Keisei Electric Railway, in collaboration with Daytona International, the operator of the select shop Freak’s Store, held an event “Showa-Heisei Nostalgia Museum” using the non-public area of Higashi-Narita Station.
Higashi-Narita Station was opened in 1978 as Narita Airport Station. Originally serving as the nearest station to Narita Airport, it ceased to function as such when a new line that directly accesses the airport terminal was planned, leading to the establishment of a new Narita Airport station in 1991. Consequently, the old Narita Airport Station was renamed Higashi-Narita Station and ceased to serve as the gateway to the airport.
The old station had two platforms and four tracks, with tracks 1 and 2 initially used for express trains and tracks 3 and 4 for local trains. After the renaming, most of the concourse and tracks 1 and 2 were closed. Currently, track 1 serves as the up platform (towards Keisei Narita and Keisei Ueno), and track 2 as the down platform (towards Shibayama Chiyoda).
The event celebrated both the 50th anniversary of the Skyliner’s operation and the 70th anniversary of Narita City’s municipal establishment, taking place over two days, June 22 and 23. It featured eight spots within the area closed in 1991, allowing visitors to enjoy a stamp rally.
Advertisements and signs posted at the time remain on the walls and pillars, evoking the early Heisei period bustle of the station as the nearest to the airport. Fourteen LED panels were installed in the concourse, providing an installation that simulates a runway with light and sound. Moreover, a pop-up store selling original goods like T-shirts of the first-generation Skyliner was set up on the platform.
This collaboration between Keisei Electric Railway and Daytona International, targeting to promote and vitalize the area along the railway, marks their third project. The first initiative was an art experience held at the former Museum Zoo Station between Keisei Ueno and Nippori in December 2023. The second was in collaboration with a tourism campaign in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture, in March, where commemorative tickets were sold and special trains operated. Both companies aim to continue engaging in inter-industry collaboration efforts.
▲Commemorative keychain style entry tickets
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This article was generated using automatic translation by GPT-4 API. The translation may not be accurate.
