On July 30th, I visited Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, because the sightseeing campaign by JR Central in collaboration with "LoveLive! Sunshine!!" anime is held, and the birthday of Chika Takami from the work (August 1st) is coming soon. Four years have passed since my last time visit.
In the morning, I came to Mishima Station by Shinkansen. While on the Shinkansen train, I heard the new jingle before the announcement from July 21st.
From Mishima Station, I got on a Tokaido Line train toward Atami once to photograph a train for Numazu by 373 Series at Kannami Station because I could shoot in better composition than at Mishima. I photographed the train when it came out of the 7804-metre/4.85-mile-long Tanna Tunnel.
The train was crowded with passengers because passengers could travel by 373 Series, mainly in service as limited express trains, such as "Fujikawa" on the Minobu Line and "Inaji" on the Ida Line, without an additional fee. At Mishima Station, I found a vacant seat and sat there.
On that day, the train operated by F6 set and F9 set. F9 also served as a special train for tourists between Hamamatsu Station and Numazu Station on June 18th as a part of the campaign.
Going out of the gate, I also found the livery of the characters wearing the uniform on the wall of the station building. This wall art appeared as a part of the campaign.
Another wall art is planning to appear at the south entrance because the total travel distance on the Shinkansen to Mishima Station by passengers booked by the "EX-IC" or "Smart EX" online service increased and achieved the aim of a total of 500,000 km/310,686 mi during the campaign.
I started photographing buses with the liveries of the anime. At the bus stops in front of the south exit of Numazu Station, Tokai, Izu Hakone, and Fujikyu City Buses come and go frequently. Thirteen buses with liveries serve around Numazu (6 Tokai, 4 Izu Hakone, and 3 Fujikyu City).
On that day, I want to photograph 1571 from Tokai Bus with the livery of the campaign collaborated with JR Central, the nine main characters with white-coloured background with blue-coloured lines like the body of the Shinkansen. The bus livery was also realised because of the Shinkansen online booking challenge with the aim of a total travel distance of 250,000-kilometre/155,343-mile.
After photographing buses, I travelled on the Tokaido Line again to Mishima to shoot photos of the next target, the Izu Hakone Railway Sunzu Line. Around those days, the 3000 Series 3506F set with the anime livery since 2017 on Sunzu Line showed a front sign for Chika's birthday.
I photographed the train at Shuzenji terminal. I shot both an all-carriage view and a close-up of the sign in front of it from the end of the platform.
Backing to Numazu again via Mishima, I got on the Tokai Bus with the livery in collaboration with the anime and JR Central toward Numazu Port. Then, I ate lunch at a seafood restaurant, "Marukan", in Numazu Minato Shinsen-kan. I chose a bowl of rice topped with shovelled tuna, sliced salmon, boiled young Japanese anchovy, and salmon roe.
After eating lunch, I went to Plaza Verde near the north entrance of Numazu Station. I drank a cup of orange juice with cassis syrup topped with starfish-shaped lollies at a food truck stopped in front of the building. It was also to celebrate Chika's birthday.
On my way home, I bought a can of "Numaccha" green tea, on whose can "LoveLive! Sunshine!!" characters in a tea field were pictured. While travelling the Shinkansen from Mishima, I heard a different jingle before the announcements.
I achieved my aim of travelling during the campaign and celebrating Chika's birthday at Numazu. I felt happy to feel the atmosphere of celebrating Chika's birthday, the decorations at Numazu Station, the front sign, and the juice.