Images from the popular "Captain Tsubasa" soccer manga series cover Keisei Electric Railway Co.'s Yotsugi Station in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, from floor to ceiling. The station is much talked about for its unique, large-scale decorations.
The manga started its serialization in the 1980s and is still ongoing on an irregular basis. The story centers on the soccer-playing main character, Tsubasa Ozora, who develops his skills while competing with rivals. The story's settings develop from Japan to the world as the main character grows up.
The manga sparked a soccer boom in Japan. It is also said to have influenced pro soccer players in the country and abroad.
The station is decorated in Tsubasa style because Yoichi Takahashi, the manga's creator, is from Yotsugi.
In addition to the station's exterior walls and stairs, where images of the main character and his rivals are drawn, the decorations cover its floor spaces and even the ceiling, making it look like a soccer field. Many well-known lines by the manga's characters are written on escalator handrails. The station's train arrival jingle consists of the melody of a song from the anime version of the story.
The decorations were completed in February and partly redesigned in late October. The improvement includes adding images on the platforms so passengers can see them as the train passes the station.
"Katsushika Ward is said to be one of the places where 'Captain Tsubasa' is set, so this area has a connection [with the manga]," said an employee in charge of public relations at the railway company. "Tourists traveling from Narita Airport to central Tokyo can stop off at the station. We hope to attract more tourists from Japan and abroad."
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