Why Does the "Yurikamome" Have Two Faces? — Design Carrying the "Summer Memories" Rarely Seen in Japan

The "Yurikamome" (Black-headed

Gull) line running through Odaiba. Its

front face is famously designed with

white as the base, matching the bird's

winter plumage we typically see.

However, a close comparison of the

latest second-generation vehicles

reveals a clear difference in color.

This variation in the palette embodies

the bird's "true form"—a rare sight seen

only for a fleeting period before their

departure, and one that remains

hidden throughout most of their stay in

Japan.

Black-headed gulls are migratory birds.

They arrive in Japan in November with

white heads (winter plumage), but

around March, just before returning

north, they begin changing to their

"summer plumage," where their

heads turn a dark brown. While the

Series 7300 (right) is modeled after

the "white winter face," the Series

7500 (left) features a significantly

larger area of dark blue on its front

face. This was incorporated as a

design theme representing the rare

"black summer face" visible only for a

brief window in early spring. Through

this color design, the designer sought

to capture the life force of these birds

as they live in distant Siberia during

the months they are absent from the

Odaiba skies.

Usually, public transportation design

prioritizes consistency and ease of

identification. However, the second

-generation Yurikamome took a

different approach: a designer’s

initiative to communicate the lesser

-known habits of migratory birds

through minor changes. This was a

sincere design philosophy. "Where do

they live, and what do they look like

during the summer?" In the moment

these two types of vehicles pass each

other, we receive an intuitive sense of

the grand natural cycle connecting

the city to the wild, transcending mere

transit.

Infrastructure passing down the "story"

of its namesake through design. This

is a proposal that breathes human

warmth and seasonal depth into a city

built primarily on rationality. The next

time you board the Yurikamome,

please take a look at the color of the

front face. Beyond that deep blue,

you might just see the summer skies

of Siberia that the gulls gaze upon as

they wait to depart. Might this be the

new form of hospitality that urban

transit should strive for?,

I hope you look forward to the next

AGT Blog!