Anpanman train and a travel tip

Trains decorated with manga and anime characters are quite frequent in Japan. Sometimes, these colorful liveries are used to promote a TV series, a movie or an event, but in some cases they are maintained long term, as a tribute to artists originating from the serviced area.

That's the case with the train from today's photo, decorated with cute characters from one of the most popular manga stories, Anpanman, and runs in Shikoku, the birthplace of the Anpanman's creator, mangaka Yanase Takashi.

Travel tip: There are several such trains in running through the Shikoku island, some of them featuring specially decorated interiors and even offering special bento meals. If you visit Shikoku, be sure to take a look at the JR Shikoku leaflet.