Photo= Paper-cutting train wrap and its designer, Hayakawa (Hikone Station Ohmi Railway yard, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture)

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of Maibara Station of JR Tokaido "Shinkansen," or bullet train, a paper-cutting train wrap to promote the event "Maibara Poppo Festival" sponsored by Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, is covering all routes of the Ohmi Railway from September 13 to October 12. The event will be held at the East Gate area of Maibara Station on October 11 and 12.

At the request of Maibara City, the Ohmi Railway worked cooperatively and implemented the train wrapping.

Teppei Hayakawa, a paper-cutting artist living in Magatani, Maibara City, designed the paper-cuttings pasted on two carriages. A total of approximately 160 items of 15 types of animals and birds, including deer, bears and others which inhabit Maibara City, have been pasted on one of the carriages. They were cut out of a black sticker sheet measuring 60 meters in length and one meter in width.

On September 9, the train wrapping was shown to the press at Ohmi Railway's Hikone Station in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. Hayakawa said, "The paper-cutting looks attractive on the yellow carriages and I also pasted some of them on the windows so they can be enjoyed from the inside. I want people to create a story, which matches the paper-cutting on the carriage while watching the scenery."