Tangerine shapes the trains for Japan’s longest Shinkansen line, due in service in 2030

Since the early 1990s, Tangerine has been one of the pre-eminent independent design consultancies, working across all facets of industrial design, from household products to the technology and transport sectors. It pioneered form factors for lie-flat beds in business class cabins, early digital camera designs, and a groundbreaking partnership with Apple that led to the Cupertino-based company poaching one of its key designers, Jony Ive.

Other Tangerine triumphs include the Heathrow Express, lounges and cabins for the likes of Finnair, British Airways, JAL and Virgin, and speculative environments and forms for future transportation visions like hyperloops and eVTOL aircraft, as well as high speed train systems in Germany and China.

For the first time, the interior of the East Japan Railway Company's new E10 Shinkansen train – one of the country's legendary bullet trains – has been shaped by a non-Japanese designer. Overseeing the shape, look and feel of the passenger compartments, as well as the E10's external livery, is London-based Tangerine.

Ever since the first bullet train service in 1964, Japan's railways have been globally acknowledged as the cutting edge of mass transit. The E10 service will be introduced in 2030, running the country's longest high-speed route, the 675km Tōhoku Shinkansen line that connects Tokyo to Aomori.

The new trains have an exterior livery that majors on a mid-green palette, ‘reflecting the lush mountain forests and coastlines along the route’. In particular, there’s a graphic silhouette element derived from the form of the familiar Sakura flower – the cherry blossom that serves as an international symbol of Japan.

Inside, the various classes feature ambient lighting, graduated wall and seat upholstery and a harmonious blend between fabric, floor and wall coverings. ‘The E10 is set to become a source of national pride and a point of intrigue for overseas visitors,’ the agency notes.

According to Tangerine’s CCO Matt Round, ‘the E10 Shinkansen represents a milestone in UK-Japan collaboration within the rail sector, setting new benchmarks for hospitality-focused design and sustainable travel. With its blend of Japanese spirit, innovation, and user-centric design, the E10 Shinkansen is poised to redefine high-speed rail travel for decades to come.'

Tangerine.net, @TangerineLondon, JReast.co.jp

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