Doctor Yellow Sightings Brought Luck

Japan's Doctor Yellow trains were bright-yellow Shinkansen maintenance sets equipped to inspect tracks and overhead wires at speeds of up to 285 km/h. They made three monthly round trips between Tokyo and Hakata, but operators never published their schedules. Because sightings depended largely on chance, people began saying that seeing Doctor Yellow brought good luck or happiness, while rail enthusiasts created websites and social media accounts to predict its movements. JR Central retired its T4 set in January 2025, while JR West plans to retire the remaining T5 set in 2027.

Previous Fact Next Fact