I want to create a comfortable environmentMr. Hitoshi Sato Manager, Setagaya Line
TOP > Kofuku-no-Manekineko Densha > Manager, Setagaya Line
Manager Sato says that ever since the “Kofuku-no-Manekineko Densha” began operating, “There has been a big increase in the number of people taking photos at stations and foreign passengers.” After the train’s initial service period ended in September,after some modifications were made, the train was brought back in May 2019. It deserves noting that the striking design featuring a manekineko face across the front was actually Manager Sato’s idea. He created it after discussing the matter with line employees and working with Tokyu’s headquarters. “I am very attached to it,” he says. Narrowing his gaze, he says, “My personal motto is ‘the [Setagaya] line employees is my family. So I want to nurture the Manekineko Densha with the same kind of affection I would give to a family member.” He adds that seeing passengers’ smiles is what he finds rewarding and motivating in his work.
For fifty years since being renamed from the Tamagawa Line, the Setagaya Line and local community have evolved together. Various events, such as the Setagaya Line Festival, which was born from a partnership with local shops along the line, are planned with line employees to appeal to as many people as possible. “I want people to live along the line, that is my biggest desire,” Manager Sato explains. “And I want to convey the line’s from where I work.” Undoubtedly part of the Setagaya Line’sappeal It is easy to use for senior citizens and children alike, and because it operates on 100% renewable energy, it is also environmentally friendly. “Even though it’s in the city, the line is a place where people can feel at ease,” he says. “This applies to me too. Like our 50th anniversary catchphrase of “Tokyo-no-Furusato” [a hometown in Tokyo] says, I feel like I am working in my second hometown.”
Manager Sato says, “People living along the Setagaya Line have a deep affection for it, and I strongly feel their love for their community. I hope everyone will find the opportunity to come and experience the line’s charm.” When asked what he hopes to achieve with the Manekineko Densha, a train that travels so leisurely along the line, he says, “Above all, I want it to be a comforting space.” With a gentle expression, the kind made when regarding a beloved cat, he says, “I want the line to be more than just a means of transportation. I want it to be a comfortable space that gives people vitality to face tomorrow and encouragement in life.”
