The beloved Hello Kitty shinkansen, in all its pink kawaii glory, went on its final run on May 17 after 8 years on the tracks. But after only 9 days, the shinkansen has been completely dismantled.
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The Hello Kitty Shinkansen’s Last Run
The Hello Kitty shinkansen debuted in 2018 as a refurbished 500-Series train operated by West Japan Railway, and ran between Shin-Osaka and Hakata stations on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line. The iconic train had a cutely decorated interior, a dedicated shopping car with exclusive merchandise and its own Sanrio ekiben lunchbox.
The exterior was wrapped with a big bow overlay — honoring Kitty’s signature accessory and standing as a symbol of connection as travelers came from all around the country and the world just for a chance to ride it. In total, the Hello Kitty shinkansen carried over 1 million passengers during its 8-year run.
On its final day of operation, the Hello Kitty shinkansen departed Shin-Osaka station just before noon and concluded at Hakata around 4:00 in the afternoon. Several fans gathered across the route to wish the train a final goodbye. The train was sent to the Hakata Shinkansen Depot the following day for temporary storage. It was then spotted by train enthusiasts like @natsuko00816 on Instagram, being scrapped at the Hakata Shinkansen Depot on May 26, as heavy machinery and grapplers began to dismantle the shinkansen car.
“I’m sad that it’s retiring, but I’m glad I was able to ride it before it was gone. I want to remember this moment forever,” said Yoshiharu Ikeda, a sixth-grade student who came from Fukui Prefecture to ride the train, to The Mainichi.
The End of the 500-Series
The 500-Series, the base train model the Hello Kitty shinkansen was based on, is also nearing retirement. West Japan Railway announced that the bullet trains will be decommissioned sometime in 2027 due to aging. The 500-Series began commercial operation in 1997 and were once record-breakers, renowned as the fastest trains with top speeds at 300 kilometers per hour.
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Updated On May 28, 2026
