Tokyo's Chuo line is used primarily to from Tokyo to Nagoya, but on its route it passes through Shinjuku, and you start to see a marked presence of Japan's subcultures-- i.e. signs of otakudom. The latest of these signs appears as the newest mascots for the train line, five beautiful men who are part of a project called Miracle Train. Fusing “danshi moe” (or as I've called it, boy-moe) and trains (or possibly fangirls and train otaku?), these men are mostly designed to appeal to women, since most of the growing series of mascots and gimmicks featuring anime (or anime-style) characters are aimed at men. But I wonder if it's more aimed at the nation's own otaku, or foreign tourists? Hmm!...
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