Japan's iconic bullet train is getting a glow-up – here it is in pictures
East Japan Railway Company has just unveiled the first images of its brand-new high-speed E10 Shinkansen train (which will eventually replace the existing E2 and E5 on the Tohoku route) and while they've only just entered the 'design implementation' phase, these babies could be on the railways as soon as 2030.
The interiors have apparently been inspired by Japan's various landscapes, from the coast to the mountains, with a mid-green colour palette nodding to the country's lush forests, and the graphic shapes being inspired by the Sakura flower (cherry blossom) silhouette, which is one of Japan's most iconic symbols.
And you won't find any jarring fluorescent lighting on these trains – instead, Tangerine opted to install something called indirect wash lights which create a gentler lighting effect and a calmer atmosphere. Scroll on for some snaps of the designs.
They look pretty suave, don't they? Have a look at this , too.
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Time Out
07-07-2025
- Time Out
Japan's iconic bullet train is getting a glow-up – here it is in pictures
If you thought Japan 's bullet trains were about as cool as they could get, you'd be wrong. Why? Well, because thanks to a partnership with UK -based design consultancy Tangerine, the legendary high-speed services are about to get a whole new look. East Japan Railway Company has just unveiled the first images of its brand-new high-speed E10 Shinkansen train (which will eventually replace the existing E2 and E5 on the Tohoku route) and while they've only just entered the 'design implementation' phase, these babies could be on the railways as soon as 2030. The interiors have apparently been inspired by Japan's various landscapes, from the coast to the mountains, with a mid-green colour palette nodding to the country's lush forests, and the graphic shapes being inspired by the Sakura flower (cherry blossom) silhouette, which is one of Japan's most iconic symbols. And you won't find any jarring fluorescent lighting on these trains – instead, Tangerine opted to install something called indirect wash lights which create a gentler lighting effect and a calmer atmosphere. Scroll on for some snaps of the designs. They look pretty suave, don't they? Have a look at this , too.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I went on holiday to Spanish island and couldn't wait to get home'
One holidaymaker visiting a Spanish island admitted she 'couldn't wait to get home' after heading there, as she shared a warning to other travellers in a video that's gone viral Most people look forward to their summer holiday all year after booking it. However, one holidaymaker visiting a Spanish island admitted she 'couldn't wait to get home' after heading there, as she shared a warning to other travel fans. Dannii, who is known on TikTok as @dannii_xo, took to her account to share her experience of visiting Playa Del Inglés in Gran Canaria with her 3,747 followers – and it wasn't a very glowing review. In her clip, Dannii can be seen filming herself while laying down as she looked glum. Overlay text read: "This is your sign to do your research before booking a holiday, we can't wait to get home." The video clearly resonated with people as it went viral – racking up 29,000 likes and hundreds of comments. Many people admitted they'd had a similar experience in the area, as one person said: "We were there last week. First day was pure panic because we were in Playa Sel Inglés and went down to the beach and were like [crying emoji]. They added: "Catch a busy to Maspalomas, there's lots of nice eating places. Bus to Puerto Rico and go to Amadores, the beach is so much nicer! And from Puerto Rico get the ferry to Mogán. It was honestly BEAUTIFUL!" Another person added: "We had the same feeling," while a third chimed in: "Yeah Playa is not the best at all, nothing there. Went down the Yumbo centre for a night out that was ok. Tenerife is my new go to!" Someone else also claimed there was "nothing there", but told Dannii to get the bus either way and "she'd be ok". Meanwhile, other people recommended she go to Puerto Rico or Meloneras and Maspalomas instead, however Dannii replied: "I don't think I'll be coming back because it's really put me off, I love main Spain but this experience has been awful!" Someone else reflected on how things had changed on the island, as they wrote: "That's a shame because Gran Canaria used to be the place to be. Particularly Yumbo but we haven't been in 4/5 years as people have been saying it's getting worse." Despite a lot of people agreeing with Dannii, one person defended the area, writing: "Playa Del Ingles was literally one of my favourite vacations. So pretty. Some days just chilling at the pool or beach and other days going to see the nature. The dunes, the mountains." While another simply said: "I love Gran Canaria." A third chimed in: "Playa Del Ingles? Mate. Get yourself to Sakura or Cafe Deutsche... El Chacho in Yumbo do amazing Mexican food. It isn't as boring or bland as you think." Dannii later gave an update as she shared more insight to her holiday experience, writing: "FYI: I wasn't talking about the whole island, just the town we're staying in. The hotel's awful, the locals have been incredibly rude for absolutely no reason, I can't travel too far out as I'm with family members that are elderly and it's too much for them. "I did catch a bus to Puerto Rico which was beautiful and I've only booked one trip because everything is so pricey, I feel like I'm being scammed, inflation has increased massively which I get but my family came two years ago and the prices have doubled." Dannii's post comes amid protests and demonstrations over mass tourism in the Canary Islands have taken place over the last year. Protestors took to the streets to demand limits on the impact of holidaymakers, claiming 'tourism is killing the Canary Islands'. Despite this, National Statistics Institute (NSI) figures showed the number of tourists visiting the Canary Islands has continued to grow, even with price hikes.
