Travel Japan celebrates 60 years of Shinkansen service

Six decades on, it is hard to believe that many then viewed the shinkansen – now the jewel in the crown of the country's public transport infrastructure – as an indulgence. There were protests over land acquisition, while critics labelled it an expensive anachronism in a postwar age of prosperity and mobility in which air and road travel would surely reign. Instead, the shinkansen, commonly known outside Japan as the bullet train, has become a byword for Japanese comfort and efficiency. The network has expanded to cover all four of the country's main islands – a network of more than 1,800 miles that connects most major cities, taking passengers to their destinations at speeds of up to 200mph. Mark Schreiber, a longtime resident of Japan, remembers being "thrilled" as an 18-year-old to be making his first bullet train trip from Tokyo to Kyoto with his brother and parents in 1965. "The ride was so smooth, the only sensation of speed was watching the scenery fly by," said Schreiber, who wrote a history of the shinkansen for a Japanese magazine when the service marked its 25th year. "This country loves its trains, and their pride and enthusiasm has been contagious."

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This is the first time in the world that a haunted house event will be held on a moving bullet train. The stage will be set in car 16 of the "Nozomi 435" bullet train bound for Shin-Osaka, which departs from Tokyo Station at 5:18 p.m. on 19 October. Over 20 zombies will be on board to scare passengers into a world of terror during the two-hour and 20-minute ride between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

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thomas said:

Tomorrow, Japan will celebrate sixty years of Shinkansen service. On 1 October 1964, at 6 a.m., two trains set off in opposite directions in a daring experiment that would quickly turn them into symbols of Japan's transformation from militarist pariah to global economic powerhouse.

Japan’s magic bullet: 60 years of the train that helped rebuild the idea of a country

Over just a few days in 1964, the launch of the shinkansen and the Tokyo Olympics trumpeted the emergence of a new economic and democratic power

www.theguardian.com

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Shinkansen - Japanese bullet trains

The Shinkansen (新幹線, “new trunk line”), also known as the “Japanese bullet train” due to its shape and speed, is a high-speed passenger railroad system operated by the Japan Railways. The shinkansen connect most urban centres in Japan, running at...

jref.com

There's going to be another "Shinkansen debut" in October: a "Zombie Shinkansen," which will turn a carriage on a Tokaido Nozomi bullet train into a haunted house, will depart from Tokyo Station in October. Zombies will suddenly appear inside the train, which runs at a maximum speed of 285 kilometres per hour, one after another.

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World's first 'zombie bullet train' set to haunt passengers on trip from Tokyo to Osaka - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- A

mainichi.jp

ゾンビ新幹線～怖がらせ隊Presents～世界初！！新幹線型お化け屋敷 - 株式会社 怖がらせ隊

「ゾンビ新幹線～怖がらせ隊Presents～世界初！！新幹線型お化け屋敷」（東京発　新大阪行）お化け屋敷制作は怖がらせ隊へ。

kowagarasetai.com

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