Shinkansen (Tokyo)

While I write this story I am sitting in a regional Spanish train. He will take around two hours for a distance of around 200 kilometer from Valencia to Alicante. No comparison to the undisputed heavyweight champion of the rail-racing world: The Shinkansen.

While I write this story I am sitting in a regional Spanish train. He will take around two hours for a distance of around 200 kilometer from Valencia to Alicante. No comparison to the undisputed heavyweight champion of the rail-racing world: The Shinkansen.

Often also referred to as the “bullet train”. This master of speed can reach unbelievable 580 km/h and manages this incredible pace in the glimpse of an eye. In normal traffic it limits itself with a modest 300 km/h. This velocity is reached because the there are only two continuous welded rails compared to the common railways, which are jointly attached to each other. This said it is even more incredible that in 30 years of operation there has not been one single fatality. Within the train stations there are special sections for the Shinkansen. Every five minutes another sharp looking white monster-train arrives and leaves its spot after another five minutes. If you stand at the spot, which the number of your ticket is guiding you, there will be no hustle finding your wagon, hence the door will precisely open at your spot.

The German Railway service is said to be sharp on time, think again. If we talk bullet sharp punctual we really mean bullet sharp punctual with the Shinkansen. Japan is running, when Germany is still eating its “Frühstücksbrötchen”!

But even in the high-tech-world of the Shinkansen tradition never dies. There is an conductor who will control your pricey ticket in the friendliest of all possible manners: When entering the car of the train he will bow a sheer 45 degrees and will repeat this way when he leaves your wagon. Also a big tradition is the delight of “Ekiben”, which is a square train-lunchbox. There are up to 3000 different sorts and most of them ought to be very tasty: From sushi to pickles it holds all of the Japanese cuisine and especially the regional ekiben are worth trying, which you will get right at the many stores of your departing train station.

Most Shinkansen-Lines go through Tokyo and basically you could travel the whole country on the bullet-train. For all traveling more then two or three weeks I would definitely recommend a JR-pass. You will pay around 200 or 300 Euro and then you actually take any train you like and don’t have to pay no more! Quite a bargain considering the high prices of most of the lines:

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekiben

written by wil6ka on 2008-08-21 #places #tokyo #transportation #train #location