When it comes to technology and inventions, Japan is always ahead of the curve. It already has the “sphere” train, which in the past two years has been transporting its passengers across the entire country at speeds of up to 580 kilometers per hour.
Now, Seibu Railway Co. is looking to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018 by introducing a new series of trains that will “become one with the landscape.” Seibu Railway Co. is a Japanese conglomerate. Its main businesses are in the railway, tourism and real estate sectors. Its railway operations are located in northwestern Tokyo and Saitama.
Architect Kazuyo Sejima from the Japanese firm Sanaa, who recently received a Pritzker – the Nobel prize of architecture, has designed a train that will not be completely invisible, but hyper-reflective. Essentially, it merges into its environment, reflecting the pristine surfaces in its mirrors.
The website of Sejima indicates that it favors minimalism in design, which is certainly true for the Seibu station. «The train will travel through a variety of different scenery, from the mountains of Chichibu to Tokyo, and I thought it would be good if the rolling stock could gently coexist with this variety of landscapes. I would also like it to be a train where a large number of people can relax comfortably, in their own way, like in a living room, so that they can contemplate. I look forward to traveling again with this train» says Sejima.
Many aspiring architects claim that this design can indeed be applied to existing trains. Seibu Railway Co. gave Sejima permission to redesign both the exterior and interior of the Red Arrow commuter train for its 100th anniversary.
The exterior on the suburban Red Arrow will be covered with semi-transparent and reflective surfaces. Sejima claims that the surfaces will be something that has never been presented before. The interior will look like a lounge so that passengers can relax while traveling. The current exterior is expected to be replaced with semi-transparent and reflective panels, while the traditional shape will need to be reinterpreted to resemble a silver sphere. There are still no data regarding the environmental impact of the train.
This invisible train is likely to be launched in the year 2018. It will cover over 178 kilometers (111 miles) across Japan. It will run through different terrains, including the mountains of Chichibu, Tokyo and more, suggesting that the train will combine different landscapes. The vehicles will be manufactured by Hitachi Ltd., a company that makes Japan's Shinkansen (200 mph) bullet trains.
