Japanese Bullet Trains

One of Japan's futuristic Shinkansen bullet trains

Here are some photos of Japanese Bullet Trains. These trains are known in Japan as Shinkansen. There is a wide network of Shinkansen services running throughout Japan. The trains run on dedicated high speed tracks that are not connected to the rest of the rail network.

Shinkansen speeds vary but the trains generally travel between 150 and 186 miles per hour. The speeds are often reduced in urban areas, particularly in urban and suburban Tokyo.

A Shinkansen in amongst the skyscraper forest surrounding Tokyo terminal station

I was fortunate enough to be in possession of a Japan Rail Pass on my last visit to Japan. This pass allows foreigners unlimited travel on all bullet train services in Japan (except for the highest speed Nozomi services that link Tokyo with Osaka and Kyoto). The pass is good value if you’re intending to do a lot of travelling around Japan as bullet train ticket prices are sometimes as high as you’d expect from an airline service.

There are essentially two main bullet train lines – the Tokaido Shinkansen runs between Tokyo station in Tokyo and runs to Western Japan, taking in Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Hiroshima. Services are very intensive on this network, with trains passing every 5 minutes or so at peak times.

Tokyo and Ueno stations are also the main teminal stations for Shinkansen services that run to Northern Japan. There are a number of lines that branch off to serve Nagano, Niigata, Akita and other destinations in Northern Japan.

A Shinkansen bullet train service

There are a great variety of different Shinkansen trains on the different networks. The Tokaido line mainly goes for train length – it’s not unusual to see long 15 carriage trains on this line. Consequently it’s a good idea to see where your carriage is due to stop so you can easily find your seat before boarding the train.

Many of the trains to Northern Japan use double deck carriages. Sit up top for some great views, or join the tired salarymen downstairs and have a sleep!

Customer service on the Shinkansen trains is legendary. The ticket inspectors actually bow when they enter or leave a carriage. Each set is reclinable, and they are rotated to face the direction of travel. There are catering facilities on board, reading materials, umbrella racks, a news and weather ticker (sadly only available in Japanese), recycling facilities and even urinals for gentlemen.

Shinkansen train departure board. How are your Japanese reading skills?

Delays do happen on the Shinkansen lines, but they are pretty infrequent and due to adverse weather or earthquake alerts.

If you’re lucky enough to visit Japan then it’s well worth trying out a Shinkanesen train. For a short journey try going from Tokyo or Shinagawa to Yokohama. Yokohama is Japan’s second biggest city, and is a good day trip from Tokyo.

If you want to see Mount Fuji from the bullet train then you’ll need to make the longer journey to Shizuoka. This is a small city that’s worth a few hours – the beautifully preserved castle is worth a visit.