Arms dangle from the ceiling of the special "Bodhisattva car" of the Keifuku Electric Railroad Co. (Yoshiko Sato)

KYOTO--It's all hands on board for services on the Keifuku Electric Railroad Co. until late November.

The company, renowned for collaborating with outside parties to promote the charms of the ancient capital, is helping to publicize the fact that the city's Ninnaji temple in Ukyo Ward has finished restoring its Kannondo Hall and allowing special viewings to the public.

Ninnaji is a World Heritage site that was founded in 888.

In the past, the hall was used exclusively for training aspiring priests and the public was not allowed to enter the hallowed structure.

The principal image of the hall is the Senju Kannon, or the thousand-armed Kannon Bodhisattva.

To bring that image alive, Keifuku officials decided to decorate the ceiling of a designated car with golden models of the arms extended in a symbolic gesture by the Bodhisattva to save believers.

Ninnaji officials embraced the project.

Twenty arms were printed on special durable, water-resistant material that were then glued together to produce the illusion of arms dangling from the ceiling.

Passengers invariably are stunned by the dangling arms as they enter the carriage.

In announcements, train staff inform passengers that they should take photos of the arms because photography is forbidden within the Kannondo Hall.

Foreign tourists heading for Ninnaji were excited to learn they would be able to view the genuine article at the temple, which is located along the Keifuku train route.

The exterior of the train car has also been given a paint makeover featuring the thousand-armed Bodhisattva. The front and back cars also have special designs based on the statue.

In the past, Keifuku Electric Railroad has decorated its train interiors with artificial cherry blossoms to mark the blooming of the famed Omuro sakura cherry blossoms at Ninnaji. During the Bon season in summer when tradition holds that the deceased return to their family homes, passengers are encouraged to dress up as ghouls and other spirits and ride the train decorated in an eerie manner.

The Bodhisattva train will operate on the Arashiyama and Kitano lines of Keifuku Electric Railroad until Nov. 24. There is no set daily schedule for when the special car will be in operation.