Ride the Hello Kitty Trains in Japan While You Can

Japan’s iconic Hello Kitty trains are both approaching their final journeys on the rails. After riding both, here’s how you can experience them before they disappear.

Japan is famed for its railways, though in more recent years, two trains have stood out not for their speed and punctuality, but for their imagery and theming around one of the world’s most recognisable characters: the Hello Kitty Shinkansen and the Hello Kitty HARUKA.

I’m in my 40s and happily admit to still finding joy in Sanrio’s 1974-born creation. Beyond merch splurging, I indulged in the character’s foray into travel brand collaborations when I flew on the Hello Kitty plane – a fun Taiwanese high-flying idea from Eva Airlines.

I went back to Japan in 2024 after a 12-year hiatus, this time arriving in Osaka instead of Tokyo, and having the opportunity to take the airport express train service into the city, currently the Hello Kitty HARUKA. Sure, it was pricier than other regional rides, but… hello theming! In Hiroshima, the Hello Kitty Shinkansen schedule was ideal for my speedy return north, and I immediately booked a reservation for this limited daily showcase with my JR West Rail Pass.

But if you want to travel in kawaii style on the Hello Kitty transport in Japan, you need to get there soon since both rail services are approaching their final experiential stations – the Shinkansen bullet train concludes its cute run in spring 2026, and the themed Kansai Airport Express will be phased out by summer 2027.

Get planning. Here’s how you can book the experience on both trains before it’s time to say goodbye to Kitty.

The High-Speed Journey: Hello Kitty Shinkansen

The West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Sanrio debuted their Hello Kitty Shinkansen cute collab in June 2018 – a design specifically designated for the Kodama service (the slowest of the Shinkansen trains) between Shin-Osaka and Hakata.

Honestly, there were more of us grown adults than children awaiting the arrival of the pink bow and ribbon motif wrapped Shinkansen train; only the locals seemed unfazed. Once on board, you begin to chart one of the cutest cross-regional travel routes in Japan.

Cars 3-8, where you will be sitting if you book a seat reservation with your JR Rail Pass or otherwise, have minimal theming, with Hello Kitty headrest covers and bow-motif door design (cue initial confusion from passengers).

The fun ramps up in Car 2 – the Kawaii! Room – a non-reserved seating area decked with bright purple seats, a bow motif baby pink floor, polka-dot doors, and picture-clad window shutters.

This leads to Car 1 guarded by a Hello Kitty station master – the bright white and pink Hello! Plaza merchandise store with everything from plush and miniature train toys to stationery and sweet treats. This is all limited-edition merch, and it’s well worth the splurge as a fan. There is one takeaway for free – a branded timetable wallet card. Little did I know at the time that this was to be a keepsake of the service’s impending farewell.

Hello Kitty Shinkansen Route & Timetable

The Hello Kitty Shinkansen departs almost daily, with sporadic days each month not in operation. The full operation day calender and timetable can be found on the official train website. 

It charts an adorable 4-hour, 14-minute run on the popular route between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, passing through Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Fukuyama, and Hiroshima. The Kodama 849 runs southbound, leaving Shin-Osaka at 11:37. The Kodama 842 northbound service departs Hakata for Shin-Osaka in the morning at 7:04.

I sampled a short segment, boarding the train halfway along its route in Hiroshima for a pink-themed 2-hour, 47-minute ride to Shin-Osaka – still plenty of time to enjoy the kitty mania.

Booking & Costs

There’s no special ticket or supplementary fare needed to ride the Hello Kitty Shinkansen beyond the standard JR Shinkansen ticket Kodama fare. A one-way Hello Kitty Shinkansen trip costs roughly ¥14,000–¥21,000, depending on seat class and destination between Hakata and Shin-Osaka. It is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass and by the regional JR West Pass I purchased for this trip. You can also book tickets on Klook.

Since this route connects Japan’s popular city stops and is always crowded, seat reservations (made in person at station ticket counters or JR ticket booking offices) are essential. It pays to know the exact departure time to ensure you get a reservation for the specific Hello Kitty train.

Scheduled Withdrawal

At the end of 2025, JR West announced that the Hello Kitty Shinkansen would conclude operations in spring 2026, after roughly eight years of service, though an exact date has not yet been announced.

The Themed Airport Line: Hello Kitty HARUKA

The Hello Kitty HARUKA is the JR West regional express train connecting Kansai International Airport (KIX) with Tennoji (south of Osaka city), Shin-Osaka and Kyoto.

Never has an airport-to-city transit schlep been so memorable. The exterior of the Hello Kitty HARUKA is wrapped in pastel-coloured Hello Kitty characters and trailing flower motifs – a more subdued design than its Shinkansen sibling but still unmissable.

The design is uniform throughout, with mocha-coloured fabric seats featuring Hello Kitty-branded headrests, and the flower motif decorating the car walls, doors and even the toilets.

Hello Kitty KARUKA Route & Timetable

There’s more flexibility catching a Hello Kitty HARUKA – the themed trains have regular daily departures roughly every 30–40 minutes. It takes around 35 minutes to reach Tennoji (if you are staying in southern Osaka), around 50 minutes to central Shin-Osaka, and under 90 minutes to trundle to Kyoto.

From Kansai Airport, the first Hello Kitty HARUKA departs at 06:31, arriving at Tennoji around 07:20, Osaka around 07:37 and Shin-Osaka around 07:42. A later morning service leaves at 07:27, reaching Kyoto roughly 09:03 after scheduled stops at Shin-Osaka. The final departure from the airport is at 22:16.

Return services to the airport depart at 05:45 from Kyoto and 06:16 from Shin-Osaka, arriving at Kansai Airport around 07:10.

Booking & Costs

Ticket options include unreserved seats, reserved seats, and Green Car (first class). Unless you are travelling at a peak time or season, you can typically forgo a seat reservation. We didn’t reserve seats on the airport route – we arrived in the evening, and had pre-purchased a one-way ticket direct from Klook discounted at the time – but you may want to make a reservation if taking the longer journey between the airport and Kyoto. The ticket between Kansai Airport and Shin-Osaka costs from ¥1,800, and to Kyoto around ¥2,200.

Scheduled Withdrawal

You still have time to catch this one – JR West said the Hello Kitty HARUKA will be phased out by summer 2027, after a decade in service.

What character comes next on Japan’s rails remains to be seen.