Pigeon boards Shinkansen, causes 9-minute delay affecting 700 passengers

A wild pigeon caused a stir and a minor delay on Japan's Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train on August 10, a day known in Japan as "Pigeon Day."

The incident occurred around 11:20 a.m. on the Hayabusa No. 73 service traveling from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori. A pigeon inexplicably entered the train carriage and was eventually discovered resting on a passenger's luggage. After the train made an emergency stop at Nasushiobara Station in Tochigi Prefecture, train staff attempted to capture the bird.

The pigeon, startled, flew around the carriage, creating a commotion among passengers. After a nine-minute chase, a station attendant successfully captured the bird with a net and released it outside the train. The delay caused by the incident affected approximately 700 passengers. JR East stated that the exact method and time the pigeon entered the carriage remain under investigation, but it is believed to be a wild pigeon. The incident prompted humorous reactions online, with netizens joking about the pigeon celebrating Pigeon Day by riding the Shinkansen.