Travel operators are using onboard content, live events and ticket designs to add cultural experiences to their services. These initiatives make the journey, station or access pass part of the experience, alongside the destination itself.
JR Central partnered with Evangelion on an original audio drama available aboard the Tokaido Shinkansen from October 2026 to January 2027. Passengers access it through a campaign website that checks their location and travelling speed. Listeners can obtain a digital ride certificate and exchange it for an acrylic keychain at designated locations in Osaka.
Aspen Snowmass selected Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes for its 2026/27 Art in Unexpected Places programme. Her work will appear on lift tickets and Aspen Cards, alongside a large-scale installation at the Silver Queen Gondola station at the base of Aspen Mountain. The programme brings art into the places and objects skiers encounter during their visit.
JR Central and Suntory will host a one-day event on 24 October 2026 in a chartered Tokaido Shinkansen carriage decorated as a Japanese snack bar. The Tokyo-to-Shin-Osaka journey will feature canned Suntory drinks, snacks and live entertainment. The promotion invited Japan residents aged 20 and over to apply for a draw offering places to five pairs of guests.