First for Japan

 The top speed back then was 210 km/h, and the trains did the 515 km distance in four hours. One year later the time was cut down to three hours and 10 minutes. With the introduction of the 300 series Nozomi in 1992, a train running at the top speed of 270 km/h, travel time was down to an ubelievable two hours.

Today, most cities on the Japanese isles are connected by high speed trains, running at speeds up to 300 km/h. There are eight existing Shinkansen distances, with five more projects to be completed in the next six years.

The name Shinkansen is really the name of the actual tracks, the whole network of high speed trains in Japan, but this is the name used most commonly. Bullet train is a name for the actual trains, from the way many of the sets are shaped as bullets.

High speed trains were considered in Japan already in the 1930s. Plans grew big and ambitious in the early 40s, but were laid off after the Second World War. It was not until the mid 50s before the ideas were back on the agenda, and the building of the first Shinkansen distance was approved in 1958.

The reason why Japan wanted to introduce high speed trains this early was because the original train tracks were narrow gauge lines due to the mountainous terrain. These lines were much more difficult to adapt to higher speeds than normal gauge lines, and the alternative was a brand new network that could cater for the needs of high speed trains.

The network has been operated by the private Japan Railway Group since 1987, when the national Japan National Railways had no more funds to spend. Developing high speed trains do come at a cost. But, it is a popular means of transport. According to the newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, 130 million people travelled on the very reliable Shinkansen every year in 2006. And they all know they will reach their destination on time. Delays on the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka were at an average of a mere 10 seconds in 2003, which makes the operators burst with pride.

Safety on the Shinkansen is considered to be top class, as no fatal passenger accidents caused by derailment or collisions have ever occurred. This is despite the fact that the country's frequent earthquakes and typhoons. The biggest challenge for Japan at the moment is that it is a problem increasing train speeds because of noise pollution. In a densely populated country this is a major cause for concern, and a lot of research is currently being undertaken to try and find solutions.

Easier journeys have had a big impact on bringing the regions of Japan closer when it comes to culture, too. In the past no one expected for example a comedian from Osaka to be successful in Tokyo. But nowadays the same jokes enjoy the same reception and laughs in both cities, a comedian told The Asahi Shimbun in 2006.

When the bullet trains made their debut on the Shinkansen linking Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, they were considered to be the technological wonder that the world was waiting for. The Shinkansen was the sole symbol of the New Japan. Ironically, only Taiwan has imported the technology, and started running trains based on the same technology as the Shinkansen in 2006.

Source: Wikipedia and The Asahi Shimbun, 2006 (EAST MEETS WEST/ Fast track: Overnight, bullet trains bridged the cultural gap between eastern and western Japan.)