�Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Tokyo

Nagasaki

Shimonoseki

Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains

Name plate of Fuji (The Railway Museum)

In 1912, the Japanese Government Railways (JGR)

inaugurated a luxurious express service, composed

of 1st and 2nd class carriages only, between Tokyo

and Shimonoseki, to establish a quick link to Korea,

Northeast China, and Europe via Siberia. In 1923,

the JGR started a cheaper version of this service

composed mainly of 3rd class carriages.

The both trains were so popular that the JGR

decided in 1929 to give a hypocoristic name to them,

offering a prize for the best ideas. From numerous

public responses, Fuji was chosen for the luxurious

one and Sakura (cherry blossom) for the modest one.

Both services were suspended during WWII. After

the war, the nicknames Fuji and Sakura were used

for limited express services between Tokyo and main

cities in Kyushu.

Fuji observation car deck (The Railway Museum)

Name plate of Sakura (digital reproduction from photograph)

Fuji and Sakura

3 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �0083 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Tokyo

Osaka

Kobe

View of Heiwa limited express from end of train (operated from October 1958 to July 1959) (The Railway Museum)

In 1930, the JGR started a rapid daytime express service

between Tokyo and Kobe, covering 590 km in 8 h 20

min. Nicknamed Tsubame (swallow), it was regarded as

the best train in Japan, but was suspended in 1943 as

the war situation worsened. In 1949, Japanese National

Railways (reorganized from JGR as a public corporation)

restarted a limited express service between Tokyo and

Osaka. This train was first nicknamed Heiwa (peace),

but soon renamed Tsubame. In 1950, the JNR started

Observation deck of Tsubame (The Railway Museum)

Tsubame, Heiwa, and Hato

a second limited express service named Hato (pigeon)

for the same route. Hauled by electric and steam

locomotives, both trains covered 550 km in 8 hours. In

1951, the completion of electrification of Tokaido main

line enabled to cut journey time to 7 h 30 min. In 1960,

modern electric railcars replaced conventional carriages

for both services, and journey time was shortened to 6

h 30 min. In 1964, both services were terminated when

Tokaido Shinkansen was opened.

Name plate of Heiwa

Name plate of Hato

Name plate of Tsubame

* The name plate images for Tsubame, Heiwa and Hato are digital reproductions from photographs.

�Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Tokyo

Osaka

TokyoHakata

Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains

Continued on page 37

Inaugurated in 1958 between Tokyo and Osaka, Kodama

(echo) was the first limited express using electric multiple

unit (EMU) called Series 151 (later renamed Series 181).

Distributed motive power along the whole length of train set

produced much higher output than conventional locomotive-

hauled trains, cutting journey time from 7h 30 min to 6 h 30

min and enabling a return journey on the same day using the

same train set. The success of Kodama led to the introduction

of Series 151 to Tsubame and Hato services in 1960, followed

by numerous other EMU express services on JNR’s electrified

trunk lines.

The lead and rear cars of Series 151 carried a large body-

mounted nameplate in front, but in later series of EMU express

trains, it was changed to automatic rewinding name plates to

avoid complicated and dangerous manual works to replace

the plates.

Kodama limited express EMU (The Railway Museum)

Asakaze (morning breeze) limited express sleeper service

connecting Tokyo and Hakata (Fukuoka) in Kyushu was

inaugurated in 1956. In 1958, newly designed Series 20

carriages were introduced with fully air-conditioned interior

and vivid navy blue livery, boasting high ride comfort. It was

often called ‘the moving hotel’ and also ‘blue train’, imitating

famous luxury trains in France and South Africa. It became

so popular that the JNR started several sister express trains,

such as Mizuho (vigorous rice plant), Fuji and Sakura, between

Tokyo and main cities in Kyushu. Asakaze and her sister

services continued even after the extension of Shinkansen

to Hakata (1975), due to sharp decline of rail passengers

caused by the growth of air traffic, Asakaze was terminated in

2005, and all other sleeper trains for Kyushu were terminated

by March 2009.

Name plate of Asakaze (The Railway Museum)

EF66 heading Asakaze limited express at Yokohama Station (Kotsushimbunsha)

Asakaze

Kodama

* The name plate image for Kodama is a digital reproduction from photograph.

37 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �00837 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Photostory

Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains

Name plate of Yuzuru (The Railway Museum)

Tokyo (Ueno)

Aomori

Sendai

In 1958, JNR inaugurated a limited express service from

Tokyo (Ueno) to Aomori (ferry port on the northern tip of

Honshu), covering 630 km in just 12 hours. Nicknamed

Hatsukari (first wild geese seen in the year), it was the first

limited express serving regions north of Tokyo that was

regarded as less developed area. In 1960, conventional

carriages were replaced by newly designed diesel

railcars called Series Kiha 80, cutting the journey time to

10 h 25 min. From Tokyo to Sendai, the train took slightly

longer but flatter coastal root via Joban Line.

