This month, the Mizuma Railway Company in Osaka Prefecture is transforming night-time commutes into mesmerizing journeys of light and color with its Digital Art Train. As part of the Digital Art Festival in Mizuma Kannon 2024, this unique initiative celebrates the 100th anniversary of the railway’s founding, blending technology and art in a way rarely seen on public transportation.
The Digital Art Train offers a 15-minute spectacle during its journey between Kaizuka and Mizumakannon. With eight projectors installed across its two-carriage train, vibrant, ever-changing patterns by renowned digital artist Akira Hasegawa are cast onto the surrounding landscape. Passengers and onlookers are treated to a constantly shifting tapestry of colors, creating an experience that is both immersive and ephemeral.
Beyond the train itself, the festival extends to the platforms of all ten stations on the Mizuma Railway line. Students from Takarazuka University’s media arts department have adorned these stations with innovative light art installations, adding another dimension to the celebration. Near Mizumakannon Station, the main hall and three-story pagoda of Mizuma Temple have also been illuminated with Hasegawa’s digital artistry, offering visitors a dazzling blend of traditional architecture and modern creativity.
“This is a project I’ve never heard of at other railway companies,” a representative from Mizuma Railway told Asahi Shimbun Digital. “We hope you enjoy a view from the train window that you don’t normally get to see.”
The Digital Art Train and accompanying festival underline Japan’s continued innovation in blending art and technology. Earlier this year, the country earned a Guinness World Record for the largest permanent architectural projection mapping, with a 14,000-square-meter display on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings.
For locals and visitors alike, the Digital Art Train is a rare opportunity to witness a railway’s evolution into a canvas of light—a celebration of history, creativity, and community. Don’t miss this extraordinary journey through the heart of Osaka Prefecture.
Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20241118/p2a/00m/0et/016000c
