Tetsudō Musume
Tetsudō Musume is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Tomytec, a subsidiary of Takara Tomy. It focuses on female characters working for various railway networks in Japan, with each one based on a real-life railway or train. The characters are used as mascots in promotional material and collaborations. The franchise was originally launched in November 2005 with the release of toy figures by Tomytec, which was followed by the release of novels, voice dramas, a manga series and a video game. A television drama aired from October 2008 to January 2009, and an original anime television series based on the franchise is set to premiere in 2026.
Premise
The franchise focuses on a collection of female characters who work at various real-world railway networks across Japan. Each character has a name based on a real-life train station or a railroad's characteristics, and each is depicted wearing their respective railway network's uniforms. The characters are then used by these railway companies as mascots for promotional activities. One example is Arisa Nishiura, a character designed for the Matsuura Railway who has become a mascot and tourism ambassador for Arita, Saga. Another example is Konori Kinosaki, a character designed for the West Japan Railway Company.Media
Figures
The franchise was originally launched as a toy figure set by Tomytec, a subsidiary of Takara Tomy, in November 2005. By 2010, 1.3 million figures had sold, and the basic series itself had sixty types of figures.Several collaboration events have been held for the figure line, including a Sanriku Railway train in Iwate Prefecture which offered Arisu Kuji-themed sweets and reached full capacity, as well as a local revitalization event dedicated to Minami Kurihashi, formed due to the 2010 merger of Kurihashi and Kuki in Saitama Prefecture.