In English, it's usually called "Retro futurism", and that train looks awesome. I wish more had unique shapes like that.

@cooltwittertag

11 ай бұрын

i mean its from the 90s, so its probably just supposed to be futuristic

@bazoo513

11 ай бұрын

@@cooltwittertag It was already retro-futuristic then. Perhaps in the '60s...

@cooltwittertag

11 ай бұрын

@@bazoo513 its got the gundam aesthetic that was the popular futuristic aesthetic in japan back then

@bazoo513

11 ай бұрын

@@cooltwittertag Ah! Thanks. I had to look it up - I am not much into Japanese pop culture, as you can see (unlike, for example, one of my nieces 😀)

@omegaprime223

11 ай бұрын

@@bazoo513 Different regions have different cultural focuses when they think of Retro Futurism, in North America it tends to be 'Cassette Futurism', Western Europe trends toward 'Raygun Gothic', Eastern Europe seems to lean into a kind of Brutalist 'Decopunk', Asia is the most interesting with a blend of 'Shibuya Punk', old school 'Art Deco' (which this train very much falls into), and a unique twist on 'Cybercore'.

It doesn't really matter whether it's to everyone's taste. The fact that a company and city would be willing to invest in something so uniquely quirky instead of some blander "safe" designs is highly commendable!

I took this train last time I was in Japan. It has a special place in my hart as it’s the first train I ever rode in Japan. I absolutely love the design and seeing the country for the first time from this unique train was an experience. And the fact that the rest of my family remembers the design of this train says something. Also the mascot is just so cool. I wish I had noticed that awesome photo op when I was there. Thank you for helping relive this wonderful train ride.

@royceandrews

9 ай бұрын

😊😊😊😊

@royceandrews

9 ай бұрын

😊😊😊

Glad to finally see you in Japan. I guess you will manage to get so much interesting content there. Trains in Japan are a dream for any train lover.

@MervynPartin

10 ай бұрын

Unless you are travelling on the Tokyo Metro with 2 large suitcases during the rush hour! Tick one item off the bucket list!

The black version is the "Darth Vader" express 😂

They look stunning. I really wish more trains were this unique

The leopard print seats are a homage to the Osaka aunties who traditionally wear it. It used to be a stereotype around Japan of Osakans being unfashionable, but they wore it proudly and made it a trend. Osaka is famous for the pride in their weirdness, such as the creepy mascot for the upcoming 2025 world fair.

@Giskard_Reventlov

11 ай бұрын

BTW, the shutters were indeed for luggage checked it at Namba station, but I don't know if that service was ever implemented.

@SuperalbsTravels

11 ай бұрын

Interesting, thanks for the information!

11m in 20 years seems huge!

@zeeox

9 ай бұрын

I was thinking that, too! I haven't Googled, but I'm guessing he must've meant mms or cms.

@scollyb

9 ай бұрын

@zeeox I checked it was meters, but it was expected but not that quickly so it was included in the design

@Kuricang31

8 ай бұрын

@@scollyb It is in meters, or 34 feet according to Smithsonian paper. Clearly the Japanese did some fatal miscalculations during the construction which explained why the airport was almost flooded entirely during the last major natural phenomenon

It's bloody cool retro future design isn't it ? Another name of this is the knight helmet(鉄仮面). I definitely recommend Private railways in KANSAI. They're quite unique, luxury, and they have old trains over 50 years old. それにしても、スイス国鉄での"伏線"をここできっちり回収したとはやりますねえ！

The shuttered section in the passageway of car 4 was originally used for pre-checked-in luggage carts, loaded from outside the train at Namba station but I don't believe it is still in use.

This is not a 'bizarre' train - it's cool and unusual

Captain Nemo Train! How cool 😎👌 Quality with some futuristic class 👍

Great vid as per usual. I agree it's a cool train that looks out of this world. Brought back some wonderful memories of when I travelled on the service to Kansai.

