Japan's Largest Sumikko Gurashi Wrapped Train.
Nankai Electric Railway is the second major private railway company in Kansai to collaborate with Sumikko Gurashi, following Hankyu Electric Railway last year.
Nankai Electric Railway has collaborated with "Sumikko Gurashi", a popular character from San-X, and has been running the "Sumikko Gurashi Touring Campaign" since July 22.
As part of the campaign, the airport express "Rapid" (between Namba and Kansai Airport) will be wrapped in "Sumikko Gurashi" and run as the "Sumikko Gurashi Wrapping Rapid".
Sumikko Gurashi is popular among a wide range of generations, from children to adults, for its loose and cute appearance as well as the fact that it has a sad past.
The Sumikko Gurashi train will run along the Nankai line.
From August 7 2021, the "Rapid" express train, which operates via the main line and the airport line, and which features a mechanical blue body designed by an architect, also have Sumikko Gurashi specifications. The body of the train features an original story of Sumikko and her friends visiting the sea in search of a "big happy fish", and the deep blue color of the train makes for a cool design.
The illustrations on the six-car Sumikko Gurashi Wrapping Wrapito differ from car to car, and the concept is "a train that expresses the story of Sumikko and her friends who go to the sea in search of a big happy fish. From left to right on the side of the train, the story of the search for the big congratulatory fish unfolds.
About two-thirds of the sides of the first two cars (No. 1 and No. 6) are covered with light blue wrapping, giving the cars a cooler look. Sumikko Gurashi" characters are also painted on the front end of the cars.
A cute atmosphere has been added to the "iron man face" of the "Rapito". The intermediate cars are based on the traditional dark blue color, but are wrapped with Sumikko Gurashi characters. At Namba Station, the characters of "Sumikko Gurashi" were also seen in the waiting room at platform 9.
In addition to the Sumikko Gurashi Wrapped Wrapito, Nankai Electric Railway has also wrapped the two-car "Medetai Densha Nana" running between Wakayama City and Kata, and one six-car train of the 1000 Series running on the Koya and Senboku Lines with Sumikko Gurashi wrapping. The "Sumikko Gurashi Wrapped Rapito" and the 1000 Series wrapped trains are said to be "the largest Sumikko Gurashi wrapped trains in Japan" in terms of wrapping area per car.
In addition to the wrapped train, original collaboration goods are being sold as part of the "I like something along the Nankai Line: Sumikko Gurashi Meguritai Campaign".
Limited Express Rapid (between Namba Station and Kansai Airport Station)
Operation period: Saturday, August 7, 2021 - around the end of December
The "Rapid" service has been suspended during daytime hours due to the recent social situation.
