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Kyodo

A Disney-themed shinkansen bullet train adorned with characters from hit films such as Frozen was shown to the media in central Japan on Monday, ahead of its launch on the Tokaido Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Osaka later in the week.
The “Wonderful Dreams Shinkansen”, inspired by Tokyo DisneySea’s Fantasy Springs area that opened in June, will operate from February 21 until mid-September between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, according to the railway operator, JR Central, and Oriental Land, which runs the Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland theme parks.
The melody on board will be a song from the Disney film Tangled.
At a ceremony held in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, with Mickey Mouse showing up, JR Central president Shunsuke Niwa said he hopes people will enjoy visiting the Disney theme parks and feel as if they “are in a dream”.

Kenji Yoshida, president of Oriental Land, said: “We want visitors riding the special train to have more fantastic memories of their trips.”


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Asia travel

Mickey Mouse helps launch Disney-themed Tokyo-Osaka bullet train with Elsa from Frozen

The “Wonderful Dreams Shinkansen,” inspired by Tokyo DisneySea’s “Fantasy Springs” area. Photo: Central Japan Railway/Disney

Mickey Mouse was on hand to help launch a Tokyo-Osaka line “Wonderful Dreams Shinkansen” bullet train in Disney livery, featuring characters such as Peter Pan, Elsa from Frozen and Rapunzel from Tangled. Photo: Central Japan Railway/Disney

The Disney liveried bullet train will operate between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations. Photo: Central Japan Railway/Disney

City in Japan near Mount Fuji turns empty commercial spaces into lodgings for tourists

The lounge area of a vacant commercial space in Shizuoka, Japan, converted into guest accommodation. Photo: Instagram/birupaku_shizuoka 

The lobby of an unused commercial space that has been converted into guest accommodation in Shizuoka, Japan. Photo: Instagram/marii_bros

The nameplate on the door of one of the commercial properties in Shizuoka that has been converted into guest accommodation. Photo: Instagram/marii_bros

The lounge area of a vacant commercial space converted into guest accommodation. Some rooms have cushions made from Enshu textiles traditionally woven in western Shizuoka prefecture. Photo: Instagram/birupaku_shizuoka 

Loungers on the rooftop of a converted commercial space. Photo: Instagram/biropaku_shizuoka

A bedroom in a formerly empty commercial space in Shizuoka. The city is often overlooked by tourists. Photo: Instagram/marii.bros

What to do in winter in Japan’s Nagano beyond skiing? Visit snow monkeys, onsen, shrines

Japanese macaques at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Togakushi, a Japanese Shinto shrine in the mountains, is one of many sites winter visitors to Nagano can explore. Photo: Xinyi Wu

The path at Togakushi Shrine is lined with 400-year-old cedar trees. Photo: Xinyi Wu

A wooden torii gate at the entrance of Chusha, the middle shrine of Togakushi Shrine. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Togakushi soba, a local speciality, served on a bamboo woven plate with tempura made from local mountain vegetables. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Japanese macaques relax at a natural hot spring in Jigokudani Monkey Park. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Snow monkeys have evolved to survive in cold conditions; their fur thickens as temperatures drop. Photo: Xinyi Wu

The Japanese macaque is the northernmost-living non-human primate. Photo: Xinyi Wu

A woman opens the door of one of Shibu’s nine historic bathhouses. Photo: Xinyi Wu

A ryokan room with a tatami floor in Yudanaka. Photo: Xinyi Wu

The Hokusai Museum in Obuse. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Hokusai’s famous wave paintings on the ceiling of a festival float are displayed at the Hokusai Museum. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Matsumoto Castle is the oldest surviving castle in Japan. Its elegant black keep gives it its nickname: Crow Castle. Photo: Xinyi Wu

A view from inside the castle of Matsumoto with the Japanese Alps in the background. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Cedar barrels at Ishii Miso containing miso in their third year of fermentation. Each barrel is 2 metres wide and 2 metres tall. They range from a few decades to a century old. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Lunch at Ishii Miso’s restaurant with dishes that feature the company’s three-year-aged red miso. Photo: Xinyi Wu

Korea’s snow crab capital a winter tourist draw with festival celebrating the crustacean

Cooked snow crabs in South Korea. Photo: Getty Images

Snow crabs are a specialty in Uljin, South Korea. Locals give tips on how to pick the most delicious ones. Photo: Getty Images

Hupo Port in Uljin, in South Korea’s North Gyeongsang province. Photo: Getty Images

Uljin is South Korea’s biggest supplier of snow crabs, harvesting between 7,000 and 12,000 tonnes of the crustaceans annually. Photo: Getty Images

It is recommended to pick a snow crab with a strong gut, and to steam it for the best taste. Photo: Getty Images

Two types of snow crab are usually available: white and red belly. White belly crabs are said to taste sweeter. Photo: Getty Images

‘Mysterious’ fish that’s famous in Fukuoka, and why it is sumo wrestlers’ food of choice

Fukuoka chef Kazutaka Hagiwara prepares longtooth grouper. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Ingredients for “chanko nabe” or sumo wrestler’s stew, including longtooth grouper, a fish Japanese call kue which is a speciality of the southern city of Fukuoka. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Kazutaka Hagiwara, chef de cuisine of sushi restaurant Tomozuna on the top floor of the Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, gets to work on a longtooth grouper in its kitchen. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Hitoshi Hirokawa, executive director of Fukuoka’s Nagahama Fish Market, calls longtooth grouper “the most famous fish in Fukuoka”. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

The sharp teeth of the longtooth grouper make it difficult for sushi chefs to handle. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Dishes prepared using the flesh of the longtooth grouper fish, including sashimi (front). Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

A longtooth grouper at the seafood market in Fukuoka. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Longtooth grouper stew. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Japanese bullet train with livery featuring Disney characters from films such as Frozen and Tangled to ply Tokyo-Osaka route from this week


Japanese bullet train with livery featuring Disney characters from films such as Frozen and Tangled to ply Tokyo-Osaka route from this week.


Japan

Disney

Offbeat