The Saitama Prefecture Products and Tourism Association, a general incorporated association, announced a collaboration with Tobu Railway Co., Ltd., Ranzan Town, and Yomiuri Travel Service Co., Ltd. to operate a headmark train and a special train tour featuring Saitama Virtual Tourism Ambassador Kasukabe Tsukushi. The special train tour, titled “The conductor is Kasukabe Tsukushi!? Lured by the scent of lavender, off we go on the special train!”, will run on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The initiative is timed to coincide with the “Ranzan Lavender Festival,” and tour bookings opened today at noon.

A headmark train featuring Kasukabe Tsukushi design comes to the Tobu Tojo Line

To commemorate the operation, a specially designed headmark drawn by Saitama Virtual Tourism Ambassador “Kasukabe Tsukushi” will be displayed on the Tobu Tojo Line’s TJ Liner (scheduled to be the 50090 series). The operation period is set to align with the opening of Ranzan Town’s lavender garden, giving commuters and students along the line a chance to encounter VTuber collaboration content as part of their daily routine.

This headmark display, made possible through the collaboration between Tobu Railway and Ranzan Town, is a prime example of a tourism promotion bringing together a local government, a railway operator, and a VTuber. Another notable aspect is the team structure: the Saitama Prefecture Products and Tourism Association handles planning, while Yomiuri Travel Service handles the travel arrangements and operations.

Special train tour “The conductor is Kasukabe Tsukushi!? Lured by the scent of lavender, off we go on the special train!”

On Saturday, June 13, 2026, a special train tour will be operated in conjunction with the Ranzan Lavender Festival. On the day, an in-car announcement and a special event by Kasukabe Tsukushi will be held, along with a stamp rally at the Ranzan Town lavender garden, “Sennen no Sono Lavender Garden.” Participants can pass time on the train enjoying audio content from Kasukabe Tsukushi, and on-site they can take part in lavender appreciation and the stamp rally — designed as a combined experience.

Tour participants will also receive an original novelty featuring Kasukabe Tsukushi. The package combines the headmark train, in-car content, the on-site stamp rally, and exclusive novelties — a connected experience for Kasukabe Tsukushi fans and lavender garden visitors alike.

About Saitama Virtual Tourism Ambassador Kasukabe Tsukushi

Kasukabe Tsukushi has been active as a VTuber since 2018 (Heisei 30), and as an individual creator she has been carrying out PR activities for Saitama Prefecture, aiming to make the prefecture feel closer to people. After winning the Saitama Virtual Tourism Ambassador audition, which was held from July 2021 (Reiwa 3), she was officially appointed as the ambassador in December of that year.

Looking ahead

Bookings for the special train tour open at noon on May 13 via Yomiuri Travel Service. The headmark train is scheduled to operate during the lavender garden’s opening period, and on June 13 — the day of the tour — real-time in-car events will run in tandem with the on-site stamp rally. As a full-package tourism plan that combines the classic local-government-x-railway-x-VTuber formula with a travel agency, this initiative may well become a model case for similar projects going forward.

Impressions and outlook

This tour, bringing together a local government, a railway operator, a travel agency, and a VTuber, is close to the ideal form of regional tourism promotion built around a VTuber. Rather than ending with a one-off collaboration or a photo spot, the experience flows continuously from the headmark train and in-car announcements to limited novelties and the on-site stamp rally. As a case of connecting the VTuber fan base to regional sightseeing, this approach has clear potential to be replicated by other local governments and railway lines. At Streamer Magazine, we will be watching closely how participants respond and how the secondary buzz develops.

Source: PR TIMES