“Let’s Torekatsu!” (Let’s Training) on BS FUJI JAPAN was posted on the official YouTube Channel. The show is hosted by joshitetsu announcer, Kuno Tomomi.
The episode was about Seibu Railways Laview.
In this episode, Kumo Tomomi travels to Seibu Railways depot as she has max tension because she’s going to get to go inside the limited express Seibu 001 series Laview and interview Yamashita Kazuhiko and Motegi Keiji from Seibu Railways alongside enka singer and railway fan Tokunaga Yuuki.
The Laview was a Blue Ribbon winner in 2020.
Once seated, Tokunaga talks about how he likes Seibu wrapping on trains and and is excited to know what wrapping is coming and what headmark will be used.
Yamashita Kazuhiko is introduced and they talk about how he is sporting a gray and yellow Seibu Lions (NPB Baseball team) jersey (which matches Laview) and Tokunaga talked about how he was shocked because he saw yellow and thought, was it Tigers (note: Hanshin Tigers outfits are black and yellow, while Seibu Lions are typically light blue and white or dark blue and gray, but teams often change outfit colors each year depending on a campaign).
Kuno introduces Laview which Yamashita helped develop and how it travels from Chichibu to Ikebukuro. And both Kuno and Tokunaga talk about how the Laview’s design is quite unique for a train.
Yamashita talked about how it was a hot topic of incorporating latest in technology but people were concerned about the windows, so he made a decision to have the windows different and permanently closed.
Yamashita then talked about the design process from the colors and how things look from close up and far distances.
Tokunaga even commented how he was surprised to see the roundness of the front wiper blades and Yamashita said they were made in France.
As for the yellow seating, it was inspired by the Seibu Line (note: The yellow Seibu 9000 series has been operating on the Seibu Line since 1993) and is now used on the Tamako Line as of 2021).
Yamashita then said he wanted something in a train seat that was not done until now. Showcasing the in arm table that can be tucked into the center and it was said it couldn’t be produced but they proved it could.
Kuno brings up how the color of the seating are yellow but the main cushions are light brown.
Yamashita then talks about the question of why do Seibu Railways make limited express trains, which is a rare business and how it’s an important structure.
And once again, Kuno Tomomi shows us her memory of train announcements and does the train announcement for Laview.
Kuno then promotes the Blu-ray/DVD set of the Laview, 40000 and other Seibu trains available on BS Fuji Shopping.
Kuno then introduces Motegi Keiji from and discusses the collaboration with the Seibu Lions and the uniform (NOTE: Of the many NPB teams I have visited, Seibu Railways and Seibu Lions have had many collaborations with train and bus wrappings, as does Hiroshima).
Kuno asks Motegi if he is a fan and he explains he is a huge fan and that he worked when he was young selling beer at the Seibu Lions stadium and now he works with Seibu Railways and working with the Seibu Lions.
They ten talk about the Seibu Railway timetable. In addition to the normal time table, there are five types: Weekday nighttime timetable, Saturday/Holiday Game Timetable, Saturday/Holiday Night Timetable. And the Seibukyujo-mae Station layout and how effective they are in determining schedules for game days.
Tokunaga talks about Hanshin Electric Railway and how they do tie-ins with Koshien. But Koshien Station is a midway station. Motegi talks about stations collaborating with main station schedules during game day and how the layout was because their station gets full during gameday (ED Note: Wish Yomiuri Giants post-game situation at Korakuen station was as effective).
But because it can get busy and train tickets for Laview can be sold out, they recommend purchasing a ticket as soon as possible.
