World’s first ‘zombie bullet train’ set to haunt passengers on trip from Tokyo to Osaka

TOKYO — A “Zombie Shinkansen,” which will turn a carriage on a Tokaido Nozomi bullet train into a haunted house, will depart from Tokyo Station in October. Zombies will suddenly appear inside the train, which runs at a maximum speed of 285 kilometers per hour, one after another.

This is apparently the first time in the world that a haunted house event will be held on a moving bullet train. The stage will be set in car 16 of the “Nozomi 435” bullet train bound for Shin-Osaka, which departs from Tokyo Station at 5:18 p.m. on Oct. 19. A total of more than 20 zombies will be on board to scare passengers into a world of terror during the 2-hour and 20-minute ride between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

The event was planned by Kowagarasetai, a “Japanese haunted house company” in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, which has been involved in haunted houses at amusement parks and other venues.

Departing from Tokyo Station, bloody zombies dressed as crew members will wander through the aisles and approach passengers. The zombies perform a total of more than 10 different kinds of shows, including dancing, magic and playing musical instruments.

Thirty-six regular seats are on offer priced at 33,000 yen (about $228) per adult. Twenty-four premium seats, which are aisle seats that allow passengers to get a closer look at the zombies and take commemorative photos in a separate room, are available for 50,000 yen (about $346). Reservations are required by Oct. 4.

Kowagarasetai President Ayaka Imaide, who herself plans to appear as a zombie, said, “Various zombies will ‘attack’ passengers for more than two hours on a train with nowhere to escape. We hope that those who are looking for a new horror experience will join us.”

(Japanese original by Ei Okada, Digital News Group)