On October 12th, the 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Train Line“) that connects 29 stations in Metropolitan Tokyo in a loop-line will turn 100 years old.
It takes a train on this line an hour to make the whole loop…but there are 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“) trains going in two directions, so the longest you could possibly need to spend on a ride on this line is about thirty-minutes or less.
All of the train lines in Japan are color-coded and the signs and trains for the 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“) are all colored light-green.
「山手線」の電車 (A "Yamanote Line" train)
But to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary, JR (the company that operates numerous train lines in Japan…including 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“)) has painted some of the normally light-green 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“) trains brown and decorated them with images of “Meiji Chocolate“.
The reason that some of the 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“) trains are decorated with images of Meiji Chocolate is because Meiji Chocolate will also be celebrating it’s 100th anniversary in a few years.
Meiji Chocolate
Anyways, if you’re in Tokyo and you want to see a 「山手線」 (“Yamanote Line“) train decorated like a Meiji Chocolate bar, they started running three days ago and will be running until 2009 December 4th.
Here’s a YouTube clip from the TV news program I saw about this campaign:
Tokyo Five 
nope. Only a (very) little part of it.
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So you can read Japanese a little bit?
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I just read about this 100th anniversary in Tetsudofan 2/2010 yesterday. What a pity, I’m still in Indonesia, can’t go to the Tokyo 😦
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Do you read 「鉄道ファン」, the Japanese train-fanatics’ magazine?
Do you like trains? Trains in Japan…or trains in general?
Anyways, even if you came to Tokyo you wouldn’t be able to see the brown Yamanote-line train…it ran only until last month.
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well, I like trains, but for foreign trains currently only Japan. I can read Tetsudofan monthly mag because my friend subscribed for it every month.
Yes. Maybe I will just go with the figure. But WTF, it’s sold out, too.
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Can you read that magazine in Japanese?
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Pity though… I hate Meiji chocolate! Not the same as good old milky British chocolate.
Actually got to ride on this train the other day. Would’ve been more interesting if the inside of the train were decorated like a chocolate bar! 🙂
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Don’t you like Japanese chocolate?
I think Japanese candy and chocolate is alot milder and less “chemical tasting” than Western junk-food!
So I like it more…but I seldom eat chocolate or junk-food anyways.
And you saw the special 100th anniversary Yamanote train? Did you take a photo?
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I don’t normally take the Yamanote line, but I’ll definitely have to watch out for this train (with camera at the ready) next time. Thanks for sharing.
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Yeah, you should check it out before December 4.
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wao!
thank you for your nice info about Yamanote line!
I didn’t know that both Meiji chocolate company and Yamanote line started buisiness 100 years ago in Meiji era.
I hope that I could meet with chocolate train soon!
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I’m glad you could learn something from my site!
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