Designed by West Japan Railway Company as part of their 2022 Middle Management Project, the new train is a six-carriage remodeled 117 series with all-reserved seating for 90 passengers. The interior design will be based around three themes: Diversity, Casual and Comfort.

Each carriage will feature a different setup to cater to passengers with different requirements. In the second carriage, there will be reserved seating for the exclusive use of women, with a bright interior, comfortable chairs and plenty of leg room.

The third carriage will have private compartments, where travelling families can relax with their small children. Furnished with a mat that can be used as a seat or a mattress, these private spaces are ideal for parents on long journeys.

The fourth carriage will be set up as a “free space area," with tables, booths and an open-plan design.

The first and sixth carriages will be designated “green cars," which offer more luxurious seating. In the first carriage there will be booth-style seats that can be adjusted to form a bed, so passengers can enjoy a snooze while riding the rails.

The sixth car will offer even more luxury, with private rooms that can be arranged in different styles according to passenger needs.

The fifth carriage will have dormitory-style rooms fitted out with fixed flat beds.

The new long-distance train is set to operate from Keihanshin (the metropolitan area of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe) out to the San’in and Sanyo districts in southwestern Japan. Scheduled to debut in the spring of 2020, the train will be ready in time to welcome visitors to the country for the 2020 Olympics.

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