Hatsukari was used as the fastest link to Hokkaido,

until airlines became cheaper and popular.

In 1964, Hakutsuru (white crane) was introduced as

the first sleeper limited express serving north of Tokyo

to Aomori. Unlike Hatsukari, it took inland root to Sendai

via Tohoku main line, because electrification made it

possible to run faster trains on the steeply graded tracks.

In 1965, another sleeper express nicknamed Yuzuru

(crane flying in evening sky) was inaugurated between

Tokyo and Aomori, using the Joban Line.

In 1968, when the electrification and double-tracking

of Tohoku main line were completed, Hatsukari and

Hakutsuru services were changed from locomotive-

hauled carriages to electric railcars, using Series 583

EMUs with specially designed seats convertible to beds

at night.

In 1982, after the opening of Tohoku Shinkansen

to Morioka, the nickname Hatsukari was took over by

local limited express services between Morioka and

Aomori, and finally disappeared in 2002, when Tohoku

Shinkansen was extended to Hachinohe. Yuzuru and

Hakutsuru night services were terminated in 1993 and

2002, respectively.

Name plate of Hatsukari (digital reproduction from photograph)

JNR President Shinji Sogo inaugurating Hatsukari at Tokyo’s Ueno Station on 10 October 1958 (The Railway Museum)

Lead car of Series Kiha 80 DMU (The Railway Museum)

Name plate for Hakutsuru sleeper limited express (Original design drawing by Y Kuroiwa, courtesy of Presse Eisenbahn)

Hatsukari, Hakutsuru, and Yuzuru

38Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Shimonoseki

Ohita

Hiroshima Osaka

Nagasaki

Miyazaki

Matsue

Kyoto Maibara

Takasaki

Naoetsu

Niigata Yamagata

Akita

Aomori

Morioka

Sendai

Fukushima

Hakodate

Tomakomai

Sapporo

Asahikawa

Tokyo (Ueno)

Hakata

Name Plate Design of Japanese Express Trains

Japan’s economy and society almost completely

recovered from war damages by 1955, and the so-

called high-growth period started in the early 1960s. In

1961, JNR introduced a completely new timetable, and

inaugurated a nationwide network of limited express

services using Series Kiha 82 DMU, an improved version

of Kiha 80. Kiha 82 train set was usually composed of 6

cars (4 third-class, 1 second-class and 1 dining cars). In

some cases two sets were coupled on busy main lines

and decoupled at a junction for different destinations. All

end cars had a door in front to enable passengers and

train crew to move from one set to another. Train names

were shown in a window mounted on the door, giving

a very modest impression compared with Series 151

(181) EMU and Series 80 DMU. The start of nationwide

limited express bought a big variety in train names,

including Ozora (open blue sky) in Hokkaido, Tsubasa

(wing) in northern Honshu, Hakucho (swan) in northern

and central Honshu along the Sea-of-Japan coast,

Matsukaze (wind among pine trees), Kamome (seagull)

in West Honshu and Kyushu, etc.

Osaka-bound Hakucho and Tokyo (Ueno) bound Tsubasa limited express trains, both leaving Akita Station at 0810 hours (The Railway Museum)

Series Kiha 82 Matsukaze limited express running on San’in main line (H Narasaki)

Series Kiha 8� diesel express services

* The name plate images for Ozora, Tsubasa, Hakucho, Matsukaze and Kamome are digital reproductions from photographs.

39 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 50 • Sep �00839 Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 53 • Sep �009

Photostory

Shinjuku

Matsumoto

Ueno

Sendai

Irodori Series 485 N201 train set with LCD name plate (T. Honda)

Beginning in the late 1980’s, name plates using LED were

introduced. LED type name plates has advantages over

conventional non-LED nameplates, in that LED does not

require as much maintenance, and it is possible to show

important information such as train departure time. This

photograph shows the LED type name plate for series

651 Super Hitachi limited express connecting Ueno in

central Tokyo and Sendai in northeast Japan.

Irodori special express with LCD nameplate.

LCD nameplate was first used in 2007, on

one of the Joyful Train, which is a special set

of trains operated solely on the purpose of

serving tourists. This is the newest type of

nameplate as of 2009 August.

Series 651 Super Hitachi with LED type nameplate (The Railway Museum)

Automatic rewinding train nameplate was introduced in the late 1960’s,

when the number of limited expresses was increased dramatically. As a

result of the increase, it became very inconvenient to have to replace the

train name plates manually when the train had to be turned back under

a different name. Automatic rewinding train name plate was the solution

to this problem. With several different train names imprinted on a long,

rolled-up film, the replacement procedure became simplified, and safer

for workers. The photographs show the front and the back mechanism

of automatic rewinding nameplate for Azusa.

Azusa limited express name plate (front) (The Railway Museum)

The back of the name plate showing the rewinding system (The Railway Museum)

Azusa limited express with automatic rewinding name plate

Super Hitachi limited express Irodori special express