Yumehanna Explained

is the collective nickname for the Chūō Line of the Osaka Metro and the Keihanna Line of the Kintetsu Railway in Osaka Prefecture and Nara Prefecture, Japan. The two lines operate through trains between Cosmosquare Station, the western terminus of the Chūō Line in Suminoe-ku, Osaka, and Gakken Nara-Tomigaoka Station, the eastern terminus of the Keihanna Line in Nara.

History

The name and a logotype was published on October 26, 2005 as a result of public contest.[1] The use of the name started on March 27, 2006 when the Kintetsu Higashi-Osaka Line was extended to Gakken Nara-Tomigaoka Station and renamed the Keihanna Line.

Etymology

The term "Yumehanna" can be broken into "Yume" and "Hanna"; "Yume" means dream in Japanese[2] and "Hanna" (阪奈) is a kanji abbreviation for Osaka (大阪) and Nara (奈良).

The committee for the name selection explained the reason for the victory of the name as follows: "It successfully expresses the hope for the future of the connection of the Science City and the Osaka Bay Area. Also, the use of hiragana creates the soft nuance of the word and a friendly image."[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: . ja:地下鉄中央線・近鉄東大阪線・近鉄けいはんな線統一愛称が決定しました. August 17, 2007. けいはんな線・東大阪線・地下鉄中央線・統一愛称募集委員会. 2005-10-26. ja.
  2. [wiktionary:yume|Wiktionary entry for "yume"]