On October 14, 2022, KADOKAWA Anime on Twitter announced a new anime original project to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Railways and Day of Railways in Japan. In addition, there’s an official website and a gorgeous visual that hints at sci-fi or magic.
We also know that Tsutomu Mizushima is directing, but sadly, we have no plot, studio, staff, voice actors, or release date. The tweet calls it a TV animation, but we’ll have to wait and see for more details.
Celebrating 150 years of riding the rails!
If you enjoy watching or reading anything based in Japan, odds are you’ve seen a train involved. October 14, Railway Day, or Tetsudo no Hi, is both a celebration of railroads and the anniversary of Japan’s first railroad.
The first railway linked Tokyo to Yokohama and was 18 miles long. Yokohama was a treaty port and one of the few places that permitted foreign goods.
This made the distance just right to allow the goods to reach the capital while keeping foreigners away from it. Moreover, although the railway belonged to the Japanese government, the British funded it.
After two and a half years, on October 14, 1872, Emperor Meiji and some dignitaries rode the inaugural trip from Shimbashi Station to Yokohama Station and back. During its first year of operations, 1.2 million passengers rode the train.
It’s estimated that 17.9 million people ride the train daily in Japan.
Who is Tsutomu Mizushima?
Besides directing Shumatsu train doko he iku?, also known as Doomsday Train Goes Anywhere?, and Where Does the Doomsday Train Go? There’s a good chance you’ve encountered Mizushima’s work.
He started with Doraemon and Keshiki Cutter at Shin-Ei Animation, and is now a freelancer with works in every genre! His works as a director are:
Anime
- Hare+Guu
- xxxHOLiC
- Kujibiki Unbalance
- xxxHolic: Kei
- Kemeko Deluxe!
- Big Windup!
- Squid Girl
- You’re Being Summoned, Azazel
- Blood C
- Another
- Joshiraku
- Girls und Panzer
- Genshiken Nidalime
- Witch Craft Works
- Shirabako
- Prison School
- The Lost Village
- The Magnificant Kotobuki
OVA
- Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-Chan
- Girls und Panzer: This Is the Real Anzio Battle!
- Magical Witch Punie-chan
- Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku
- +Tic Elder Sister
- Another
Film
- Girls und Panzer der Film
- Girls und Panzer das Finale
- Shirobako Movie
- The Magnificent Kotobuki Complete Edition