The SPACIA is an express train that shuttles between Tokyo and the World Heritage shrines in Nikko. However, as visitors recently prefer to travel by car or sightseeing bus, the number of passengers choosing the SPACIA in order to enjoy the emotional pleasures of a journey by train keeps decreasing. Therefore it has become necessary to boost the popularity of the SPACIA especially among females of middle and advanced age, by emphasizing the genuine fun of a train ride that begins right with boarding a compartment.

Rather than advertising the SPACIA itself, the idea was to convey the fascination of a journey by train by highlighting the EKIBEN (railway lunch box). For Japanese, it is a special item that fans our wanderlust, and that enjoys continued popularity especially with the target group. A committee with prominent members was formed with the aim to develop an original EKIBEN that would offer culinary delights unique to the SPACIA. The process of producing these special lunch boxes was illustrated in magazines and advertisements on trains.

The EKIBEN has been featured in TV and radio programs, newspaper and magazine articles, and online media among others. Long queues in front of stalls and product displays have become a common sight, and at shops as well as on trains the box is regularly selling out. During the first week after the EKIBEN went on sale, the number of SPACIA passengers increased significantly. Besides this, the number of happy people smiling over their lunch boxes has increased, too.