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Quake-Damaged Tsubame Shinkansen Car Unveiled at Hakata as Art Exhibit

The restored car serves as a community-made memorial to the Kumamoto earthquake during the Kyushu Shinkansen’s 15th year.

Overview

  • JR Kyushu unveiled the repaired No. 1 car from the 2016 Kumamoto quake at JR Hakata Station with a nighttime light-up.
  • The Tsubame trainset derailed during a depot transfer after the foreshock, which distorted the cars and kept them out of service.
  • The exhibit piece cannot self-propel, so the company shipped it by barge on a Kyushu tour before positioning it at the station.
  • Kumamoto-born artists and local residents painted a full-bloom cherry tree on its side, turning the car into a community artwork.
  • The display is time-limited, and JR Kyushu says future use of the car remains undecided.