Koupen-chan Rides the Rails

One of the things I love about living in Japan is the existence of kawaii cute culture. You don’t have to look far to see cute mascots promoting businesses, housewares festooned with cuddly animals, and plush character charms hanging from the bags of school children and businessmen alike. It’s only natural that commuter trains, an ever present part of life, would join in on the cuteness.

There are several aspects to the Koupenchan x Hankyu collaboration, including a stamp rally, promotional goods, adorable food options, and trains decorated inside and out with Koupenchan, the adorably optimistic penguin whom I wrote about in my last blog post. Naturally, I made it my mission to experience them all.

• 

• 

• 

The trains feature beautiful murals on the outside showcasing some of the cities that the Hankyu line services.

• 

• 

• 

Posters on the inside also highlight popular landmarks along the train line.

• 

• 

• 

Window decals add a whimsical touch!

• 

• 

The digital displays have a surprise as well.

• 

• 

My favorite part of the Koupen-trains (as I like to call them) is the plush Koupen-chan conductor!

• 

• 

• 

• 

The stamp rally consists of four stations on the Hankyu line, and each of them features a Koupen-chan photo spot.

• 

• 

• 

• 

One station has been totally taken over by Koupen-chan!

• 

• 

Along the way, you can stop at various restaurants for specialty Koupen-chan foods.

And don’t forget the souvenirs! (Yes, I HAD to buy the train.)

• 

• 

The first part of the stamp rally runs through December 12, during which you can purchase a special One Day Rail pass. The second, digital stamp rally goes from October 22nd through December 12th, in which you can buy a stamp rally kit with adorable plushies. Take your plushies to the designated stations and you’ll be able to take a photo at a virtual photo spot!

The train and station decorations will stay up until January 31, 2022. Until then, I’ll continue to get a thrill of excitement each time I see a Koupen-train. It certainly makes going to work a bit more enjoyable!

Koupenchan x Hankyu Official Page (Japanese)

Character Spotlight: Koupen-chan

All photos taken by me or my incredibly patient and supportive fiancé.

Penguin Skin Care

Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto Aquarium

Kyoto, Japan is known as a place of tradition and history, with decades old temples, kimono clad geisha, and reverent tea ceremonies. Few would venture into the historic capital to seek out penguins. This would be their loss.

Sitting on the edge of Umekoji park, the Kyoto Aquarium with its sleek architecture feels a bit out of place. At first glance it looks more like a modern art museum than an aquarium, with only a handful of stone sea life sculptures to hint at what lies inside. One step into the gift shop and you feel reassured. Surrounded by plush penguins, colorful glass fish and plastic sea lion toys, you know you’ve come to the right place.

I visited on a Monday afternoon and the crowd was pleasantly small. I made my way to the penguins, led by signs and a pattern of penguin footprints on the ground. Creative displays led up to the penguin habitat: a wall gridded with measurements to compare your own height to that of the penguins; an illustrated narrative of penguin life; even a table with rubber stamps representing the footprints of various penguin species. The crowning display, however, is one that has made the Kyoto Aquarium well known– an elaborate relationship chart detailing the love lives and drama of the resident African penguins. (If such penguin romances intrigue you, you can even buy said chart in the gift store!)

In the penguin habitat that afternoon everyone seemed to be getting along. Feeding time having passed, many birds were settled down in their dens while their mates stood guard. When one shifted, I was able to get a glimpse of the egg beneath. With any luck, the Kyoto Aquarium will be seeing baby penguins soon!

If penguin watching has made you peckish, don’t forget to check out the several cafes scattered throughout the aquarium. Each features different animal themed goodies, from adorable baked goods to ice cream floats with penguin shaped ice.

Overall, the Kyoto Aquarium isn’t particularly large, nor does it have a wide variety of animals; but there’s a cozy intimacy that makes it uniquely enjoyable. Most information is presented in Japanese but is supplemented by plenty of visuals. It’s worth a trip, if nothing else, to catch up on the latest Penguin Gossip.

 

Kyoto Aquarium Official Website (English)