Sumo wrestlers face off on the Shinkansen heading from Tokyo to Nagoya, exchanging kicks and performing piledrivers that elicit cheers from the packed train.
These are just some of the new trends in the post-pandemic travel experience. The Shinkansen transforms into a lively entertainment venue, making the journey as fun as the destination.
The Shinkansen Pro Wrestling event held last September was hosted by Tokyo-based DDT Pro Wrestling using JR Tokai's chartered vehicle service.
A professional wrestling event will be held on the Shinkansen in September 2023 (Photo provided by JR Tokai) (Kyodo News)
Premium seats priced at 25,000 yen and 75 reserved seats priced at 17,700 yen were sold out in about 30 minutes.
Sanshiro Takagi, president of DDT Pro Wrestling, said the event was planned to give people an “unusual experience on the Shinkansen.”
The 54-year-old professional wrestler said, “It was an event that had an impact on many fans, so I would like to hold it again.'' He added that it had also attracted attention from overseas through social media.
In March, about 60 people chartered a first-class green car on the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama from Tokyo to Nagoya and enjoyed sushi and sake from high-end Tokyo restaurants.
Despite the high ticket price of 55,000 yen, it sold out quickly.
The railway operator, commonly known as JR Central, has started chartering Shinkansen cars in 2022 during the coronavirus pandemic to encourage people to use trains.
Participants of the sushi and sake gourmet event held on the Shinkansen in March 2024 (Photo provided by JR Tokai) (Kyodo News)
The cars were initially chartered for private events such as weddings and corporate presentations, but the company said it is now receiving more interesting requests as the pandemic eases.
A JR Tokai official said, “We would like to continue creating experiences that meet the 'nozomi' (expectations) of our customers,'' a play on the name of the Tokaido Shinkansen's fastest Shinkansen, “Nozomi.''
Travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi said the Shinkansen, which was once just a means of transportation, now has an additional function as an entertainment platform.
“Enjoying the journey itself seems to be filling the void left by reduced enthusiasm for travel during the pandemic,” he said.
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