The shinkansen, or bullet train, in Japan is lifesaver for traveling great distances across the country quite leisurely. Because of that, you'll often see travelers enjoying snacks, drinks, and particularly bento box meals on their seat trays as they head to their destination.

What you typically won't see, however, is actual plates, silverware, and homecooked meals being served on a shinkansen meal tray. Yet Japanese Twitter user kobaton (@_kobakashi) provided just that very image with a photo that has much of Japanese Twitter doing a double take.

Source: @_kobakashi_

"I don't think there's too many couples that sit on E6 Series Shinkansen seats and get excited while they eat dinner."

As kobaton explained in their Tweet, the picture is not actually of a shinkansen, but authentic seats from the bullet train that he had installed in a Japanese-style room in his house to create an "at home shinkansen."

Source: @_kobakashi_

The seats are "E6 Series Shinkansen Seat Assembly (Regular Car: 2-seater)" sold at "JRE MALL", a mail order website of the JR East Group. They were actually used in the E6 Series, and kobaton also purchased a side panel of the E6 Series at the same site and installed it in their home to recreate shinkansen dining.

kobaton says he used wood purchased at a home improvement center and attached cushion flooring that closely resembles the color of the actual floor of the E6 Series.

According to kobaton, he'd always wanted to buy train car seats since he was little. When they became available and he purchased them as well as the floor panel, he hadn't told his wife, so she was quite surprised. Still, the home shinkansen is a big hit with their 18-month-old daughter, and seems to have evolved into a fun dining room.

kobaton says they hope to install electrical outlets, as well as a monitor to display the background of a moving train, upgrading it into a total bullet train dining experience.

The photos and design were met with delight on Twitter, with many train enthusiasts expressing jealousy and admiration for the project. If all the upgrades go through, maybe kobaton will find riding the real thing to be a bit of a let down.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.