On July 5, 2026, West Japan Railway Company (JR West) held a ceremony at JR Fukui Station to commemorate the milestone of 100,000 passengers on its “WOW RIDE® Ikossa! Fukui” bus. This bus has been providing direct service between JR Fukui Station and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum since June 1, 2024.
In fiscal year 2024, the number of passengers reached approximately 33,000. Subsequently, in fiscal year 2025, this number rose to approximately 55,000, achieving a 142% increase compared to the previous year. In fiscal year 2026, approximately 12,000 people used the service from April to July 5th.
WOW RIDE is a bus with its windows and ceiling covered in displays, offering a virtual reality experience. Dinosaur footage appears during the ride, with different content on the outbound and return journeys. The bus is also equipped with an AI dialogue system called “With Talk,” allowing passengers to experience conversations with characters associated with Prefecture Fukui. The overall direction is by Tsutsumi Yukihiko, and the script was written by Ikeda Tetsuhiro and Takeda Shin. Tsubasa Actors Imai and Nukumizu Yoichi, as well as TV announcers from Prefecture Fukui, appear in the show.
Interior view of the car ①
Interior view of the car (2)
Inside the car ③
The service is scheduled to run until March 2027. Tickets can be purchased from sales websites such as HapiBus and tabiwa by WESTER, as well as at the Fukui Tourist Information Center. If seats are available, you can also purchase tickets on the day of travel at the bus stop using contactless credit card payment.
West Japan Railway Company (JR West) says it will continue to work on regional revitalization by promoting dinosaurs and the history and culture of Fukui.
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
