[JP] Linimo Turns 20: Visitors Push Floating Maglev Train by Hand at Anniversary Event

[Miss Maglev]

On March 23rd, the city of Nagakute in Aichi Prefecture held a special event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Linimo, Japan’s first magnetic levitation (maglev) linear motor train, which originally opened in March 2005 to coincide with the Aichi Expo. The anniversary event drew large crowds from the morning and featured several unique attractions.

One of the event’s highlights was the rare opportunity for visitors to view the Linimo being washed inside a dedicated washing machine—an experience typically not open to the public. Another standout feature was the “Linimo Push Experience,” where participants got to physically push the floating maglev train using only human power. Despite the train being magnetically levitated, it was still surprising to many how easily it moved.

A participating child commented, “It was strange that just three of us could move it. But it was a little heavy.”

Aichi Rapid Transit, which operates the Linimo, stated that it aims to continue providing safe, stable, and reliable transportation, while being a beloved part of the local community.

Source: https://topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp/article ... 1327-06808 Accessed 2025-03-24