9:05 There used to be a service at Namba station where you could complete boarding procedures for your flight and staff would carry your luggage to the plane, but this service has now ended. 難波駅で飛行機の搭乗手続きを済ませて、スタッフが荷物を飛行機まで運んでくれるサービスがあったのですが、現在は終了しています

@RicciChoi1109

11 ай бұрын

IMO an ideal passenger check-in service in rail stations should consist of a baggage handling system which is identical to the one operating in airport terminals. For example, both Hong Kong and Taipei have incorporated this concept, where checked bags at the station are transferred from check-in counter to the train, as well as from the train to airport terminal's baggage handling system automatically.

0:25 Gokarts casually driving in the road... most sane osaka person XD

Cool train! The design reminds me of the original Buck Rogers b/w serials from 1939.

VERY COOL 😎 AND UNIQUE TRAIN ,THANKS FOR TAKING US ALONG 🤗👍💚💚💚

Hey Superalbs this is an amazing video and I cannot wait for the next . I recommend the class 196 on the Nuneaton to Leamington line in the UK it’s an amazing small train but definitely deserves a review

I have to say that Japan is absolutely gorgeous. The architecture looks fantastic. There's just too much to see! It's almost fantastic that people just live there and it's not just a huge vacation island

9:04 This is a baggage room called the "CAT baggage room". This was a service where luggage checked in at Namba Station was loaded into this area and transported from the airport station to the international cargo handling area.

Japan has some of the most beautiful trains of any country in the world.

The train design look awesome. My first train was the Monorail, and as such will always hold a special place in my heart for me x

Another great video, cheers!

I've landed twice at Kansai Airport but unfortunately, I've never taken this cool looking train. I think think this video got me interested in trying one. I also hope you could do a video of the new Skyliner going to/from Narita Airport

@th3thrilld3m0n

11 ай бұрын

I took the skyliner back in oct 2022. Super comfy, fast, and smooth. A bit of a bummer that it wasn't a JR service as originally planned, but took me right to where I was staying in Ueno in about 40-45 mins.

I lived beside the Nankai line for a while and there was nothing quite like the rapit coming past at sunet - the circular windows made such a comforting pattern of light. Never got to ride one though

Of course it departed and arrived on time - all Japanese trains (typhoons and earthquakes permitting) do! Its not the UK after all.....

@Roshi_710

11 ай бұрын

I’ve ridden trains in Japan and the U.K before. Comparing the 2, U.K’s train were often late with no prior announcement…

Loved the train, loved the video!!

Japan has some of the coolest looking trains in the world, and this is why. The Shinkansen has joined the bandwagon with its Hello Kitty and Pikachu 500 series trains. They even have special excursion trains (e.g.: Genbi) that were formerly used for Mini-Shinkansen lines. Back on point, due to the retro futuristic design, I'd rather travel on rapi:t β than any other airport express train in Japan, but prepared for a bumpy ride and try not to get confused when reserving on this service. 😅

@user-9neru-ss

11 ай бұрын

おそらくピカチュウの塗装をしていたのは800系新幹線です。また500系新幹線はエヴァンゲリオンとのコラボも実現しています。

Adding this to the bucket list. It's so beautiful :) 😍😍😍

Great review on this train. I tend to opt for Haruka and have yet to use the Nankai Railway. Based on the appearance of the Rapit, the interior is really nice but I am not to keen on the cab. Didn’t know about the agreement with the MOB in Switzerland!

@markhall3165

11 ай бұрын

Which one you take really depends on your final destination. I was always going onward to Okayama, so Haruka was usually the best choice for me. More expensive, though.

8:34 seeing those large porthole windows, I just realized, that those shapes provide airy/open and cozy feeling at the same time.

So calm Great to see ur Vlog Beautiful railway

I adore the look of this train, it gives me very Thunderbirds/Captain Scarlet vibes with its retro futuristic design!

thanks for the straight forward info.....stylish ride

You've done a great job 👍👍 Thanks.

Good to see you in Japan! Nice to see everyday trains in your travel videos. Really liked the editing in this vid as well!

