For a few years now, JR West seems to have been into ‘character’ Shinkansen: Shinkansen trains in a livery that evokes the character in question.The first of these was the Evangelion 500-series Shinkansen (still the best, in my opinion), and then came the Hello Kitty Shinkansen (which is great if you like kawaii).And now there’s a third ‘character’ Shinkansen: the ONE PIECE train.

It’s Easter this weekend. I’m expecting some chocolate from the UK in the post any day now.But one thing intrigues me. Why isn’t Easter bigger in Japan?Looking at it superficially, the answer is obvious. Easter is a Christian festival, and Japan isn’t a Christian country. But just look at Valentine’s Day, admittedly not particularly Christian. It’s huge in Japan, perhaps even more so than in the Western countries where it originated.