Central Japan Railway Co. on Saturday unveiled a new robot tasked with the job of using its multiple brush-tipped arms to prepare the distinctively shaped nose of the shinkansen for repainting.

The robot — used to prepare the outer surface of the cockpit area before it is repainted — has cut the time needed for the procedure to one-fifth of what workers would take to accomplish the same task manually, according to the railway operator, which is also known as JR Tokai.

The robot's dexterity was shown off at the company's Hamamatsu plant in Shizuoka Prefecture during an event for train enthusiasts held to mark the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line operator as a private company.

"The way its long arms moved was really cool," said Shinichi Ito, 8, who came to the event with his father from Mie Prefecture.

At the event, visitors were also able to get a look inside the cockpit of "Dr. Yellow" — a yellow-liveried bullet train that is used to test tracks and associated infrastructure. Any chance to get up close to the train is prized by rail enthusiasts, as it is rarely seen on tracks.

The event, held for the first time since the plant's renewal in January, runs through Sunday.

Admission is free.