@SuperalbsTravels

11 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! I really had fun making this one. :)

Thanks for the well explained memory video.This is last ever train I ever rode in 1998. Not much in the way of trains in Victoria Canada.😊

Great trip report

11:32 sinking 11 meters is way too much. Did you mean it sunk 11cm?

@hfb_blaacc2591

11 ай бұрын

It is correct, actually now at almost 12 meters. It sunk at a rate of 50cm per year in 1994 and now sinks less than 7cm per year.

@0ptera

11 ай бұрын

@@hfb_blaacc2591 How do they keep it from being submerged at those rates? You can't just keep piling up more material on top of a runway.

A fantastic looking train for sure.

It looks so modern!

In fact, if you register as a Nankai railway service member, you can reserve the Super Seats at the same price as the ordinary seats (520JPY).

@SuperalbsTravels

11 ай бұрын

That's interesting, how do you sign up? 👀

@hkhrm2003

11 ай бұрын

@@SuperalbsTravels you can try to look up for the rapit SS discount or in Japanese: ラピートＳＳ割引

I saw this train 10 years ago at Kansai. Japan has some cool looking trains !

I worked for a time close to the Skygate Bridge and the Rinku Tower (seen at 11:04). My colleague and I would occasionally take this train if we were in a hurry to get home. It’s definitely a big step up from the regular airport service we usually took.

Nice train and beautiful in a special way, I like it!

Visiting Osaka in a months time. Can't wait to take this train!

@SuperalbsTravels

11 ай бұрын

You'll love it! 🥰

I took this train before, amazing ride. I rate it far better than JR Haruka

great stuff

my favourite train to date

Fun to see that you’re finally checking out japaneese trains!

That's a Transformer in service!

Bro pulled out a SnowPiercer 💀 and thought we won't notice. Good Luck for Ice Age survival, you are chosen.

@SuperalbsTravels

9 ай бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

Fantastic look for this train.😊

the train looks like a Zaku 1 from Gundam

The train is sort of steampunk futuristic. Like something you’d see in a 1940’s comic book version of what they think the future was going to be.

Quite like that blue painted train. Japan does have the best trains including high speed, metro, suburban, rural and regional trains across Japan.

This is quite cool, but I would also like to try the 1960’s style unit with could be seen very briefly at the platform.

Awesome

”The airport has sunk 11 meters. This might not seem a lot.” WHAT?!?!!?

@mittfh

11 ай бұрын

Bizarrely, checking other sources, the island had sunk by 8.7m by 2008. Part of that was planned: being built on reclaimed land (21 million cubic metres of fill, taken from three mountains) on top of silt and wet clay, it was predicted to settle - however, in its early years, it sunk twice as fast as predicted, although by 2008 its sink rate had decreased from 50cm/year to 8cm/year. However, they've already had to raise the sea wall, excavate under the terminal building and essentially prop it up on hydraulic jacks that can be individually adjusted to take account of differing subsidence rates, plus raise the runway and resurface it in asphalt rather than the usual concrete as it can withstand more deformation before cracking; as the island needs to be at least 4m above sea level to protect it from typhoons, earthquakes etc., so more creative engineering may be required in future.

@arch9enius

3 ай бұрын

That is a lot.

Very futuristic shape to it. Nice to see it from 1994 as I thought it was newer than that.

Wow! This train come directly from 1950-70 sci-fi books. I want to ride it.

Hi this is video is about 9 months old I'm glad I found it I've watch your travel videos and wish I had the money to do that anyway I just wanted to say I hope you come to the Americas I'm sure you kind find something on two contents!!😄😄

Love the circular windows! Small homes 7:56 because of the huge population density.

The dialogue is very helpful and comprehensive; thanks. I do wonder why the introductions are done at ":high speed"?...it's odd and contrary to the main audio for no reason I can see...

Compare with Warsaw's RL train (it's capital's airport train, which calls at every station, between Modlin, where there's a shuttle bus to Modlin Airport, and Warsaw Chopin Airport via Warsaw Central).

the train looks like something from Thunderbirds, old but stylish and comfortable, with that who cares if it is slow, I would not want to get off for hours, cheaper than UK rail too but most countries are cheaper than the UK, oh and ontime too lol., with the condition of the old train it just shows how much Japan looks after its trains, good on em.

