Darth Vader takes over Tokyo trains

Commuters used to forcing themselves onto Tokyo's always-packed Chuo Line are being greeted with a Force of a different type this week.

That’s because Fox Japan has bought out several entire train cars, wrapping all the handgrips in life-sized lightsaber motifs as an advertising stunt for the upcoming release of the Blu-Ray editions of the "Star Wars" films.

Total takeover

Japan Railways inaugurated the "Ad Train" system, which lets advertisers take over entire train carriages to push a single product or service, in 1990, but only allowed the wrapping of handrails and other sections of the train beginning in 2001.

It isn't cheap. According to the official rate sheet published by Jeki, JR's marketing wing, turning a Chuo Line train into an Ad Train costs ¥4.7 million for a half-month stint.

That’s gonna cost you

That's close to $60,000 at current exchange rates. The even-more-heavily ridden Yamanote loop line clocks in at between ¥9.8 and ¥15 million for the same length of time.

The lightsaber campaign, which kicked off over the weekend, is expected to remain in Force -- the right side of it, we hope -- until September 30.

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