Written by Aarohi Narain
Subterranean, noisy, and pink, now with a pop-star twist — Tokyo’s Toei Ōedo Line is partnering up with singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for an unexpected collaboration.
What is it? Is it … perfect?
The beautiful people of Tokyo need to brace themselves: Ed Sheeran is taking over Tokyo’s deepest subway, the Toei Ōedo Line, with the pun-intended “Oh! Ed!”, a month-long campaign that tenuously links the magenta train line with the man whose songs you’ve heard at every wedding, karaoke night, and Saizeriya since 2014.
From September 8 until October 20, you can spot the Grammy-award winning artist’s face at six stations in a digital-stamp rally and be completely ensconced in Ed Sheeran lore aboard the Oh! Ed! Museum Train.
Museum train
The centerpiece of the campaign is the eight-car “Museum Train”. Each carriage is devoted to a different slice of Sheeran’s career. One is a retrospective of his discography, while another revisits his Japan tours. Yet another invites you to take a personality quiz that matches you with your perfect track from Play — sadly the latter is only available in Japanese.
Stamp rally and merch
Alongside the train, a digital-stamp rally runs across six Ōedo Line stations (Kasuga, Ueno-Okachimachi, Kuramae, Ryōgoku, Tochōmae, Ichigaya) via the Toei Transportation app. Collect all six to walk away with an album-themed clear file, plus entry into a lottery for a limited-edition T-shirt.
The Toeiro shop in Ichigaya Station, which has been transformed into a Sheeran photo spot, will vend exclusive goods, including T-shirts, towels, and keychains, plus a CD with a special Ōedo Line-themed album jacket.
Cafe collaborations
Hatcoffee in Kuramae is pouring Sheeran-themed 3D-latte art, while Chill Café in Kachidoki is serving an “Ed Sheeran” dessert set.
Special passes
To make a day of it, pick up a limited Toei One-day Pass featuring the Play album artwork.
Why does this exist?
We asked, too. Basically, “Ed” sounds like “Edo” and the Ōedo Line’s shade of pink happens to match the color of his new album art. Sheeran has a habit of showing up in random places — from surprise pub gigs to busking on street corners, to being spotted with Bollywood glitterati — so this collab almost makes sense. Almost.
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