@SuperalbsTravels

11 ай бұрын

Exactly! The Japanese railway is fantastic!

ラピートのご紹介に感謝いたします。

What a BEAUTIFUL train! Very inspired by Art Deco and Art Moderne. So incredibly light and dramatic. Wow!

@SuperalbsTravels

9 ай бұрын

It is very striking! 😍

I wish the US had cool high-speed trains. I really like the look

I took this journey exactly one week ago! It was a very cool train. We travelled in carriage #4, with 2x2 seating, but it was very comfortable. One thing I did not find was a USB port. I guess that’s to be expected, given the age of the carriages. I do wonder whether the “beak” interferes with the driver’s visibility.

the train brings to mind the Bioshock games

I remember Nankai uses Cape narrow track gauge, which would limit the train's speed (as otherwise it might become too unstable)

This is nice, though far from the world's strangest train; not even Japan's strangest. If you go through Nagano prefecture at some stage, you should check out the Rokumon, historic rolling stock converted to a "cruise train" between Nagano city and Karuizawa. There's also the ultra-exclusive, fully-custom "Train Suite Shiki-shima" operated by JR East, which is not a regular timetabled service, but almost a special event on rails, also billed as a "cruise train" and used for fabulously expensive multi-day trips.

The only train I've seen that provides luggage security in the place where you probably need it the least.

Antimacassar. Learned a new word today.

～strange corridor, with shutters either side～ The same thing was wondering me, so I looked it up. You're right, it's a luggage storage. That's a service, passengers can receive their checked baggage directly from airplanes at railroad terminal stations. But that service is no longer provided.

@SuperalbsTravels

6 ай бұрын

Oh cool, thank you!

This is phenomenal design amd love to travel on this train.

3:32 That means that this train was made in the same year than the TMST Eurostar 😊

Everything is super clean . Awesome society

Seriously cool design.

I've seen ugly trains in the video but this one is one of the most iconic trains ever build. We have the "Koploper" iconic too.

@SuperalbsTravels

9 ай бұрын

True, I love those Koploper!

Nankai is a place in China, while the nankai railways are called that because they serve nankaido

This train looks like what they though trains would look like today back in the 60's, also it seems to invoke samurai imagery with the beak.

Saw it for the first time in Japan this year. Though I was there 3 times before. Didnt know what it was and foung the "knight mask" really interesting :D

I took this back in july it was very enjoyable

Welcome to Japan

Big fan.

It looks like they designed the superhero 1st and then made the train afterwards. That cupholder just made my inner engineer very happy. Why does the coat hook need to fold I love over engineering!

@SuperalbsTravels

4 ай бұрын

True! 😂😂😂

I don't think of it as an airplane-looking train as to a submarine a la Jules Vernes. I remember when it was new. I used to be right next to the train I took to get back to Kyoto. It was very cool looking.

Fascinating- It would not look out of place in a Flash Gordon movie.

1:25 Can we please talk about the road legal go-karts? Reminds me of the SMC F-kart 100/170 that was sold in Europe in the early 2000's.

Sinply BEEEEAUTIFFUL

9:05 "THE SUSPENSION IS REALLY BAD!" jumpscare

WOW! Very Flash Gordon (or Buck Rogers)-y! 🚀 👩‍🚀 🛸 One can't help but wonder if Ming the Merciless is at the controls. 👾👽

Jules Verne would love this design.

This is the best train I've ever seen

Not much like the outside but the interior was very nice like the round windows

So the design is once great! In contrast, even the German series 103 looks a little old. I think the front is similar to a ship bug. As always, the video is great! But another question, what happens to the airport? Does it have to be closed or is a dike built?

0:26 Came to see the train video but now I am distracted by the fleet of Go Carts

Nice train, but what's with the go-cart convoy at :25