Trip Ideas Bus and Train Travel You Can Now Ride a Real ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ Train in Japan It's the cutest train you've ever seen. By Andrea Romano Andrea Romano Andrea Romano is a writer and editor in New York City. For the last eight years, she has been a lifestyle journalist for Mashable, Brit+Co, Reviewed, Bustle, and Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on July 2, 2020 Trending Videos Close this video player This picture taken on July 2, 2014 shows a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine making a test run in the mountains on a line run by Japan's Oigawa railway near the city of Shimada in Shizuoka prefecture, west of Tokyo. . Photo: JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images All aboard the friendliest train in the world. According to Time Out, a real-life replica of the beloved train from the children’s TV show Thomas The Tank Engine is up and running to take visitors on a trip around Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. The Day Out With Thomas event officially started on June 26, after having to delay its opening due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to Time Out. The event is planned to continue until Oct. 19, with daily trips around Shizuoka, which is home to Mount Fuji. The ride is on the Oigawa main line from Shin-Kanaya Station to Senzu Station. And there are fun activities to enjoy both on and off the train. At Senzu Station, guests can also see Thomas’ friends, Hiro and Percy, Time Out reported. At Shin-Kanaya Station, visitors can tour Thomas’s Maintenance Factory to learn more about how the trains run. On board, guests can purchase souvenirs, enjoy Thomas-themed bento boxes, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, there are extra precautions in place including temperature checks at the gate and fewer spots for passengers. Of course, this isn’t the first time this Thomas-themed has chugged through Japan. Oigawa Railway Co Ltd, who runs the train, initially launched it in 2014, according to Time Out. Tickets for this unique excursion cost ¥6,600 (about $61 USD) for adults and ¥3,060 (about $29 USD) for children, round trip. The tickets may be booked online, though the website is in Japanese only. If your date isn’t available, you can also join the lottery now, between June 30 and July 7, for trips scheduled for September and October 2020, if you happen to be lucky enough to visit Japan this coming fall. More information can be found on the Oigawa Railway website (also in Japanese).