Designing Trains That Blend Seamlessly into Daily Life
Mar. 10, 2025
Manami Shimakage
"Subways are highly public by nature, so it's not a priority to stand out but to simply match with urban needs": These words describe Hitachi's new Series 3000 of train, which are being used in Miyagi Prefecture's Sendai City's Namboku Subway Line, winning the 2024 Good Design Award in the process. Praised for their quietness, the design and ease of use of these trains meshed beautifully with the needs of Sendai City, also known as the "City of Trees."
Manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd., the new Series 3000 of train was designed by Sho Nozue of Hitachi's Research and Development Group. How did Nozue exemplify the thoughts and feelings of the people of Sendai City into the design of a new train series? And was the series evaluated as matching the needs of the city?
Design sense rooted in TVs and washing machines
Nozue's career as a designer began after joining Hitachi, Ltd. and being engaged in designing video equipment such as televisions and commercial projectors. He steadily carried out such work, and he also worked on white goods (such as washing machines) for overseas markets.
He comments: "Originally, my interests entailed designing things that support public infrastructure. I had always wanted to design big things such as elevators and escalators." However, after joining Hitachi, he was assigned to a department that designs everyday things, such as video equipment and home appliances.
He continues: "That kind of work was rewarding, as it's a field that is very close to the end user; but, at Hitachi, it's common for designers to build their careers via work in multiple fields. So, when it came to thinking about my career, I told my supervisor about my desire to design things that support infrastructure, and that's how I got transferred to the team that designs trains."
One project that Nozue worked on was the EMU3000 intercity express train for Taiwan Railways Administration (now Taiwan Railway Corporation, Ltd.). The train soon became a symbol of a new form of mobility connecting cities in Taiwan.
The challenge of envisioning a "future Taiwan"
Regarding the design of the EMU3000, Nozue looks back and comments: "Those were good times and a valuable experience." It takes substantial time to design trains, so it is common for the task to be divided into conceptual work and into detailed design; however, Nozue was fortunate to be involved in the complete design of the EMU3000 from start to finish. On the other hand, he comments with a wry smile: "It was also a tough time."
"This design is different."
When Hitachi proposed the train conceptual design to the Taiwanese side, they received an unexpected response. Initially, Hitachi was conscious of creating a design representing Taiwan’s image from an overseas perspective. However, the Taiwanese side requested to represent Taiwan’s world-class innovations and its future. But that begged the question: What will the future of Taiwan be like, and how should it be expressed? Against that backdrop, regarding design theory, new forms of social infrastructure, and the cultural differences between Taiwan and Japan, many discussions were held between the Japanese side and the Taiwanese side.
In addition, in trying to answer the questions posed, Nozue took a trip to Taiwan and walked various areas extensively, all in order to try to understand what a "future Taiwan" might look like. During this time, he visited museums and art galleries and observed and experienced artwork by local artists.
He comments on what he felt: "From outside looking in, Taiwan has an image that's bright and eye-catching, but in the urban areas, a feeling of serenity also comes over you. For example, the signage style uses white space and slightly desaturated colors, and the works in museums also have a gentleness to them. And in this way, if you observe the city, you can begin to understand the meaning of the word 'subtle', and this is a word that we heard a lot in our discussions with the Taiwanese side."
Against that backdrop, the exterior of the completed EMU3000 features a design that so simple that it could have been drawn in one single stroke. And the smooth finish and minimal graphics emphasize white space. The interior is also modern and exudes a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, thus also helping to express the "future of Taiwan."
A design born from collaboration with local residents
After completing the project in Taiwan, Nozue then began work on the design of new trains for Transportation Bureau City of Sendai's Namboku Subway Line. Unfortunately, this was occurring at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to move around the city freely.
Thus, Nozue read up on Sendai City's mid- to long-term plans and began to understand the concept of the future vision of the city. In addition, he had ample opportunities to talk with people in charge there.
He comments: "Sometimes I ask about local specialties or sometimes I inquire into people's feelings about the train project, coming from their view as a local resident. With my experience in Taiwan, I think what I heard was more than just the requests of the end client but what they feel as local residents."
Taking into account feedback from local residents, the exterior design of the new Series 3000 of trains inherits the design of the conventional 1000N series; however, the new series features colors and patterns that blend in with Sendai City's nickname: the "City of Trees."
Furthermore, trains have also evolved in terms of functionality. For example, by not painting the exteriors of the trains, environmental impact during manufacturing has been reduced, and trains have become lighter, enabling more-energy-efficient operation. Also, the difference in the levels between trains and home platforms has been reduced, and more spaces have been added for wheelchairs and strollers, etc., with special attention paid to need for diversity in use and enhanced ingenuity throughout the design.
Nozue says that, with the changing times, approaching such infrastructure with this kind of consideration is becoming more and more appreciated by local residents.
When asked whether strict requirements for environmental considerations would put restraints on design, Nozue replied: "Because environmental considerations form part of the concerns of local residents, they thus also become part of the foundation of the design itself, as a premise. This is especially true when designing social infrastructure that sort of 'belongs to everyone,' such as trains."
In addition, Nozue also added: "My experience designing video equipment and white goods also helped me come up with ideas to overcome challenges." Small video equipment and white goods undergo product updates more quickly than train, which have a longer lifespan. And, regarding manufacturing technology and materials, Nozue had many opportunities to learn about this aspect while interacting with staff at factories. He also emphasizes: "The characteristics of materials and processing methods are also important to know in design."
From "good form" to "good mood"
Taiwan's EMU3000 express cars and Sendai's new Series 3000 of Subway Lines each embody different designs, but by using feedback from local residents and expressing the features of the locality, they can support people's lives as part of everyday infrastructure. Having worked on such designs, Nozue has this to say about what is currently required for the design of such infrastructure:
"To put this into one phrase, you could say that it's 'design that creates a good atmosphere in society.' In the past, good design was about creating 'good form,' in other words good shape, but now that's simply not enough—people want a 'good mood' as well. So, I'm always thinking about whether a design fits the context of people's lives and their society and then whether it's appropriate for the design at hand to reside within that framework."
Regarding Nozue's view on new design techniques
Against the backdrop of living in an age where people require things to match their lifestyles and what they feel in their hearts, are there any new design methods that will be required for such going into the future?
He replies: "Perhaps the act of designing also involves knowing how to 'entrust' things to people. You need to have the courage to let go of things that have been completed."
Then, as Nozue shows me his favorite "fork" for outdoor use, he says: "This is one of them." In this design, he simply carries around only the metal fork part and uses it by inserting it over the end of a small branch.
He comments further: "Wouldn't it be cool if a child could roast marshmallows using only a tree branch that they picked up off the ground? Here, we ensure only the necessary functionality and leave the rest up to the user. In approaching design including how to 'entrust' things, I feel that this is what the act of 'designing' will be like in the future."
