The Tokaido Shinkansen is a high-speed rail line serving Tokyo and Osaka. To me, this is nothing short of the miracle of public transportation. The “normal speed” is 320 km/h, but the top speed can reach 443 km/h. The trains are pressure-tight and operate on 25,000 volts DC. Since they have their own tracks, the average delay per train for all of last year was… 36 seconds!
As you probably know, the term “shinkansen” is now used to refer to many different types of high-speed trains in Japan. My train was another Hikari Super Express 464 bound for Tokyo. The fastest with the fewest stops is “Nozumi”. You cannot travel on these trains with a JR Rail Pass, but you can use the second tier of trains called “Hikari” (same type of train with more stops).
Kyoto Terminus is a very modern place that combines shopping malls and hotels. The whole place smells of popcorn and freshly baked cookies. The soundtrack mixes unintelligible Japanese clarinet broadcasts with the rumble of the train overhead as you emerge upward on the platform.
A train arrives on the platform every five minutes or so and takes off after warning anyone on the platform of any doubt with a loud electronic beep. The trains themselves seem almost silent, and are so aerodynamic that they cut their own holes in the air in front of them.
Time to get ready for the three hour journey. Even as we head north, the snow slowly disappears. The slopes of Mount Fuji glisten in the winter sun. The windows may seem too big, but that’s because your mind is confusing the cabin with the cabin of an airplane.
There is no digital indicator for train speed. The Japanese must take it for granted that it is a Shinkansen train and it will travel at Shinkansen speed. A woman greets each new passenger with a hot towel. There is a trolley service that sells basic snacks, but I was surprised that proper food wasn’t served on the train.
Soon we pulled into Yokohama, and ten minutes later we arrived at Tokyo’s Central Station. I forgot that I actually live near Shinjuku station and not this station, so my taxis cost a fortune.
Matthew Woodward Several amazing long-distance rail adventures have been done using the Trans-Siberian Railway and continue across Asia. From his home in Edinburgh, he has traveled to Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo and is now on his way to Tibet.His blog can be found at Toad’s Travel Adventures.
Main image: Shinkansen flying over Mount Fuji (Shutterstock.com)
