo for ¥20,000 (AU$208) for adults and ¥10,000 (AU$104) for children 6-11yo.

The JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) is also valid for 5 consecutive days and is ¥18,000 for adults (AU$187) and ¥9,000 for kids 6-11yo (AU$93).

These passes also allow you access JR EAST’s many wonderful Joyful Trains - of which the POKÉMON with YOU Train is one. Seats need to be reserved in advance so make sure you do so from this link: https://bit.ly/JRE_SeatReservation
You’ll also need to buy the JR EAST PASSES in advance online. The Tohoku pass is available at https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/pass/eastpass_t.html and the Nagano and Niigata pass is available at https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/eastpass_n.html

*Source: Mihoko Kurosawa  m.kurosawa@thedoq.com  +61(0)498 651 422.