BBC News
01-05-2025
- BBC News
Harrogate 'hanami' as people flock to photograph cherry blossom
Sakura season in Japan attracts millions of tourists a year - but a UK spa town's residents argue a 6,000-mile flight isn't required to witness spectacular blooms. Long rows of candy floss-coloured cherry blossoms are in season in Harrogate, with the short-lived natural phenomenon creating a vivid tourist are heading to North Yorkshire to pose amongst the pink confetti, with local photographers offering themed photo shoots before the petals disappear. One of those is Bethany Clarke, whose photographs of the trees on The Stray have appeared in national newspapers."They are really popular this year, and have been growing over the past five to six years," she says."I can see why because it is an beautiful backdrop." She continues: "I have been really busy with lots of families, couples, people who are expecting babies - it works for everyone." Ms Clarke believes people sharing their blossom photos on social media has caused huge interest in the area of public parkland as a photo shoot destination. "I think year on year it is getting busier and busier, people from outside Harrogate are flocking here to see it," she says."They see photos on Facebook or Instagram, they have seen a friend had a shoot done and they want to book in too." The tradition of enjoying blossoms between March and May in Japan is known as "hanami", or "flower viewing", and carries deep cultural significance. The photographer, who lives in Harrogate, says she visited the country for sakura season and has spotted visual similarities in her local park."It blew my mind how everything there is cherry blossom themed, they really are quite obsessed with it - and I can see why because it's stunning," she says. Smiling beneath the bright canopy, Memory Mawarire and her family are meeting up to take photos while the flowers are in bloom."We live nearby but we have just come out to have some fun, get some pictures around the cherry blossoms," she says."Last year I saw people from Japan mostly, and quite a few from around here." Natalie, her niece, says it's the first time this year they've managed to get together to photograph the trees."We had to 'go big or go home' and try to get all the cherry blossom pictures in - as many as possible!"Shirley Sutton, who has travelled down from Newcastle to visit her friend Jen, says: "I saw it on her photographs on Facebook and I said I'd come as well."I'm glad I managed to catch it before it falls down - it is gorgeous and we have been really lucky with the weather." Jordanna Vallance and Fran Addis, both from Harrogate, are picnicking in the sun and plan to return each year to photograph their babies in the blossom."It is one of those destinations to visit each year isn't it," Ms Vallance says."As soon as the blossom comes out you've got to come down and see it."Ms Addis adds: "It is stunning, it would rival anything in Japan."It is nature, and being out in nature is so good for everybody." When were the cherry trees planted on The Stray? About 200 cherry trees were planted in 1953, to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth IIThe area was part of the Forest of Knaresborough, a royal hunting forest which passed into the hands of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, in 1369 It remained in the hands of the Duchy of Lancaster, which still owns the freehold on the 200 acre public space Ian Choi, another local photographer, says: "For me, taking photos during blossom season is about more than just the blossoms - it's about capturing the feeling of the place, the connection between people and the land."Through my photography, I hope to show that the cherry blossoms here are not just pretty flowers, they carry a lot of meaning for Harrogate too."He adds: "It's a beautiful place to work, and I feel very lucky to be part of it." The Stray Defence Association was started in 1933 to safeguard the land, with chair Judy d'Arcy Thompson describing the spectacle as the "stunning herald of spring and early summer"."We have had Japanese wedding celebrations conducted underneath the cascades of double blossom," she says."In recent years it has attracted lots of Japanese tourists celebrating the importance of the blossom, which is known by them as sakura.""It expresses the fleeting joys, impermanence and yet hope of life," she concludes. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
