Take a ride on the ogre train

Kihoku Town, just across the border from Kochi in Ehime Prefecture, has an unusual claim to fame. It is the only municipality in Japan with a name that has the kanji (written character) for ogre–‘oni’ also read as ‘ki’. Rather than shying away from the connection to these mysterious and mighty creatures from Japanese folklore, the mountain town has decided to embrace it by making it central to its branding...NIC

Part of this is the Oni Ressha (Ogre Train), which runs through Kochi as well! The centerpiece of the design depicts vivid images of Oniomaru–the cool and appropriately intimidating mascot of Kihoku. In contrast to most Japanese characters that are super kawaii (cute), Oniomaru carries a piercing gaze and herculean presence with his enormous set of snarling teeth. There’s no doubt this train will catch your eye as it trundles through Kochi’s idyllic countryside!

As if this wasn’t all epic enough, a virtual Oniomaru will offer some sightseeing guidance including fun facts through the magic of AR (Augmented Reality) if you download a free app on your smartphone (link below)

Oni Ressha AR app 
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.ehime.kihoku.town.OniAR
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/my/app/%E9%AC%BC%E5%8C%97%E9%96%8B%E9%81%8B%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88-%E9%AC%BC%E7%8E%8B%E4%B8%B8ar/id1555404639

Special thanks to user @山田屋まんじゅう (Yamadaya Manju) for letting us share the epic photo of Oniomaru!

Learn about more of Kochi’s fun trains: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/highlights/train